Start9 vs Umbrel: which node OS to run
Both turn a small computer into a Bitcoin node and home server. They differ on license, hardware, and how much they hide from you.
Pick Umbrel if you want the cheapest ready-made box, the biggest app store, and the gentlest setup: an Umbrel Home starts at $599. Pick Start9 if you want an MIT-licensed open-source operating system and are fine paying more for hardware: the Server One starts at $899. Both run Bitcoin Core, electrs, Mempool, and Lightning, and both install free on hardware you already own.
Start9 vs Umbrel at a glance
| StartOS (Start9) | umbrelOS (Umbrel) | |
|---|---|---|
| License | MIT (open source) | PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 (source available, free for personal and nonprofit use) |
| Current version | 0.4.1.2 (November 5, 2026) | 2.0.1 (November 1, 2026) |
| Ready-made hardware | Server One 6600H, $899 to $1,399 | Umbrel Home $599 to $949; Umbrel Pro $699 (no SSDs) to $1,899 |
| Free install on | Intel and AMD PCs, ARM64, RISC-V, Raspberry Pi 4 | Intel and AMD PCs, Raspberry Pi 5 or 4, virtual machines |
| App count | About 180 services across its official and community registries | 300+ apps |
| Remote access | VPN (router or StartTunnel), Tor, or a public domain | Tailscale app |
| Backups | Encrypted with your master password, to a USB drive or network folder, run by hand | Encrypted and hourly, to USB, a NAS, or another Umbrel |
| Warranty | 1 year, plus 1 year of Premium Support | 1 year |
Both stores carry the Bitcoin basics: Bitcoin Core, electrs, Fulcrum, Mempool, LND, Core Lightning, and BTCPay Server.
The case for StartOS
StartOS can run Bitcoin Core, electrs, and Mempool next to Nextcloud for files, Immich for photos, Vaultwarden for passwords, and Ollama with Open WebUI as a local AI model. Tailscale, for reaching all of it away from home, is available for StartOS in Start9's community registry.
I run StartOS myself, on a server at home.
The license is the strongest case for Start9. StartOS is MIT, so anyone can read, fork, and ship it. umbrelOS is source available under a noncommercial license, which is fine for a home user but means you depend on one company's terms. Everything this guide says about Umbrel comes from Umbrel's own documentation and store.
Expect StartOS to ask more of you than Umbrel. Version 0.4.0 was, in Start9's own words, "a completely new operating system", and moving from 0.3.5 meant a full backup, a migration that could take hours, and backups that do not work across the two versions.
Ready-made boxes and prices
Umbrel sells two boxes. The Umbrel Home uses an Intel N150 with 16 GB of RAM and costs $599 with a 1 TB SSD, $699 with 2 TB, or $949 with 4 TB. If you are buying it for Bitcoin, get the 2 TB model: the blockchain already takes more than 800 GB. The Umbrel Pro is a four-bay NVMe machine with an 8-core Intel Core i3-N300 and 16 GB of RAM, at $699 without drives up to $1,899 with 8 TB.
Start9 sells one box. The Server One 6600H has a 6-core AMD Ryzen 5 6600H and ships with StartOS installed. All four versions are in stock: $899 (2 TB, 16 GB), $1,099 (2 TB, 32 GB), $1,199 (4 TB, 16 GB), and $1,399 (4 TB, 32 GB). The Server Pure is discontinued.
You are paying Start9 partly for support. The Server One includes a year of Premium Support, which Start9 sells separately for $200.
Installing on your own hardware
Both are free if you bring the computer. umbrelOS installs on most 64-bit Intel and AMD mini PCs, laptops, and desktops, on a Raspberry Pi 5 or Pi 4 (Umbrel recommends the Pi 5), and in virtual machines such as Proxmox. Umbrel lists a dual-core CPU, 4 GB of RAM (8 GB or more recommended), and a 32 GB drive for the OS as the minimum.
StartOS installs on Intel and AMD, ARM64, and RISC-V hardware, and on the Raspberry Pi 4 only. Start9 publishes no RAM minimum and points to a community list of known-good hardware instead. You download the image from GitHub, check its SHA-256 checksum, flash it to a USB drive with balenaEtcher, and finish setup in a browser at start.local.
For a Bitcoin node on either one, use a 2 TB SSD and at least 8 GB of RAM. My home server guide covers sizing in more detail.
Umbrel alternatives, including CasaOS
If neither fits, three other options cover most needs.
- CasaOS is an Apache-2.0 personal cloud that installs on top of Debian 12, Ubuntu Server, or Raspberry Pi OS with a one-line script. Its README lists apps such as Nextcloud and Jellyfin and does not mention Bitcoin, so I would treat it as a general home app platform.
- RaspiBlitz is an MIT-licensed node built for the Raspberry Pi 4 and 5, with a strong Lightning focus and more command line than either Start9 or Umbrel.
- Plain Bitcoin Core on a computer you already own costs nothing and teaches you the most. My node guide walks through it.
The full field, including RaspiBlitz and MyNode, is ranked on my Bitcoin node page.
Which one should you pick?
Choose Umbrel if you want to plug in a box, open umbrel.local, and click install. It costs less, its app store is bigger, and its backups run on their own every hour.
Choose Start9 if open-source licensing matters to you, if you want VPN, Tor, and public-domain access documented as part of the OS, or if you plan to run it on ARM or RISC-V hardware. Budget more money and more patience.
Either way, connect your hardware wallet through Sparrow to your own node, so your balances and addresses stop going to someone else's server.
Frequently asked questions
Is Start9 better than Umbrel?
For open-source licensing, yes: StartOS is MIT and umbrelOS is noncommercial source available. For price, app selection, and ease of setup, Umbrel is ahead. Both run a full Bitcoin node well.
Is Umbrel open source?
The code is public on GitHub, but its PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 license allows personal and nonprofit use and bars commercial use without Umbrel's permission, so it does not meet the usual definition of open source.
Can I run Start9 or Umbrel on a Raspberry Pi?
StartOS supports the Raspberry Pi 4 only, from a microSD card. umbrelOS runs on the Raspberry Pi 5 or Pi 4, and Umbrel recommends the Pi 5. On a Pi 4 you can choose either OS; on a Pi 5, umbrelOS is the one that installs.
Is the Start9 Server Pure still sold?
No. Start9's hardware documentation lists the Server One 6600H as the only server sold today. The Server Pure (2026) sold from January to July 2026.
CasaOS vs Umbrel: which is better for a Bitcoin node?
Umbrel. Its store has a maintained Bitcoin Core app with version selection and Tor, clearnet, or I2P networking. The CasaOS README does not mention Bitcoin at all.