Self-Hosted / Projects / Homestead
Homestead
BetaSpecs verified October 8, 2026 · against vv2.8.320
Overview
Hyperconverged Kubernetes for homelabs: apps, VMs, replicated storage, and networking across ordinary machines.
Homestead is a hyperconverged Kubernetes platform for the homelab: it brings containers, virtual machines, replicated storage, networking, backups, and cluster operations into one interface without requiring users to become Kubernetes experts.
Why people choose Homestead
Homestead is aimed at homelab operators who have outgrown a single Docker host but do not want to assemble Kubernetes, storage replication, VM management, floating IPs, monitoring, and update automation as separate projects. You can start on one machine and grow into a cluster as your workloads and failure-tolerance requirements increase.
The practical distinction is that Homestead treats the whole cluster as one operating surface. Apps and VMs can be scheduled, checked, backed up, migrated, and exposed through stable service addresses, while the underlying Kubernetes objects remain available for deeper control.
What you get in the stack
The platform runs on k3s, RKE2, or Harvester and uses components including Longhorn, KubeVirt, CDI, kube-vip, Multus, and Helm. Its app-store paths cover Community Applications and Artifact Hub, while integrations include Home Assistant MQTT discovery, UniFi synchronization, Docker Compose imports, Unraid imports, S3 and NFS backup targets, webhooks, and Cloudflare Access.
Workload operations include health checks, maintenance-window updates with snapshots and rollback, scheduled start and stop actions, failure planning, resource history, alerts, mobile notifications, and a versioned OpenAPI interface for scripts and agents.
What to know before you deploy
Homestead is more than a lightweight single-container dashboard. A useful high-availability deployment needs three server nodes for control-plane quorum, replicated storage needs a reliable network between nodes, and VMs require hardware virtualization such as VT-x or AMD-V.
The supplied guidance recommends at least 1 GbE between nodes, with 2.5 GbE preferred for replicated storage. Storage replication, backups, upgrades, cluster security, and recovery testing remain operator responsibilities even when the interface automates the workflow.
With only two machines, the project notes that two linked single-node clusters can be a better fit than pretending to have automatic failover without quorum.
Best fit
Choose Homestead when you want a unified path from a single Linux machine to a Kubernetes-based homelab cluster with containers, VMs, replicated storage, and failover. Compare it with Proxmox VE, Harvester, Unraid, Talos Linux, MicroCloud, or a simpler Docker management layer when you only need one host or want fewer moving parts.
Interface previews
Screenshots of the Homestead interface.
Feature support
| Feature | Support |
|---|---|
| Hyperconverged Kubernetes cluster setupOne-command setup for k3s or RKE2, with optional Harvester support and cluster joining. | Supported |
| Container and Helm app storesCommunity Applications and Artifact Hub provide app installation paths. | Supported |
| Virtual machines with passthroughKubeVirt-based VMs support GPU, iGPU, USB, UEFI, Secure Boot, TPM, CPU pinning, and live migration where the cluster supports it. | Supported |
| Replicated storageLonghorn-backed volumes replicate across machines and expose capacity forecasts. | Supported |
| High availability and failoverThree server nodes provide control-plane quorum and allow workloads to restart on healthy nodes. | Supported |
| Floating IP addressesService addresses can follow workloads as they move between nodes. | Supported |
| Automatic health checks and safe updatesApps and VMs are checked regularly; maintenance updates can snapshot first and roll back if health checks fail. | Supported |
| Backups and restore testingSnapshots and scheduled S3 or NFS backups are paired with restore checks and online browsing. | Supported |
| Hardware accelerationGPUs, iGPUs, Coral accelerators, and USB devices can be assigned to supported workloads. | Supported |
| Unraid and Compose migrationExisting containers, Compose workloads, and VM disk images can be imported. | Supported |
| Network visibility and IPAMInventory, scanning, UniFi sync, and answering-node information are included. | Supported |
| Mobile managementInstallable iOS and Android clients provide management and push notifications over HTTPS. | Supported |
| Kubernetes escape hatchHelm releases and Kubernetes objects remain available with YAML and events for operators who want deeper control. | Supported |
Alternatives
- Proxmox VE
Virtualization-first comparison for operators prioritizing VMs, storage, and cluster management.
- Unraid
Simpler homelab platform comparison with a different storage, licensing, and clustering model.
- Harvester
Kubernetes-native HCI comparison; Homestead can also run on Harvester.
- Talos Linux
Kubernetes-focused operating-system comparison for operators who prefer assembling the platform themselves.
Questions
What is Homestead used for?
Homestead is used to run containers, virtual machines, replicated storage, networking, backups, and cluster operations across ordinary homelab machines through one interface.
Do I need to know Kubernetes to use Homestead?
No. Homestead uses familiar terms such as apps, volumes, shares, and VMs while keeping the underlying Kubernetes YAML and events available when you want them.
How many machines does Homestead need?
One machine is enough to start. Three server nodes are recommended for control-plane quorum and automatic high-availability failover.
What happens when a Homestead node fails?
In a three-server high-availability cluster, workloads can restart on a healthy node with replicated data already present, and floating IP addresses can follow the service.
Can Homestead run virtual machines and containers together?
Yes. Homestead manages containers and KubeVirt virtual machines in the same cluster, including supported GPU, iGPU, USB, UEFI, Secure Boot, TPM, and CPU-pinning options.
What are Homestead minimum hardware requirements?
For k3s or RKE2, the stated minimum is one 64-bit Linux machine with 2 CPU cores, 4 GB RAM, and an SSD. Three nodes, 8 GB or more RAM per node, a second SSD or NVMe drive, and 1 GbE or faster networking are recommended for a serious cluster.
Can I migrate from Unraid or Docker Compose?
Yes. Homestead lists imports for Unraid containers and VMs, Docker Compose workloads, and qcow2 or VMDK disk images.
Is Homestead free to self-host?
Homestead is free to use at home and inside a business for your own applications. Its Commons Clause licensing restricts selling Homestead or offering paid managed services whose value mainly comes from Homestead without permission.
Does Homestead support ARM64?
Yes. The supplied platform requirements list both x86-64 and ARM64 support, subject to the capabilities of the chosen Kubernetes and hardware stack.
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