Guide · Home automation

Best hardware to run Home Assistant in 2026

By Tiny · how I pick

Updated October 2026. Picks are based on published specs and reliability that owners report. I haven't tested these units, and I say so where it matters.

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Home Assistant runs your lights, sensors, locks, and routines around the clock. That means the hardware needs to be reliable and low-power more than fast. Home Assistant is light, so almost anything can run it.

The real choices are how much setup you're willing to do, and whether this machine will only run your smart home or other services too.

Words you'll see in this guide
  • Home Assistant: free software that controls smart home devices from many brands in one place, running on your own hardware.
  • eMMC: storage soldered onto a board. Slower than an SSD, and much more reliable than an SD card.
  • Zigbee / Z-Wave / Thread: low-power wireless languages that smart sensors, bulbs, and locks use to talk to your hub.
  • Dongle: a small stick that plugs into a USB port and adds a feature, here a radio for Zigbee or Z-Wave.
  • Virtual machine (VM): a complete computer simulated in software, running inside your real one.
  • Docker: a tool that runs each app in its own sealed box, so apps don't break each other or your system.

See the full glossary

Two questions first

If it's smart home only and you want zero hassle, buy the purpose-built box. If it'll also run a media server, Pi-hole, and other apps, get a mini PC and put Home Assistant on it.

My top 3 picks

1
Home Assistant Green hub
Zero hassle, best for most people

Home Assistant Green

The Home Assistant Green is the official box from Nabu Casa, the company behind Home Assistant. It comes with the software installed on eMMC storage. Plug it in and it's running in minutes, with no SD cards, Linux, or Docker to deal with.

  • Why eMMC matters: it avoids the most common way these setups fail, which is a worn-out SD card.
  • What else you need: a radio dongle for Zigbee or Z-Wave devices (see below).
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2
N100 mini PC
Best if it'll run more than your smart home

Intel N100 mini PC (Beelink EQ13 / S12 Pro)

Want one box for Home Assistant, a media server, and a dozen other apps? A low-power Beelink EQ13 handles all of it at roughly 6 to 12 W. You can install Home Assistant OS directly, or run it as a virtual machine under Proxmox.

Leave a USB port free for your radio dongle. More options are in the under-$300 mini PC guide.

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3
Raspberry Pi 5
The tinkerer's start

Raspberry Pi 5 (booting from an SSD)

A Raspberry Pi 5 is the classic do-it-yourself route, and a good one if you already own one.

  • One firm rule: boot from an SSD, not an SD card. Home Assistant writes to storage constantly, and SD cards wear out and take your smart home down with them.
  • Not for you if: you want it running in five minutes. That's what the Green is for.
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The radio you'll probably need

Most smart sensors and locks talk Zigbee or Z-Wave, and none of the boxes above include those radios.

You may still see the Home Assistant Yellow recommended elsewhere. Nabu Casa stopped making it in October 2025, so I've dropped it from the picks.

Side by side

PickBest forRadioRuns other services?
Home Assistant GreenZero hassleUSB dongleNo, smart home only
N100 mini PCSmart home plus everything elseUSB dongleYes, easily
Raspberry Pi 5Tinkering, or using a Pi you ownUSB dongleA little

Prices change constantly, so I link to current listings instead of quoting numbers that go out of date. A radio dongle and storage are usually extra.

Don't run it off an SD card, and turn on backups. Worn-out SD cards are the top cause of Home Assistant outages, so use eMMC (the Green) or an SSD. Then switch on automatic backups. When a device or update misbehaves, a restore takes minutes instead of a lost weekend.

What I'd buy

Whichever you pick, add the right radio for your devices. Not sure this is even the server you need? Start with the what-server chooser.

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