Why researchers choose PiEEG over OpenBCI, Emotiv and Muse

PiEEG gives you research-grade 24-bit EEG, EMG and ECG at the lowest price per channel, with every raw sample free to use.

The Raspberry Pi shields sample up to 16,000 times per second, and everything around the hardware is open: code on GitHub, datasets on Kaggle, headsets on Thingiverse and a community of 1,000+ on Discord.

See the numbers Compare all specs

Last checked: 24 September 2026. Prices in USD, before tax and shipping.

What one EEG channel costs

List price divided by EEG channels. Devices on sale today.

PiEEG Octopus 16$16
PiEEG-16$24
PiEEG-8$44
PiEEG IronBCI-8$52
Muse 2$62
Emotiv Flex 2$75*
Emotiv EPOC X$86*
Emotiv Insight$100*
Muse S Athena$119
OpenBCI Cyton$156
OpenBCI Cyton + Daisy$156
OpenBCI Ganglion$156

* Emotiv also charges a paid EmotivPRO subscription to export raw EEG.

PiEEG by the numbers

Manufacturer specs, side by side. PiEEG is highlighted in blue.

Fastest sample rate per channel

Highest streamed rate, samples per second. Linear scale.

PiEEG-816,000
PiEEG-1616,000
Emotiv EPOC X256
Muse 2 / S Athena256
OpenBCI Cyton250
OpenBCI Ganglion200
OpenBCI Cyton + Daisy125

Up to 64× faster than any Emotiv, Muse or OpenBCI device. Enough for surface EMG, fast ECG and high-frequency EEG research.

Price of a 14–16 channel system

List price of the smallest setup with at least 14 EEG channels, USD.

PiEEG Octopus 16$250
PiEEG-16$390
Emotiv EPOC X (14 ch)$1,199*
OpenBCI Cyton + Daisy$2,499

PiEEG-16 costs about a sixth of the 16-channel OpenBCI system. * EPOC X raw data needs a paid licence.

ADC resolution per sample

Bits per sample. Each extra bit doubles the number of voltage levels.

PiEEG (all EEG boards)24-bit
OpenBCI Cyton24-bit
Emotiv EPOC X / Flex 216-bit
Emotiv Insight14-bit
Muse S Athena14-bit
Muse 212-bit

24-bit gives 256× more voltage levels than 16-bit and 4,096× more than 12-bit.

Signals from one board

Biosignal types each device can record.

PiEEGEEG · EMG · ECG
EmotivEEG
MuseEEG

Record brain, muscle and heart activity with the same hardware and the same software, instead of buying three systems.

Where PiEEG is better

Lowest cost per channelFrom $16 per channel with Octopus 16 and $24 with PiEEG-16, against $156 for every OpenBCI board.
Raw data is free and always yoursEvery sample streams through open-source Python, browser, LSL and BrainFlow tools. No paid tier, account or cloud login.
The research-standard ADS1299 chipPiEEG-8, PiEEG-16 and IronBCI use the TI ADS1299, the same converter as OpenBCI Cyton, with public noise and gain figures you can cite.
Up to 64× faster samplingPiEEG-8 and PiEEG-16 reach 16 kSPS. Emotiv and Muse stop at 256 SPS, and 16-channel OpenBCI streams at 125 SPS.
EEG, EMG and ECG on one boardOne device, one software stack for brain, muscle and heart signals.
You choose the electrode sitesAny 10-20 montage, wet or dry, with 8, 16 or 32-channel caps. No fixed headset positions.
Processing on the deviceThe Raspberry Pi filters and classifies in real time with no laptop, ideal for robotics and closed-loop BCI.
Form factors nobody else offersA neural face mask for VR (PiEEG XR) and a coin-sized 16-channel dry board (Octopus 16).

An open ecosystem around the hardware

Start before your board arrives: download data, print a headset and ask the community.

Kaggle

Open EEG datasets

Real PiEEG recordings and ready-to-run machine-learning notebooks. Train and test models with no hardware.

Explore datasets 3D print

Free headset designs

Headsets, electrode holders and enclosures for almost every PiEEG device, free to download on Thingiverse.

Download STL files 1,000+

Discord members

Researchers, students and developers sharing code, projects and help with setup and signal processing.

Join the Discord GitHub

Open-source code

SDKs, firmware and examples for every device, so your whole pipeline is inspectable and reproducible.

Browse repositories

Every device, side by side

Sample rate is the streamed rate per channel. Channels count EEG or biopotential inputs only. Pick your study’s needs to fade out devices that don’t qualify.

What does your study need?

Showing all 16 devices.

PiEEG prices from our manufacturing partner Elecrow. Other prices and specs from each manufacturer’s store or documentation, September 2026.
Device	Channels	Sample rate	Resolution	Front end	Electrodes	Connection	Raw data	Open source	EMG / ECG	Price	Per channel	Status
PiEEG
PiEEG-8Raspberry Pi 3/4/5 shield	8	250 SPS – 16 kSPS	24-bit	TI ADS1299	Wet or dry	SPI to Raspberry Pi	Yes, freePython on the Pi, LSL, OSC	✓	✓	$350	$44	Available
PiEEG-16Raspberry Pi 5 shield	16	250 SPS – 16 kSPS	24-bit	2× TI ADS1299	Wet or dry	SPI to Raspberry Pi 5	Yes, freePython on the Pi, LSL, OSC	✓	✓	$390	$24	Available
PiEEG-24Raspberry Pi shield	24	To be announced	To be announced	To be announced	To be announced	Raspberry Pi	Yes, freeSame open PiEEG software	✓	✓	Not priced	—	Coming soon
IronBCI-8Wearable board, 50 mm	8	250 SPS	24-bit	TI ADS1299	Wet or dry	Bluetooth LE 5	Yes, freePython, Android SDK, Web Bluetooth	✓	✓	$420	$53	Available
IronBCI-16Wearable board	16	250 SPS	24-bit	—	Wet or dry	Bluetooth LE	Yes, freePiEEG Cloud, PiEEG Server	✓	✓	Ask us	—	On request
Octopus 16Wearable, XIAO ESP32-S3	16	250 SPS	24-bit	2× TI ADS131M08	Dry pogo pins	Bluetooth LE	Yes, freePiEEG Server, browser SDK	✓	✓	$250	$16	Available
PiEEG XRVR face mask, 10 dry pads	8	250 SPS	24-bit	2× TI ADS1299 + STM32WB	Flat dry Ag/AgCl	Bluetooth LE 5, OSC	Yes, freeFacial EMG + frontal EEG to WebXR	✓	✓	Kickstarter	—	Pre-launch
AuraEMG wristband for XR	4EMG + 6-axis IMU	To be announced	To be announced	To be announced	Dry	Bluetooth LE	Yes, freeEMG and IMU on one clock	✓	✓	Not priced	—	Coming soon
OpenBCI
CytonWireless board	8	250 SPS	24-bit	TI ADS1299	Sold separately	RF dongle (USB)	Yes, freeOpenBCI GUI, BrainFlow	✓	✓	$1,249	$156	Available
Cyton + DaisyBoard + expansion	16	125 SPS streamed	24-bit	2× TI ADS1299	Sold separately	RF dongle (USB)	Yes, freeOpenBCI GUI, BrainFlow	✓	✓	$2,499	$156	Available
GanglionWireless board	4	200 SPS	24-bit ADC, compressed	Microchip MCP3912	Sold separately	Bluetooth LE	Yes, freeOpenBCI GUI, BrainFlow	✓	✓	$624.99	$156	Available
Emotiv
EPOC XHeadset	14	128 or 256 SPS	14 or 16-bit	Proprietary	Saline felt pads	Bluetooth LE or dongle	Paid licenceRaw export needs a paid EmotivPRO tier	—	—	$1,199	$86	Available
InsightHeadset	5	128 SPS	14-bit	Proprietary	Semi-dry polymer	Bluetooth LE	Paid licenceRaw export needs a paid EmotivPRO tier	—	—	$499	$100	Available
Flex 2Cap	32up to 32	128 or 256 SPS	14 or 16-bit	Proprietary	Saline or gel	Bluetooth LE or dongle	Paid licenceRaw export needs a paid EmotivPRO tier	—	—	$2,399	$75	Available
Muse
Muse 2Headband	4	256 SPS	12-bit	Proprietary	Fixed dry sensors	Bluetooth LE	Third-party onlyMind Monitor, muse-lsl	—	—	$249.99	$62	Available
Muse S AthenaSoft headband + fNIRS	4EEG, plus fNIRS and PPG	256 SPS	14-bit	Proprietary	Fixed dry sensors	Bluetooth LE	Third-party onlyOpenMuse and similar tools	—	—	$474.99	$119	Available

Head to head

PiEEG vs OpenBCI

Same ADS1299 chip, same open-source approach, a fraction of the price.

Where PiEEG wins: 16 channels for $390 instead of $2,499. Up to 16 kSPS instead of 250. Full 250 SPS on all 16 wireless channels with Octopus 16, where Cyton + Daisy drops to 125 SPS. Real-time processing on the Raspberry Pi.

PiEEG vs Emotiv

Open hardware you control, instead of a closed headset with a software subscription.

Where PiEEG wins: Raw data with no EmotivPRO subscription. 24-bit instead of 14 or 16-bit. EMG and ECG as well as EEG. Electrodes placed anywhere, and sampling far beyond 256 SPS on the Pi shields.

PiEEG vs Muse

A multichannel research system instead of a four-sensor wellness headband.

Where PiEEG wins: 8 to 24 channels instead of 4, placed across the whole scalp. 24-bit instead of 12 or 14-bit. EMG and ECG, open-source tools, and official raw data access instead of third-party apps.

Which PiEEG device fits your study

Frequently asked questions

Is PiEEG a good alternative to OpenBCI?

Yes. PiEEG-8, PiEEG-16 and IronBCI use the same TI ADS1299 24-bit converter as the OpenBCI Cyton, and both are open source. PiEEG-16 costs $390 for 16 channels, compared with $2,499 for the 16-channel Cyton + Daisy, and samples up to 16 kSPS instead of 125 SPS.

Can I get raw EEG data from PiEEG without a licence?

Yes. Every PiEEG device streams raw samples through free, open-source tools in Python, the browser, Lab Streaming Layer and BrainFlow. There is no paid tier for raw data.

Is there a public PiEEG EEG dataset?

Yes. PiEEG publishes datasets and ready-to-run notebooks on Kaggle, so you can explore real PiEEG recordings and train models before buying hardware.

Can I 3D print a headset for PiEEG?

Yes. Headsets, electrode holders and enclosures for almost every PiEEG device are free to download on Thingiverse.

Where can I get help with PiEEG?

Join the PiEEG Discord, where more than 1,000 researchers, students and developers share code, projects and troubleshooting tips. Documentation and source code are on GitHub.

Which PiEEG device should I choose for research?

PiEEG-16 for stationary lab work with a wet cap, PiEEG-8 or PiEEG-16 for EMG or anything above 250 SPS, IronBCI for participants who move, Octopus 16 for quick gel-free occipital recordings, and PiEEG XR for facial EMG and EEG inside VR.

Planning a study?

Tell us your paradigm, participant count and budget, and we’ll suggest a board, cap and software setup.

Contact the PiEEG team Ask on Discord

PiEEG devices are for research and education. They are not medical devices and are not intended for diagnosis or treatment.

OpenBCI, Cyton, Ganglion, Emotiv, EPOC, Insight, Flex, Muse and Muse S Athena are trademarks of their respective owners. This comparison is written by PiEEG and is not endorsed by those companies.

Sources: OpenBCI shop, OpenBCI Cyton docs, Emotiv pricing, EmotivPRO, Muse S Athena, PiEEG at Elecrow. Spotted an out-of-date number? Let us know.

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