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Best Arduino and Arduino-Compatible Starter Kits – Buying Guide 2023

March 5, 2023 By Sara Santos

The Arduino board is a great tool to start into electronics and programming. It is used worldwide by makers, students, and even engineers.

Do you want to start making your own electronics projects? An Arduino is a good starting point – find out the best Arduino and Arduino-compatible Starter Kits and start making your own gadgets!

Why are we writing this article? We (Rui Santos and Sara Santos) are the owners of the Random Nerd Tutorials blog. A blog with electronics projects and tutorials about the Arduino, ESP32, ESP8266, and Raspberry Pi.

We have dozens of projects with the Arduino board with step-by-step instructions with code that you can easily follow. Many of our readers ask us what they need to get started with the Arduino and Arduino-compatible boards. Our recommendation is an Arduino/Arduino-compatible starter kit. So we’ve decided to make a compilation with the Best Arduino-based Starter Kits for beginners.

In this article, you’ll also find some additional information about the Arduino board and resources to get started.

Best Arduino and Arduino-Compatible Starter Kits Comparison

We’ve put together a list of the best Arduino/Arduino-compatible starter kits. See the list below to compare their features and continue reading this post for a more in-depth analysis of each kit.

Continue reading this post for a detailed analysis of each Arduino/Arduino-compatible Kit.

Figure
Name
Price
Links
Number of Items
Original Arduino
Our Instructions' Rating
Official
Arduino Starter Kit
$$$
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
eBay
40
✓
+++
Elegoo Complete Starter Kit
$$
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
eBay
63
x
++
Elegoo Super Starter Kit
$
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
eBay

36
x
++
DFROBOT Starter Kit
$$
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
eBay

20
x
++
Geekcreit UNOR3 Basic Starter Kit
$
Banggood
36
x
not applicable
SunFounder Project Complete Starter kit
$
Amazon.com
30
x
++

What is Arduino?

The Arduino is a microcontroller board that you can program to read information from the world around you and send commands to the outside world. In simple words, the Arduino controls outputs and reads inputs. The outputs can be an LED, a motor, a relay, or a display, and the inputs can be potentiometers, buttons, or sensors.

There are several Arduino boards. The most popular is the UNO, but the Arduino nano and Arduino MEGA are also popular among hobbyists and makers.

Getting Started with an Arduino/Arduino-compatible Starter Kit

Getting started with Arduino is easy, and anyone can learn electronics and programming with this board. However, it can be a little intimidating, especially when you’re starting, when you don’t know what an Arduino can do.

The easiest way to learn Arduino is by doing projects! Start with a simple “Blinking LED” tutorial and then evolve into more interesting projects. We recommend checking our course for Arduino: Step-by-Step projects with Arduino—a compilation of 25 projects with step-by-step instructions. This includes simple projects like “Blinking an LED” and more advanced (yet easy) projects like a Time Attendance System, a Weather Station, a Memory Game, and much more!

If you’re completely new to Arduino, and you’re still unsure if it is a good fit for you, we have a free Mini Course about Arduino that you can enroll here, where you’ll have your first LED blinking in less than 15 minutes.

What do you need to get started?

In our opinion, the best way to get started with the Arduino is by getting one Arduino/Arduino-compatible starter kit that contains all the components you need to learn the basics and start doing projects.

Don’t be disappointed if your first project is a simple blinking LED. Learning how to blink an LED is more powerful than you think. If you can control an LED, you can control almost anything, whether it is a lamp or a toaster. After mastering the basics, you can also choose from a wide variety of Arduino compatible sensors and Arduino shields.

There are a wide variety of Arduino and Arduino-comaptible Starter Kits. The best kit for you depends on what you want to do and how much you are willing to spend.

Usually, most kits will come with a breadboard, jumper wires, LEDs, resistors, and several sensors.

The biggest difference between the available kits is the number of items, the quality of the components, if it comes with an original Arduino board or an Arduino clone, and if it comes with instructions or not. Additionally, some kits come with more expensive sensors and displays.

Continue reading to find the best Arduino/Arduino-compatible Starter Kit for your needs.

Recommended reading: 60+ Arduino Projects and Tutorials


Best Arduino and Arduino-Compatible Starter Kits

Arduino Starter Kit - English Official Kit With 170 Page Book

Arduino Starter Kit - English Official Kit With 170 Page Book

$120.00
$103.90
 in stock
7 new from $1.00
Free shipping
BUY NOW
Amazon.com
as of March 29, 2023 5:40 pm

This is the official Arduino starter kit. It comes with a project book with 15 projects and with all the needed components to build them. This is great if you’re a total beginner because you’ll learn how to do cool projects with the components provided. The kit comes with the Arduino UNO board, the projects’ book with 15 projects, a breadboard, jumper wires, resistors, LEDs, a temperature sensor, a DC motor, a servo motor, and much more.

An Arduino starter kit is an awesome gift to give to your kids on their birthday.

Note: the project book is available in other languages besides English like Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish.

What’s included in this kit?

  • Arduino UNO + USB cable
  • Project Book with 15 projects
  • 1 breadboard
  • Jumper wires
  • Wooden base
  • 9V battery snap
  • 6x phototransistor
  • 3x potentiometer
  • 10x pushbuttons
  • Temperature sensor [TMP36]
  • Tilt sensor
  • 16×2 LCD
  • LEDs (several colors)
  • DC motor
  • Servo motor
  • Piezo capsule
  • Motor drive L293D
  • Optocoupler 4N35
  • Transistors, capacitors, and diodes
  • Resistors assortment (with the most common values)

There’s a bundle product that comes with the Arduino started kit plus the best-selling book “Getting Started with Arduino” by :Make. Check this bundle below:

Arduino The Official Starter Kit Deluxe Bundle with Make: 3rd Edition Book
Arduino The Official Starter Kit Deluxe Bundle with Make: 3rd Edition Book
Arduino The Official Starter Kit Deluxe Bundle with Make: 3rd Edition Book
$160.01
in stock
as of March 29, 2023 5:40 pm
BUY NOW
Amazon.com
Last updated on March 29, 2023 5:40 pm

For more suggestions of Arduino books, we recommend:

  • Best Books for Arduino for Beginners
  • Best Books for Arduino for Kids

ELEGOO UNO R3 Project Most Complete Starter Kit w/Tutorial Compatible with Arduino IDE (63 Items)

ELEGOO UNO R3 Project Most Complete Starter Kit w/Tutorial Compatible with Arduino IDE (63 Items)

$59.99  in stock
BUY NOW
Amazon.com
as of March 29, 2023 5:40 pm

This Arduino-based kit from Elegoo is just awesome. It comes with more than 200 components, of which 63 are different. Besides basic components like resistors, LEDs, and pushbuttons, it comes with a nice set of modules and sensors like an RFID reader, water level sensor, accelerometer/gyroscope module, LED matrix, motion sensor, ultrasonic sensor, and much more.

There is also a manual included with instructions for projects to help you get started. The manual includes the code (you can copy the code from a CD that comes with the kit) and pictures of assembled circuits. All the code was tested, so hopefully, you won’t have compilation errors when uploading code to your Arduino-based board.

Everything comes in a nice plastic case to keep everything organized, plus an extra mini box to store small parts. The microcontroller is an Arduino clone from Elegoo but works exactly in the same way as the official Arduino board. This is a good kit not just for beginners but also for experienced makers.

Recommend resource: Download free Arduino eBook.


Elegoo UNO Project Super Starter Kit with Tutorial for Arduino

Elegoo UNO Project Super Starter Kit with Tutorial for Arduino

$44.99  in stock
BUY NOW
Amazon.com
as of March 29, 2023 5:40 pm

This Arduino-based kit doesn’t come with as many components as the previous one. Still, it brings the essential components to learn Arduino basics easily and for an excellent price. This is perfect if you are on a lower budget.

The kit includes an Arduino clone, LCD with header pins, a 7-segment display, small electronics components like LEDs, resistors, pushbuttons, a potentiometer, and jumper wires. It also comes with other cool components like a thermistor, a servo motor, a DHT11 temperature and humidity sensor, a stepper motor driver board, and much more.

All parts come with header pins, so you don’t need to worry about soldering. Additionally, everything comes organized in a handy plastic case. Besides the electronics components, the kit also brings a PDF document with 22 lessons with instructions.

Recommended reading: Best Arduino-Compatible Sensors and Modules Kits


DFROBOT Starter Kit for Arduino with 15 Project Tutorials

DFROBOT Starter Kit for Arduino with 15 Project Tutorials

$61.82  in stock
BUY NOW
Amazon.com
as of March 29, 2023 5:40 pm

This Arduino-based Kit from DFRobot comes with 20 different components. Everything comes clearly labeled and organized in a plastic box, so you don’t have trouble finding the right parts for your projects. They provide flash cards and instructions (on their website) to build 15 different projects. These are good resources for both teaching and learning. It comes with an Arduino clone compatible with the original Arduino UNO.


Geekcreit UNOR3 Basic Starter Kit

Geekcreit UNOR3 Basic Starter Kit

★★★★★
$36.25
$24.99
BUY NOW
Banggood.com
as of March 26, 2023 3:13 pm

This is one of the cheapest Arduino-based starter kits you can get. Nonetheless, it comes with a good variety of components. Besides the LEDs, buttons, and resistors, it also comes with an IR remote, LCD, dot matrix, IR receiver, servo motor, stepper motor and controller module, buzzer, prototyping shield, etc.

If you’re on a lower budget, this is one of the best kits you can get for such a lower price.


SunFounder Project Complete Starter kit Compatible with Arduino UNO R3 Arduino IDE/Scratch Coding with 42 Detailed Online Tutorials

SunFounder Project Complete Starter kit Compatible with Arduino UNO R3 Arduino IDE/Scratch Coding with 42 Detailed Online Tutorials

$40.99  in stock
BUY NOW
Amazon.com
as of March 29, 2023 5:40 pm

This SunFounder starter kit for Arduino comes with multiple LEDs with different colors and resistors with a wide range of values. Comes with three different displays: LCD, seven-segment display with one digit, and a seven-segment display with four digits. It includes three different types of motors: DC motor, servo motor, and stepper motor and the corresponding interface circuit board. Additionally, it also comes with a temperature sensor, joystick, IR remote, and much more. They also provide 42 tutorials to build projects with the components included. Taking into account the included components, it’s a great deal for the price.

Need Tutorials to Get Started?

Do you need some tutorials to get started? You can take a look at our course for the Arduino board or our free resources to learn Arduino:

  • Step-by-step Projects with the Arduino (Build 25 projects)
  • FREE eBook with Arduino project +18 projects
  • FREE Mini Course for Arduino
  • FREE Arduino-related Projects and Tutorials

We also recommend the following books on Amazon:

Arduino Project Handbook: 25 Practical Projects to Get You Started
Arduino Project Handbook: 25 Practical Projects to Get You Started
Arduino Project Handbook: 25 Practical Projects to Get You Started
$10.92
$24.95
in stock
8 used from $11.27
as of March 29, 2023 5:40 pm
BUY NOW
Amazon.com
Programming Arduino: Getting Started with Sketches, Second Edition
Programming Arduino: Getting Started with Sketches, Second Edition
Programming Arduino: Getting Started with Sketches, Second Edition
$15.00
in stock
31 new from $10.18
43 used from $3.88
as of March 29, 2023 5:40 pm
BUY NOW
Amazon.com
Last updated on March 29, 2023 5:40 pm

For more recommendations about Arduino-related books, you can read the following articles:

  • Best Books for Arduino For Kids
  • Best Books for Arduino For Beginners

Other Essential Tools

If you want to start learning Arduino, there are other essential tools you might consider getting, like a multimeter and a soldering iron.

A multimeter is an essential tool to debug your circuits (it also helps you understand how electricity works). If you don’t want to invest a large amount of money on this tool, a $12 low-cost multimeter will do just fine.

Another essential tool is a soldering iron. It is an essential tool to solder wires or pins together and build your own circuits. If you don’t have a lot of space for a soldering station and want something lean and easy to use, we recommend the TS80 portable soldering iron.

Are you looking for other tools to start putting together your electronics lab? Read our tips on How To Set Up an Electronics Lab: Tools and Equipment.

Wrapping Up

In this post, we’ve shown you our choices regarding the best Arduino/Arduino-compatible starter kits. The best kit for you will depend on your needs, your expertise level, and on what you intend to do with the Arduino.

Elegoo Arduino UNO R3 Complete Starter Kit with Tutorial - We selected the Elegoo Arduino UNO R3 Project Complete Starter Kit as our number one pick. First of all, it comes with a wide variety of components, allowing you to do a wide variety of projects – way more projects than the provided examples. Secondly, this kit is also perfect if you want to go further to make more advanced projects. This is a great kit for a very reasonable price.


If you’re an absolute beginner and you don’t know anything about electronics and programming, and you don’t even know how to identify different parts, the Official Arduino Starter kit is a better option. Although a bit more pricey, it comes with an excellent booklet to guide you all the way through.

Have you ordered one of these Arduino-compatible starter kits? Let us know what do you think.

PS: If you’re looking for Projects with the Arduino, check our Course for Arduino on Random Nerd Tutorials website.


[Recommended Course] Learn ESP32 with Arduino IDE

Register in our brand new ESP32 course with Arduino IDE. This is our complete guide to program the ESP32 with Arduino IDE, including projects, tips, and tricks! The registrations are open, so sign up now.


Other RNT Courses

[eBook] Home Automation using ESP8266 »
Build IoT projects and home automation gadgets with the ESP8266 Wi-Fi module.
[Course] Build a Home Automation System »
Build a home automation system using open-source hardware and software.
[Course] Arduino Step-by-Step Projects »
Build 25 cool Arduino projects with our course even with no prior experience!

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Comments

  1. Ashley says

    October 2, 2017 at 3:11 pm

    We have the official kit, which was the perfect starter for my son since we knew very little. The book is great and to start I didn’t want to overwhelm him with extra components. After he worked through those examples we got the elegoo kit and it is an excellent addition, but for true beginners I like the official kit. I also like supporting the original makers.

    Reply
    • Sara Santos says

      October 2, 2017 at 3:30 pm

      Hi Ashley. You are right.
      The official starter kit is perfect for truly beginners – the book that comes with the kit is great to guide beginners in their first steps.
      The others kits are also nice, they are cheaper and bring more components. However the instructions books are poorly translated with many typos, so people may need to search on the web for tutorials, which at the beginning can be a bit overwhelming. However, if you already know a little, these are great kits for the price.
      Thank you for your feedback. 🙂
      Sara

      Reply
  2. Wayne says

    October 5, 2017 at 5:56 pm

    Yeah I totally aree 100% with Ashley, Original Makers like the Original Arduino Boards. Clones are a huge waste of time & money, they are not very reliable. I know from experience, I don’t care what others have to say, it is their choice if they buy clones. Originals are the way to go period.

    Reply
    • Sara Santos says

      October 6, 2017 at 11:02 am

      Buying an original Arduino rewards the creators and you know you are buying a high quality product.
      However, most clones are pretty good, including the Elegoo clone, SainSmart and others.
      When purchasing assortment kits and sensor modules, the Chinese clones are the way to go, because they are very inexpensive.

      Reply
      • Wayne says

        October 6, 2017 at 4:31 pm

        Yeah I know, but there are some really good chinese manufacturers out there. I just prefer to buy Originals for reliability. I all ways first read the reviews on chinese products before I make any purchases.

        Reply
  3. Su says

    December 20, 2017 at 5:22 pm

    If possible, please provide a link to amazon.ca for purchases! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sara Santos says

      December 20, 2017 at 7:35 pm

      Hi Su.
      You can use the following links:
      Official Arduino Starter Kit: amazon.ca/dp/B009UKZV0A
      Elegoo starter kit: amazon.ca/dp/B01M9CHF1J/
      Samraza starter kit: amazon.ca/dp/B06XXHGJ7N
      16 Hertz starter kit: amazon.ca/dp/B00OHQ3BFE/
      Thanks
      Regards,
      Sara

      Reply
  4. Mark Nelson says

    May 10, 2018 at 5:17 pm

    I go the 35 dollar elegoo AND the Kuman kit which you do not mention. The elegoo kit has a very friendly tutorial and step by step instruction with great diagrams for hook up. The Kuman comes with a DVD with a huge amouth of books and documents on the DVD. Since then i have purcheased a plethora of arduin R3 clones some with micro usb connectors. I have built a tin of useful gizzys. many using the LCD displays which i use initially for code feedback and then display of data for my final product.. I have alos purchased from amazon almost every thing to add on to shields which i design and build myself. barameters range sensors, clocks, presssure sensors etc. so much power in these devices i am happy to get back into programming and hardware control again. and sooo cheap. much cheaper than raspberry pie or

    https://amzn.to/2rBeGJU
    $30 USD

    I have also designed a box to place the R3 and Shields into along with a LCD display. 3D printer stuff

    https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2903806

    Reply
    • Sara Santos says

      May 11, 2018 at 12:19 pm

      Hi Mark. Thank you for your feedback.
      I’m really glad you’re happy with the Arduino Kit, and you’re enjoying doing projects with it.
      Thank you for sharing your 3D box design.
      Regards,
      Sara 🙂

      Reply

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Elegoo Arduino UNO R3 Complete Starter Kit with Tutorial - We selected the Elegoo Arduino UNO R3 Project Complete Starter Kit as our number one pick. First of all, it comes with a wide variety of components, allowing you to do a wide variety of projects – way more projects than the provided examples. Secondly, this kit is also perfect if you want to go further to make more advanced projects. This is a great kit for a very reasonable price.


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