Start9 review: StartOS and the Server One
StartOS is the node software I run at home, and the Start9 Server One is the box Start9 sells with it preinstalled.
The Start9 Server One is the best ready-made Bitcoin node I rank, and StartOS is the best free node software: an MIT-licensed open-source system that runs Bitcoin Core, electrs, Mempool, and Lightning next to your own cloud apps. The trade-off is money and patience. The 2 TB, 32 GB Server One costs $1,099 against $699 for a 2 TB Umbrel Home, the app catalog is smaller, and major upgrades ask more of you. Pick Start9 if open-source licensing and privacy matter more to you than the easiest setup.
I run StartOS on a Start9 server at home with 16 GB of RAM and a 2 TB drive. It runs my Bitcoin node, electrs, and Mempool alongside self-hosted cloud apps, and I moved it from StartOS 0.3.5 to 0.4.0 in August 2026. Prices, specs, and version facts below come from Start9's store, docs, and GitHub releases, checked November 7, 2026.
Disclosure: I work at Blockstream, the company that makes the Jade wallets mentioned here. I joined after many years as a satisfied user. There are no affiliate links on this site.
What Start9 is and who makes it
Start9 is the company behind StartOS, an operating system for a personal server. You install services from its marketplace and manage everything in a browser. Bitcoin Core is one service. Nextcloud for files, Immich for photos, and Vaultwarden for passwords are others.
StartOS is released under the MIT license, so anyone can read, fork, and ship it. The source now lives in Start9's start-technologies repository. The current release is StartOS 0.4.1.2, published November 5, 2026, and a 0.4.2 release candidate followed on November 7.
Start9 also sells hardware. Its docs list the Server One 6600H as the only server sold today. The Server Pure line is discontinued: its last version sold from January to July 2026.
What running it at home is like
My server runs Bitcoin Core, electrs, and Mempool, plus a few self-hosted cloud apps. Every problem I have hit so far was in the cloud apps.
The 0.4.0 upgrade was the hard part. Start9 calls 0.4.0 "a completely new operating system", and the move from 0.3.5 meant a full backup first, a migration that can take hours, and backups that do not work across the two versions. Mine went through, but budget an evening for a major version.
Two other lessons. Immich, the photo app, ran my 16 GB server out of memory while it processed a large import, and stopping Immich during big uploads fixed it. If you plan to run photo or AI apps beside the node, buy 32 GB. And twice in October, a service failed to start after a backup and needed a rebuild from the command line before it ran again. Neither touched the Bitcoin node, and each took a few minutes to fix.
Who Start9 is for, and who should pick something else
Start9 suits someone who wants an open-source system they could fork, a node that sits beside their own cloud services, and a choice of VPN, Tor, or a public domain for access away from home. It also suits anyone who wants to put StartOS on ARM or RISC-V hardware.
Pick something else if any of these describe you:
- You want the cheapest box and the gentlest setup. The Umbrel Home costs $699 with 2 TB and backs itself up every hour.
- You only own a Raspberry Pi 5. StartOS supports the Pi 4 only, so look at RaspiBlitz or Umbrel.
- You want every service written down as code. Read my nix-bitcoin review.
Server One configurations and prices
The Server One 6600H has a 6-core AMD Ryzen 5 6600H, soldered LPDDR5 memory, one gigabit Ethernet port, and no Wi-Fi. It ships with StartOS installed, a 1-year limited hardware warranty, and a year of Premium Support, which Start9 sells separately for $200.
| Storage | 16 GB RAM | 32 GB RAM |
|---|---|---|
| 2 TB NVMe | $899 | $1,099 |
| 4 TB NVMe | $1,199 | $1,399 |
Start9's store lists all four configurations as available for sale today, including the 16 GB versions that were sold out earlier this month. The memory is soldered, so choose now. For a node alone, 16 GB is plenty. For a node plus photos, files, or local AI, take 32 GB.
Start9 publishes known issues for each server it has sold. The earlier Server One (2026) with a Ryzen 7 6800H had a loose M.2 peg, faulty fans, and faulty power supplies. The current 6600H lists none.
Installing StartOS on your own hardware
StartOS is free if you bring the computer. It installs on Intel and AMD, ARM64, and RISC-V hardware, and on the Raspberry Pi 4. Start9 says other Raspberry Pi models are not supported, and it publishes no RAM minimum, pointing to a community list of known-good hardware instead. For a node, use a 2 TB SSD and at least 8 GB of RAM.
For the exact steps, follow Start9's installation guide. In outline:
- 1Download the image for your hardware from the GitHub release. Start9 recommends the standard image for most people. The slim image leaves out proprietary firmware and works only on certain hardware, and the NVIDIA image is for GPU work.
- 2Check the file against the published SHA-256 checksum, and the GPG signature if you want the stronger check. That proves the image is the one Start9 released.
- 3Flash it with balenaEtcher to a USB drive, or to a microSD card for a Raspberry Pi 4, and boot from it.
- 4Open start.local in a browser on the same network and finish setup. Choose a strong master password: it unlocks the server and encrypts your backups.
- 5Install Bitcoin Core from the marketplace, let it sync for days, then add electrs and connect your wallet.
Apps, hardware wallets, and privacy
Start9's marketplace has about 180 services across its official and community registries, against more than 300 apps on Umbrel. The official registry carries Bitcoin Core, electrs, Fulcrum, Mempool, LND, Core Lightning, BTCPay Server, and Ride the Lightning. Tailscale and Specter are in the community registry.
StartOS never holds the keys of a hardware wallet. Your wallet app talks to electrs or Bitcoin Core on your server, and the device signs. My Sparrow review and Electrs vs Fulcrum cover the wallet end.
For access away from home, Start9 documents three routes: a VPN through your router or a StartTunnel gateway, Tor onion addresses, or a public domain. Start9's community registry also has a Tailscale package, which my Tailscale vs WireGuard guide compares with the other options.
Backups
StartOS backups are encrypted with your master password and go to a drive plugged into the server or a shared folder on another computer or NAS. You start them by hand and pick which services to include. Bitcoin leaves the blockchain out, since you can download it again, and an LND channel backup reflects only the moment you took it.
The manual schedule is the biggest practical gap against Umbrel, which runs encrypted backups every hour on its own. My home server backups guide covers a routine that works.
Security record
Start9's repository has no published GitHub security advisories. The 0.4.1.2 release reworked how StartOS trusts software: you can now see who signed each package and update and set trust per key, and accepting an untrusted signer requires local command-line access to the server.
The official registry's Bitcoin Core package is version 31.2, which includes the fixes for the Bitcoin Core advisories published October 28, 2026. Keep the Bitcoin Core service updated from the marketplace.
How Start9 compares
Against Umbrel, Start9 wins on license and loses on price, app count, and automatic backups. My Start9 vs Umbrel guide goes row by row. MyNode sells a cheaper box with a browser setup under a noncommercial license, and Nodl builds a European box with an encrypted SSD and a tamper switch. The full ranking is on my Bitcoin node page.
Verdict
I run StartOS because it is MIT licensed, it puts my node beside the rest of my self-hosted services, and its remote access options are documented in the OS. The Server One with 2 TB and 32 GB at $1,099 is the box I would buy today, and the 16 GB version at $899 is enough for a node alone.
Go in expecting to learn. Back up by hand on a schedule you keep, read the release notes before a major upgrade, and size the memory for the apps you plan to add.
Frequently asked questions
Is StartOS open source?
Yes. StartOS is released under the MIT license, and the source is on GitHub in Start9's start-technologies repository.
Is the Start9 Server Pure still sold?
No. Start9's hardware docs list the Server One 6600H as the only server sold today. The last Server Pure sold from January to July 2026.
Can I run StartOS on a Raspberry Pi?
Only on a Raspberry Pi 4, flashed to a microSD card. Start9 says other Pi models are not supported.
How much RAM do I need for StartOS?
Start9 publishes no minimum. For a Bitcoin node, 8 GB works. My 16 GB server ran out of memory during a large Immich photo import, so take 32 GB if you plan to run photo or AI apps.
Does StartOS back up automatically?
No. You run backups by hand to a USB drive or network folder, and they are encrypted with your master password.