When comparing Nano Pi NEO vs NanoPi M4, the Slant community recommends Nano Pi NEO for most people. In the question“What are the best single-board computers?” Nano Pi NEO is ranked 28th while NanoPi M4 is ranked 54th.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Ethernet port
Pro Inexpensive
Pro Well constructed compared to its counterparts
This is similar to other options (e.g. OrangePiZero+), but appears to have a better build quality than them.
Pro 6 core HexaCore, compact nvme extender, 4GB RAM
Pro Open Source
Works with mainline Linux kernel and open source Mesa Panfrost drivers.
Pro Many ports
4 x USB3
2 x USB2 available via pins
PCI-E available via pins
Pro Fast
Rockchip 3399 with two fast A72 cores. Good heatsink limites throttling.
Cons
Con Few distribution options
There aren't many distribution options to choose from, as of time of this writing (Dec 2017).
Con Bleeding edge...
To have mainline kernel requires a bit of tinkering (e.g. installing Armbian). Panfrost drivers for 3d acceleration are not mature and crash sometimes...