Homarr on Raspberry Pi: Complete Guide to Building a Self-Hosted Dashboard

August 3rd, 2026

Managing several self-hosted applications on a Raspberry Pi home server can quickly become inconvenient.Home Assistant, Jellyfin, Immich, Pi-hole, Portainer, and other services often run on different ports with separate web interfaces. Remembering every address becomes difficult as your home lab grows.

Homarr for Raspberry Pi solves this problem by providing a customizable dashboard where all your services are available from a single page. Instead of bookmarking dozens of URLs, you simply open one dashboard and launch every application from there.

What Is Homarr?

Homarr is an open-source self-hosted dashboard designed for Raspberry Pi and other self-hosted environments.It allows you to organize applications, services, and useful information into a modern web interface that is accessible from any browser.

Unlike a simple bookmark page, Homarr supports widgets, Docker integration, health monitoring, and application-specific information. It becomes the central control panel for your entire home server.

Some of its key features include:
•Drag-and-drop dashboard customization
•Docker container integration
•Application health indicators
•Custom widgets
•User authentication
•Responsive interface for desktop and mobile devices
•Support for multiple dashboards
Since Homarr is distributed as a Docker container, Homarr Docker installation and updates are straightforward.

Why Run Homarr on Raspberry Pi?

Running Homarr on Raspberry Pi is an excellent way to host multiple self-hosted applications because it consumes very little electricity while remaining available around the clock.

Adding Homarr provides several advantages:
•One dashboard for every self-hosted application
•Faster access to services
•Easy management from computers, tablets, and smartphones
•Minimal hardware requirements
•Excellent compatibility with Docker-based projects
Many Raspberry Pi owners already use Docker for applications such as Immich, Nextcloud, Jellyfin, and Home Assistant. Homarr simply becomes your Raspberry Pi dashboard for accessing all of them.

Homarr vs Homepage vs Heimdall: Which Dashboard Should You Choose?

Self-hosted dashboard applications have become increasingly popular among Raspberry Pi home server users. While Homarr, Homepage, and Heimdall all help organize services into a single interface, they are designed with different priorities.

Choosing the right dashboard depends on whether you prefer easy customization, advanced configuration, or a simple application launcher.

Homarr: Best Choice for a Visual Home Server Dashboard

Homarr focuses on providing a modern and user-friendly dashboard experience. Its biggest advantage is the graphical interface.
Users can:
•Add applications without editing configuration files
•Rearrange services using drag-and-drop
•Add widgets directly from the dashboard
•Connect Docker containers automatically
•Create different dashboards for different purposes
For Raspberry Pi users who want a beautiful homepage for their self-hosted services without spending much time on configuration, Homarr is one of the easiest options.

Homepage: Best for Advanced Home Lab Users

Homepage is designed for users who prefer maximum control and customization.
Instead of configuring everything through a web interface, Homepage relies heavily on YAML configuration files. This approach provides more flexibility but requires more technical knowledge.
Advantages include:
•Extremely powerful customization
•Large number of integrations
•Excellent Docker and Kubernetes support
•Lightweight resource usage
However, beginners may find the configuration process more complicated compared with Homarr.
Homepage is better suited for experienced users who enjoy managing their home lab through configuration files.

Heimdall: Best for a Simple Application Launcher

Heimdall takes a simpler approach. It focuses mainly on providing a clean page containing shortcuts to frequently used applications.
Its strengths include:
•Very easy installation
•Simple interface
•Low resource usage
•Minimal configuration
However, Heimdall offers fewer advanced features compared with Homarr and Homepage. It does not provide the same level of Docker integration, widgets, or monitoring capabilities.
For users who only need a simple homepage with application links, Heimdall remains a good option.

Which One Should Raspberry Pi Users Choose?

For most Raspberry Pi home server users:
•Choose Homarr if you want an attractive dashboard with easy setup and visual customization.
•Choose Homepage if you are an advanced user who prefers configuration files and maximum control.
•Choose Heimdall if you only need a lightweight application bookmark page.
For a Raspberry Pi running multiple Docker services such as Jellyfin, Immich, Home Assistant, Pi-hole, and Portainer, Homarr provides the best balance between usability, features, and simplicity.

Hardware Requirements

Homarr itself requires very few system resources, making it ideal for a Raspberry Pi Docker environment.
A typical installation benefits from:
•Raspberry Pi 4 or Raspberry Pi 5
•2 GB RAM minimum
•4 GB RAM recommended
•16 GB or larger microSD card
•SSD storage for larger home server installations
•Ethernet connection for maximum reliability
Although Homarr can run on older Raspberry Pi models, newer boards provide a smoother experience, especially when multiple Docker containers are active.

Recommended Raspberry Pi Models

The Raspberry Pi 5 offers the best overall experience thanks to its faster processor, improved storage support, and increased memory bandwidth. It easily handles Homarr alongside numerous containers.

The Raspberry Pi 4 remains another excellent option, particularly the 4 GB and 8 GB versions. These models have become popular choices for home servers because they balance performance and affordability.

Earlier Raspberry Pi boards may run Homarr successfully, but they are better suited to smaller installations with only a handful of services. Before deployment, review the official Homarr hardware requirements to ensure your device is supported.

Software Requirements

Before starting your Homarr installation, prepare a 64-bit Linux operating system.
Common choices include:
•Raspberry Pi OS Lite (64-bit)
•Raspberry Pi OS Desktop
•DietPi
•Ubuntu Server for Raspberry Pi

The system should also include:
The system should also include Docker Engine and Docker Compose. If Docker is not installed yet, follow the official Docker Engine installation guide before continuing.
•Docker Engine
•Docker Compose
•Internet connectivity
•SSH access (recommended)
•A static IP address or DHCP reservation
Keeping the operating system updated before installation helps avoid dependency issues later. If you're new to Docker, our Raspberry Pi Docker guide explains everything from installation to advanced usage and troubleshooting.

Installing Homarr with Docker Compose

1.Create a directory to install Homarr on Raspberry Pi.
mkdir ~/homarr
cd ~/homarr

2.Create a docker-compose.yml file containing the official Homarr configuration. For the latest Docker Compose example and installation instructions, see the Homarr Docker installation guide.
https://homarr.dev/docs/getting-started/installation/docker
  services:
  homarr:
    container_name: homarr
    image: ghcr.io/homarr-labs/homarr:latest
    restart: unless-stopped
    volumes:
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock # Optional, only if you want docker integration
      - ./homarr/appdata:/appdata
    environment:
      -
SECRET_ENCRYPTION_KEY=4085b210a8775bdb8c0889e8b95123cab8d5e21ce1790e46e0f65be6f1e3a2a7
    ports:
      - '7575:7575'

3.After saving the file, start the container.
docker compose up -d
Docker automatically downloads the required image and starts the service in the background.
Configuration files remain stored on your Raspberry Pi, making updates much easier in the future. 

Accessing Homarr for the First Time

Once the container is running, open a browser on another device connected to the same network.
Enter:
http://RaspberryPi-IP:7575
During the first launch, Homarr asks you to create the administrator account.

After signing in, you'll see an empty dashboard ready for customization. From this point forward, everything can be managed directly through the graphical interface.

Understanding Homarr Basics

Homarr organizes self-hosted applications using several building blocks.
Boards
Boards are individual dashboards.
You might create one board for media applications, another for networking tools, and another dedicated to development services. Each board has its own layout and widgets.

Apps
Apps represent the services you want to access. Each application includes:
•Name
•Icon
•URL
•Description
•Optional health monitoring
Examples include Jellyfin, Home Assistant, Portainer, Nextcloud, and Immich.

Widgets
Widgets display live information directly on the dashboard.
Depending on the integration, widgets can show:
•System usage
•Weather
•Calendar events
•Service status
•Media activity
•Download progress
Widgets reduce the need to open every application individually.

Integrations
Integrations connect Homarr with external services.
Many integrations retrieve real-time information through APIs or Docker, allowing Homarr to present useful data instead of acting only as a launcher.

Connecting Homarr to Docker

1.One of Homarr Docker's most useful features is Docker integration.Add new item and search Docker:

By mounting the Docker socket into the container, Homarr can detect running services automatically.
This allows the dashboard to display:
•Container status
•Service availability
•Health information
•Automatic application discovery

Because the Docker socket provides powerful access to the host system, only trusted users should have administrator access to Homarr. If you manage multiple containers, you can also learn how to use Portainer on Raspberry Pi for a more visual Docker management experience.

Adding Applications to the Dashboard

Applications are added directly from the dashboard editor.
For each application, configure:
•Display name
•URL
•Icon
•Category
•Description
•Optional widget
You can organize applications into logical groups such as:
•Media
•Home Automation
•Networking
•Monitoring
•Development
•Storage
A clean layout makes the dashboard much easier to navigate as additional services are installed.

Using Homarr Integrations and Widgets

Homarr widgets make the dashboard considerably more useful than a traditional homepage.
For example:
•Jellyfin widgets can display media statistics.
•Docker widgets report container health.
•Weather widgets provide current forecasts.
•Search widgets allow quick internet searches.
•System widgets display CPU, RAM, and storage usage.
These live components help you monitor your Raspberry Pi without opening multiple administration pages.

Practical Example: Building a Raspberry Pi Home Server Dashboard

A typical Raspberry Pi home server might include:
•Immich for photo management
•Jellyfin for media streaming
•Home Assistant for automation
•Pi-hole for network-wide ad blocking
•Portainer for Docker management
•Uptime Kuma for service monitoring

Example PI-Hole

1.First, open Pi-hole from another device: http://pi-hole_IP_address/
2.Create the Pi-hole integration
 Name: Raspberry Pi Pi-hole
 URL: http://192.168.1.50
 API-KEY: YOUR_PIHOLE_WEB_PASSWORD
3.Add the DNS Hole Summary widget

Instead of remembering six different web addresses, Homarr places them on a single dashboard with icons, status indicators, and useful widgets.
Opening one page immediately provides an overview of the entire server.
Customizing the Dashboard
Homarr offers extensive customization for your Docker dashboard.You can:
•Rearrange applications using drag-and-drop
•Change backgrounds Select different themes
•Create categories
•Resize widgets
•Upload custom icons
•Build multiple dashboards for different users
These options allow every installation to reflect the user's own workflow instead of following a fixed layout.

Performance on Raspberry Pi

Homarr consumes very few resources, making it an efficient Docker dashboard for Raspberry Pi.On a Raspberry Pi 4 or Raspberry Pi 5, CPU usage generally remains low during normal operation, and memory consumption is modest compared to larger self-hosted applications.
Performance improves further by:
•Using an SSD instead of a microSD card
•Running a lightweight operating system
•Keeping Docker images updated
•Avoiding unnecessary widgets
•Limiting background services
For most users, Homarr adds almost no noticeable load to an existing home server.

Common Problems and Solutions

Several common issues can occur during Homarr installation.If the dashboard does not load, verify that the Docker container is running and the correct port is exposed.
Permission errors usually indicate incorrect ownership of mounted directories or missing Docker group permissions.
If applications appear offline, confirm that their URLs are correct and reachable from the Raspberry Pi.
Docker integration problems often result from an incorrectly mounted Docker socket.
Finally, if configuration changes disappear after restarting the container, ensure that persistent volumes are properly configured. Without persistent storage, Homarr cannot save dashboards or user settings between updates.

Conclusion

Homarr on Raspberry Pi is one of the easiest ways to organize and manage a Raspberry Pi home server.Instead of opening multiple web interfaces for services like Jellyfin, Immich, Home Assistant, Pi-hole, and Portainer, Homarr brings everything together into a single, customizable dashboard.

Thanks to its lightweight design and Docker-based deployment, Homarr runs smoothly on both Raspberry Pi 4 and Raspberry Pi 5 while adding very little overhead to your existing setup. With application shortcuts, Docker integration, widgets, and real-time service information, it transforms a collection of self-hosted applications into a clean and user-friendly control center.

For Raspberry Pi users building a home lab, media server, or personal cloud, Homarr is a practical addition that improves both convenience and usability.Once installed, managing your entire Raspberry Pi ecosystem becomes faster, simpler, and much more enjoyable. You can also explore more useful Raspberry Pi software in our guide to install apps on Raspberry Pi.