Home Assistant on a Mini PC vs Raspberry Pi 5: What the Official Docs Require
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Date / checked: 2026-10-25. Versions: Home Assistant OS 18.3 (release, 2026-09-18 JST, the image linked from the official Raspberry Pi guide); Home Assistant Core 2026.10.4 (release).
Both a Raspberry Pi 5 and an x86 mini PC run Home Assistant OS, the installation type the docs recommend for most users because it includes apps (add-ons), one-click updates and backups. HA OS takes over the whole machine on either. Avoid Home Assistant Container if you need Thread or Z-Wave apps.
Installation types (official)
- Home Assistant Operating System (HA OS): "the recommended installation type for most users." Supports apps (add-ons), one-click updates and backups.
- Home Assistant Container: you bring your own Linux + Docker and "manually handle updates". Container installs "don't have access to apps", and "some integrations, such as Thread and Z-Wave, are controlled by apps. There is no out-of-the-box support for these on Container installations."
Requirements side by side
| Raspberry Pi (HA OS) | x86-64 mini PC (HA OS) | |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware | "Raspberry Pi 5 or Raspberry Pi 4 with power supply (… at least 2 GB of RAM)" | "64-bit capable and … able to boot using UEFI" |
| Boot storage | microSD, "Application Class 2" (A2) recommended, "at least 32 GB" | Internal drive; must support 512-byte logical sectors (512n/512e) — "some NVMe SSDs … use native 4K sectors (4Kn) only. Home Assistant OS cannot boot from these" |
| Install method | Flash image to microSD (separate images for Pi 4 and Pi 5) | Write image to the boot medium; a USB stick "at least 8 GB" for the live-USB route |
| BIOS | — | "UEFI boot mode enabled and Secure Boot disabled" |
| Network | Ethernet "highly recommended" over Wi-Fi | Ethernet connection listed as required |
| Power note | Docs warn that "mobile chargers may not be suitable"; use an appropriate supply | — |
| Source | raspberrypi guide | generic x86-64 guide |
How to decide (our reading of the docs)
- Want the simplest supported path and apps (Z-Wave, Thread)? Use HA OS on either platform; avoid Container unless you're comfortable without apps.
- Already run other services on a mini PC? HA OS takes over the whole machine. To share the box, the docs offer HA OS in a virtual machine or HA Container on Linux (see "Use a container or virtual machine"). Our Proxmox guide covers the hypervisor side.
- Using a mini PC? Check before you buy that its NVMe drive isn't 4Kn-only, and that you can disable Secure Boot.
- Using a Pi? Budget for an A2 microSD of 32 GB+ and an appropriate power supply, per the docs.
- The docs also mention Home Assistant Green, which ships with HA OS preinstalled.
The table only lists what the official docs require.
Related: what a 24/7 box costs in electricity
Sources
- https://www.home-assistant.io/installation/
- https://www.home-assistant.io/installation/raspberrypi
- https://www.home-assistant.io/installation/generic-x86-64
- https://github.com/home-assistant/operating-system/releases/tag/18.3
- https://github.com/home-assistant/core/releases/tag/2026.10.4