Not to long ago the only question about embedded boards was: Arduino or Raspberry Pi. Which really breaks the question down to “microcontroller” or “microprocessor.” Once you decide on a microprocessor platform, there are a bunch of Raspberry Pi Alternatives to consider.
Of course, no single board will always be the obvious “best.” Heck I’ve even got a pile of them on my bench that I haven’t messed with yet.
The 5 Raspberry Pi Alternatives
Even though I haven’t gotten to them all yet, Christian Cawley at makeuseof put together a nice list of Raspberry Pi Alternatives. So before you dive head first into your project, check out these other boards and see if one better meets your needs.
Even if you aren’t in the market for a new microprocessor board, you might want to check out the first section of the article. It’s a nice description of what to look for when selecting a board.