Tools we recommend

Tailscale

Networking

Zero-config mesh VPN. Secure remote access to homelab services without opening ports on your router.

Docker Desktop

Devops

Container runtime for local dev and small homelab stacks. Pair with Compose for multi-service apps.

Portainer

Devops

Web UI to manage Docker and Kubernetes. Essential for homelab container workflows.

Proxmox VE

Virtualization

Type-1 hypervisor for VMs and LXC containers. Popular bare-metal homelab foundation.

Syncthing

Storage

Continuous peer-to-peer file sync. Great for backups and mirroring configs across machines.

Bitwarden

Security

Open-source password manager with cloud sync or self-hosted Vaultwarden on your homelab.

KeePassXC

Security

Offline-first password database. No cloud required — ideal for air-gapped or local-only setups.

RustDesk

Networking

Open-source remote desktop. Self-host your own relay for TeamViewer-style access without subscriptions.

Jellyfin

Media

Free media server for movies, TV, and music. Fully open-source alternative to Plex.

Home Assistant

Automation

Local-first home automation hub. Integrate lights, sensors, and scripts without cloud lock-in.

Pi-hole

Networking

Network-wide DNS ad blocking. Run on a Pi or VM and point your router DNS at it.

Nginx Proxy Manager

Networking

Easy reverse proxy with Let's Encrypt SSL. Publish homelab apps safely behind one entry point.

Grafana

Monitoring

Dashboards for metrics and logs. Pair with Prometheus, Loki, or InfluxDB in your homelab.

Netdata

Monitoring

Real-time system and container monitoring with minimal setup. Great per-host homelab visibility.

Wireshark

Networking

Packet capture and protocol analysis. Debug network issues on Windows and Linux alike.

PowerToys

Utilities

Microsoft utilities for power users — FancyZones, PowerRename, keyboard manager, and more.

Rufus

Utilities

Create bootable USB drives from ISO images. Fast way to flash Linux installers or recovery media.

Ventoy

Utilities

Multi-boot USB stick — copy several ISOs to one drive and pick at boot without re-flashing.

HandBrake

Media

Open-source video transcoder. Rip and compress media for your Jellyfin library.

VLC

Media

Plays almost any audio/video format. Handy desktop player alongside your media server.

Obsidian

Utilities

Markdown notes linked in a graph. Document homelab IPs, runbooks, and project wikis locally.

VirtualBox

Virtualization

Cross-platform hypervisor for test VMs and lab snapshots before deploying to bare metal.

WinSCP

Utilities

SFTP and SCP client for Windows. Upload configs and pull logs from Linux servers easily.

Restic

Storage

Fast encrypted backups to S3, SFTP, or local disks. Script-friendly for homelab snapshot jobs.

Ansible

Devops

Agentless automation for configuring Linux hosts, Docker hosts, and repeatable homelab deploys.

Nextcloud

Storage

Self-hosted file sync, calendar, and contacts — your own cloud on a VM or NAS.