Which Raspberry Pi Models Can Support OctoPrint (and Which Can’t)

It’s a miracle that we live in a time where anyone can own and operate their own 3D printer, not to mention do so using completely home-made hardware and software via a Raspberry Pi. All you need is a bit of tech savvy, such as the differences between 3D print file types and a few good websites from which to download 3D print files. In addition to the hardware and print files, however, you’ll also want to have an interface loaded onto your Raspberry Pi-powered printer to make it easier to actually launch and manage print jobs.

If you’re looking for such an interface, OctoPrint is a good choice to install on your Raspberry Pi. It lets you control almost every aspect of your 3D printer from your web browser, is easy to enhance with plugins and extensions, and is completely open-source. The only major issue you need to be aware of is that OctoPrint isn’t fully compatible with all Raspberry Pi models. The software’s creators recommend using only certain models to ensure the best user experience.

On the OctoPrint website, the developers recommend installing OctoPrint only on a Raspberry Pi 3B, 3B+, 4B, or Zero 2. These particular models have the greatest compatibility with OctoPrint and its features and plugins, so using them will give you the best possible experience when printing objects, managing jobs, and simply tinkering with your 3D printer.

The developers note that it’s technically possible to install OctoPrint on Raspberry Pi models other than the ones listed. However, they warn that doing so can result in poor performance, such as printing artifacts and long load times. These issues can be made even worse if you try to install third-party plugins or connect an external webcam.

While you may be able to work around these performance issues, the creators also recommend completely avoiding installing OctoPrint on your Raspberry Pi Zero or Zero W. For these particular models, the performance issues are most severe, especially when bandwidth is used with the Wi-Fi interface. While it likely won’t damage your Raspberry Pi, installing OctoPrint on these two models will almost certainly negatively impact the quality of your prints and the overall user experience.