What is this?
Umbrel (umbrelOS) is a free, beautiful home server operating system for self-hosting. It lets you run apps like OpenClaw, store your own files, and install over 300 apps from the Umbrel App Store on your own hardware.
Umbrel (umbrelOS) is a free, beautiful home server operating system for self-hosting. It lets you run apps like OpenClaw, store your own files, and install over 300 apps from the Umbrel App Store on your own hardware.Is this an app I install on an existing Linux box, or a full OS?umbrelOS is a standalone operating system that installs directly onto your device, not something you layer on top of an existing Linux distro. The apps inside it run as individually packaged services managed through the Umbrel App Store.
umbrelOS is a standalone operating system that installs directly onto your device, not something you layer on top of an existing Linux distro. The apps inside it run as individually packaged services managed through the Umbrel App Store.How do I get umbrelOS running?Download the ISO or device image from umbrel.com/downloads and flash/install it directly onto your target hardware (mini PC, Raspberry Pi 5, or VM); the site has step-by-step guides per platform.
Download the ISO or device image from umbrel.com/downloads and flash/install it directly onto your target hardware (mini PC, Raspberry Pi 5, or VM); the site has step-by-step guides per platform.What hardware do I need to run it?Any 64-bit Intel/AMD mini PC, laptop, desktop, NAS, or server with a dual-core CPU, at least 4 GB RAM (8 GB+ recommended) and a 32 GB drive, or a Raspberry Pi 5 booting from NVMe/USB, or a VM (Proxmox, VirtualBox, VMware, etc.) with EFI boot support.
Any 64-bit Intel/AMD mini PC, laptop, desktop, NAS, or server with a dual-core CPU, at least 4 GB RAM (8 GB+ recommended) and a 32 GB drive, or a Raspberry Pi 5 booting from NVMe/USB, or a VM (Proxmox, VirtualBox, VMware, etc.) with EFI boot support.Are there any hardware caveats to watch out for?Some features are hardware-gated: Storage Manager and FailSafe require two or more internal NVMe/SATA drives, GPU acceleration needs an NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel GPU, and the Raspberry Pi 5 must boot from NVMe or USB rather than a microSD card.
Some features are hardware-gated: Storage Manager and FailSafe require two or more internal NVMe/SATA drives, GPU acceleration needs an NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel GPU, and the Raspberry Pi 5 must boot from NVMe or USB rather than a microSD card.Can I run it on a Raspberry Pi or only on PC hardware?Both — umbrelOS supports Intel/AMD 64-bit machines (mini PCs, laptops, NAS boxes, servers), the Raspberry Pi 5, and virtual machines like Proxmox, VirtualBox, or VMware.
Both — umbrelOS supports Intel/AMD 64-bit machines (mini PCs, laptops, NAS boxes, servers), the Raspberry Pi 5, and virtual machines like Proxmox, VirtualBox, or VMware.Does my data stay on my own hardware?Yes, the whole point is cloud-like convenience without giving up ownership and control of your data — everything runs on the device you own.
Yes, the whole point is cloud-like convenience without giving up ownership and control of your data — everything runs on the device you own.Is Umbrel really free, including for reselling?umbrelOS is free for personal and nonprofit use under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 license, letting you use, fork, modify, and redistribute it; commercial use (e.g. selling pre-loaded servers) requires contacting Umbrel directly.
umbrelOS is free for personal and nonprofit use under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 license, letting you use, fork, modify, and redistribute it; commercial use (e.g. selling pre-loaded servers) requires contacting Umbrel directly.What is umbrelOS 2.0 and is it stable yet?umbrelOS 2.0 is currently in beta, with the stable release planned for September 22, 2026; it can be tried now via a fresh install or by enabling the beta program from an existing umbrelOS 1.7.4+ install.
umbrelOS 2.0 is currently in beta, with the stable release planned for September 22, 2026; it can be tried now via a fresh install or by enabling the beta program from an existing umbrelOS 1.7.4+ install.Can I build my own app for the Umbrel App Store?Yes, developers can package new or existing apps for umbrelOS by following the Umbrel App Framework documentation.
Yes, developers can package new or existing apps for umbrelOS by following the Umbrel App Framework documentation.What can I actually run on it besides file storage?Over 300 apps are available in the Umbrel App Store, including OpenClaw, with built-in support for Bitcoin and Lightning-related apps as well.
Over 300 apps are available in the Umbrel App Store, including OpenClaw, with built-in support for Bitcoin and Lightning-related apps as well.What are similar projects?Self-Hosting-Guide, CasaOS, awesome-raspberry-pi, SparkyFitness, RuView, DnsServer, labtether, core
Self-Hosting-Guide, CasaOS, awesome-raspberry-pi, SparkyFitness, RuView, DnsServer, labtether, coreWhich topics is it in?selfhosted, bitcoin, home-automation, self-hosting, raspberry-pi, openclaw, privacy, docker, typescript, self-hosted, cross-platform, linux
selfhosted, bitcoin, home-automation, self-hosting, raspberry-pi, openclaw, privacy, docker, typescript, self-hosted, cross-platform, linux