Umbrel review: umbrelOS, Umbrel Home, and Umbrel Pro
Umbrel turns a small computer into a Bitcoin node and home server you run from a browser, and it sells two boxes with the software already installed.
Umbrel is the easiest Bitcoin node to set up and the best value in ready-made node hardware: the Umbrel Home costs $699 with the 2 TB SSD a node needs, and umbrelOS is free on a computer you already own. The trade-off is the license. umbrelOS is source available under a noncommercial license, while StartOS is MIT open source. Pick Umbrel for the gentlest setup and the biggest app store, and pick Start9 if open-source licensing matters more to you.
I have not run Umbrel day to day. This review is built from Umbrel's documentation, its GitHub source and release notes, its app store listings, and its own store pricing, all checked on November 7, 2026. I run StartOS at home, so that is the comparison I know first-hand.
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 Umbrel is and who makes it
umbrelOS is an operating system for a home server, made by the company Umbrel. You install it on a mini PC, a Raspberry Pi, or a virtual machine, then add apps from its store with one click. A Bitcoin node is one of those apps.
The current release is umbrelOS 2.0.1, published November 1, 2026, and a 2.1 beta followed on November 3. Umbrel says the image you install yourself is the same umbrelOS that ships on its boxes, with the same features and the same updates. The boxes are a convenience purchase.
The license is the part to understand before you commit. umbrelOS is released under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 license: you may use, fork, and modify it for personal and nonprofit use, and commercial use needs Umbrel's permission. The code is public, but it does not meet the usual definition of open source.
Who Umbrel is for, and who should pick something else
Umbrel suits someone setting up a first node who wants to do it all from a phone or laptop browser. It also suits a household that wants one box for the node, photo backups, and file storage. Its store lists more than 300 apps, the largest selection among the node systems I rank.
Pick something else if any of these describe you:
- You want an open-source license on the whole system. Start9 ships StartOS under MIT.
- You want a Raspberry Pi node built around Lightning and the command line. Look at RaspiBlitz.
- You already run NixOS and want every service declared in config. Read my nix-bitcoin review.
Umbrel Home, Umbrel Pro, or your own hardware
All three run the same umbrelOS. The differences are the processor, the storage, and whether the box survives a dead drive.
| Umbrel Home | Umbrel Pro | umbrelOS on your own hardware | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel N150, 4 cores | Intel Core i3-N300, 8 cores | Any 64-bit Intel or AMD PC with at least a dual-core CPU, or a Raspberry Pi 5 (recommended) or Pi 4 |
| Memory | 16 GB | 16 GB | 4 GB minimum, 8 GB or more recommended |
| Storage | 1 TB, 2 TB, or 4 TB NVMe SSD | Four NVMe slots, up to 32 TB | Your own drives, plus 32 GB for the OS |
| Price | $599 (1 TB), $699 (2 TB), $949 (4 TB) | $699 (no SSD), $999 (2 TB), $1,299 (4 TB), $1,899 (8 TB) | Free |
| Keeps running if one SSD dies | No | Yes, with FailSafe and two or more SSDs | Yes, with FailSafe and two or more internal drives |
For a Bitcoin node, buy the Umbrel Home with 2 TB. The blockchain already takes more than 800 GB on disk, and the 1 TB model leaves little room for an Electrum server index or other apps. The 512 GB model is listed as unavailable in Umbrel's US store, and the Home carries a 1-year limited warranty.
The Umbrel Pro is a home server first. Its four drive slots and FailSafe mode matter for family photos and files. A node uses little of that, and the Pro costs $300 more than the Home with the same 2 TB.
Setting it up
Setup happens in a browser. You never need a keyboard or a screen on the box. For exact steps and menus, follow Umbrel's Umbrel Home setup guide or the install guide for your own hardware on Umbrel's downloads page.
- 1Connect the box to your router with Ethernet and plug in power. It starts on its own. For your own hardware, flash the image for your platform first: the PC installer, the Raspberry Pi image, or the virtual machine ISO.
- 2Open umbrel.local in a browser on the same network and create your account. The account lives only on the device, and Umbrel says there is no way to recover a lost password, so save it in a password manager.
- 3Install the Bitcoin Node app. It lets you choose which Bitcoin Core version runs and whether your node connects over Tor, clearnet, or I2P. The first sync downloads every block since 2009 and takes days.
- 4Install Electrs once the node is synced. It is the Electrum server that lets Sparrow, BlueWallet, Nunchuk, and other wallets query your own node.
- 5Turn on backups to a USB drive or a NAS, and store the backup encryption password somewhere safe.
Hardware wallets and privacy
Umbrel never holds the keys of a hardware wallet. Your wallet app connects to the Electrs app on your Umbrel, and the hardware wallet still signs every transaction. That swap is the privacy win: your addresses and balance stop going to a public server. My Sparrow review covers that app, and Electrs vs Fulcrum explains the two Electrum servers.
For access away from home, Umbrel points you to its Tailscale app: add Tailscale and reach your Umbrel from anywhere. That keeps the box off the open internet. My Tailscale vs WireGuard guide covers what Tailscale's servers can and cannot see.
Backups
Umbrel's backups are the most automatic of any node system I rank. Once set up, they run every hour, encrypted, to another Umbrel, a NAS, or a USB drive. umbrelOS keeps hourly copies for a day, daily for a week, weekly for a month, and monthly for a year.
The encryption password is the one thing you cannot lose. Umbrel says you cannot see it again after setup and cannot restore without it. My home server backups guide covers where to keep a second copy.
Security record
The umbrelOS GitHub repository has no published security advisories. Umbrel ships fixes in its regular releases. The latest one, 2.0.1, patched CVE-2026-98432, a Linux kernel flaw in how incoming connections are handled. Umbrel Home and Umbrel Pro got a fixed kernel. Raspberry Pi installs have no fixed kernel yet, so umbrelOS blocks the network traffic the attack needs.
The Bitcoin Node app bundles Bitcoin Core v32.1, v31.2, v30.4, and v29.5, each of which carries the fixes for the Bitcoin Core advisories published October 28, 2026. If you run Umbrel, update to 2.0.1 and keep the Bitcoin Node app current.
How Umbrel compares
| umbrelOS | StartOS | RaspiBlitz | MyNode | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| License | PolyForm Noncommercial | MIT | MIT | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 |
| Cheapest ready-made box | $599 Umbrel Home | $899 Server One | Out of stock at DIYnodes | $549 Model Two (sale) |
| Raspberry Pi | Pi 5 or Pi 4 | Pi 4 only | Pi 5 or Pi 4 | Pi 5 or Pi 4 |
| Latest release | 2.0.1, November 1, 2026 | 0.4.1.2, November 5, 2026 | v1.12.1, March 3, 2026 | v0.3.52, October 30, 2026 |
Start9 costs more and asks more of you, and it gives you an MIT-licensed system and Start9's support in return. My Start9 review and the head-to-head Start9 vs Umbrel cover that choice. MyNode is the closest match to Umbrel's browser setup, at a lower box price with a smaller store. Nodl sells a European box with an encrypted SSD. The full field is ranked on my Bitcoin node page.
Verdict
Umbrel is the node I would hand to a first-timer. The Umbrel Home with 2 TB costs $699, sets up from a browser, backs itself up every hour, and runs Bitcoin Core, Electrs, and Lightning from one store. Before you buy, accept the license: you are running a single company's source-available software, which is fine for home use and less than the open-source standard StartOS meets.
If you already own a mini PC with an SSD, start with free umbrelOS on it. The same system runs on Umbrel's boxes if you later want one.
Frequently asked questions
Is Umbrel open source?
Its code is public on GitHub, but the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 license allows only personal and nonprofit use, so it is source available rather than open source. StartOS and RaspiBlitz are MIT licensed.
Which Umbrel Home should I buy for a Bitcoin node?
The 2 TB model at $699. The blockchain alone is more than 800 GB on disk, and the 1 TB model leaves little room for Electrs and other apps.
Can I run Umbrel on a Raspberry Pi?
Yes. Umbrel offers one Raspberry Pi image for the Pi 5 and Pi 4 and recommends the Pi 5. Plan on an external SSD for the blockchain.
Umbrel Home or Umbrel Pro?
The Umbrel Home for a node. The Pro adds four drive slots and FailSafe protection against a dead SSD, which matters for photos and files more than for a blockchain you can download again.
Does Umbrel hold my bitcoin?
No. A node checks the blockchain and answers your wallet's questions. Your keys stay on your hardware wallet, which signs every transaction.