A Raspberry Pi 5 costs €80. This small credit-card-sized computer can replace solutions costing several hundred euros in your IT infrastructure. Here are 5 concrete uses we deploy at Belgian SMEs — with the limitations you should know.
The Raspberry Pi is often associated with hobby projects or weekend makers. But since the Pi 4 and especially the Pi 5, performance has reached a level that makes it relevant for some business uses — provided you know what you are doing.
Here is what we actually deploy at our clients, and what we avoid.
5 concrete uses in an SME
1. Pi-hole — DNS and ad blocking
Pi-hole is a local DNS server that blocks ads, trackers and malicious domains for your entire network. Result: faster browsing, less bandwidth consumed, and a layer of protection against known phishing domains. We often deploy it in addition to the pfSense firewall.
2. Lightweight monitoring server
For small structures that do not need a full Zabbix, a Pi with Grafana + InfluxDB lets you monitor network temperature, service availability and equipment load. Ideal for a first level of monitoring.
3. Shared print server
Do you have a USB printer without a network port? A Raspberry Pi with CUPS turns any printer into a shared network printer for the whole team. Simple, stable, minimal power consumption (~5W).
4. Dynamic display
KPI dashboard in the meeting room, schedule display at reception, digital menu in the break room — the Pi connected to an HDMI screen with software like Screenly or MagicMirror handles this perfectly for a fraction of the cost of commercial solutions.
5. Lightweight VPN server (WireGuard)
For a small structure with 2-3 remote workers, a Pi 5 with WireGuard makes an excellent VPN entry point. Easy to configure with PiVPN, near-zero power consumption, and sufficient performance for office remote work. For more than 5 simultaneous connections, we prefer pfSense on Protectli.
Goodus: UniFi WiFi controller
If you use Ubiquiti UniFi WiFi access points, the UniFi Network controller can run on a Raspberry Pi — no dedicated server needed. We manage several sites from a centralized interface for less than €100.
What we do NOT do with a Raspberry Pi in business
The Raspberry Pi is pas un serveur de fichiers principal, not an Active Directory domain controller for a serious SME, not a critical backup server, and not a main firewall. The SD card degrades, RAM is limited, and there is no hardware redundancy. For these uses, we switch to dedicated hardware — Synology NAS, Protectli, or Linux server on mini-PC.
Raspberry Pi 4 vs Pi 5 — which to choose?
Pi 4 (4 GB RAM) at ~€55 — sufficient for Pi-hole, print server, dynamic display
Pi 5 (8 GB RAM) at ~€80 — recommended for VPN WireGuard, Grafana, UniFi controller, multiple simultaneous uses
Always add an SSD via USB adapter rather than an SD card for reliability
Case with heat sink essential for continuous use
💡 Our recommended starter kit
Raspberry Pi 5 8GB + official case with fan + Samsung 256GB SSD via USB adapter + official power supply. Total budget: €140 to €160. A solution that runs 24/7 for years with less than 10W consumption.
🖥️ Want to integrate a Pi into your infrastructure?
NexK IT configures and deploys Raspberry Pi solutions for Belgian SMEs — Pi-hole, VPN, monitoring, dynamic display.