umbrelOS Download: Home Server and Bitcoin Node OS

Running your own Bitcoin node means you verify transactions yourself instead of trusting someone else’s server. umbrelOS makes that easier: it turns a small computer into a home server with a browser dashboard and an app store, where Bitcoin and Lightning node software are a click away.

What you can run

• Bitcoin node software and Lightning node apps.
• Self-hosted apps beyond crypto, such as file sync, media servers and home automation, from the Umbrel App Store.
• A web dashboard you open from any device on your home network.

Choose your hardware

The official downloads page offers images for three targets:

• Raspberry Pi 5 (recommended) or Raspberry Pi 4, with a microSD card of 32 GB or more.
• Intel or AMD PCs, such as mini PCs or old desktops: run from a USB drive or install to an internal drive.
• Virtual machines in any virtualization app that supports EFI.

Umbrel also sells ready-made devices, Umbrel Home and Umbrel Pro, if you would rather not build your own. A full Bitcoin node needs a large drive, so plan storage before you start.

Installing

1. Open umbrel.com/downloads and pick the image for your hardware.
2. Follow the setup steps on that page, then open the dashboard in a browser.
3. Install the Bitcoin node app and let it sync; the first sync takes a long time.

License

umbrelOS is free to use on your own hardware, and its source code is public on GitHub under the PolyForm Noncommercial license, which is not an OSI open-source license. Pair it with ZEUS to manage a Lightning node from your phone, or with BTCPay Server to accept payments.