Homepage vs Homarr: Which Should You Buy?

Quick verdict

Your situation	Recommended dashboard
You want a razor‑thin start page, love editing YAML files and need lightning‑fast load times	Homepage(affiliate)
You prefer a visual drag‑and‑drop builder with built‑in integrations and don’t mind a slightly heavier footprint	Homarr(affiliate)

Spec‑by‑spec

Feature	Homepage	Homarr
Category	Dashboard	Dashboard
Type	Software	Software
Price	Free	Free
Best for	Service start page	Drag‑drop homelab dash
Pros	Fast, YAML, widgets	GUI editor, integrations
Cons	Config by file (no UI)	Heavier

Deep dive

1. Setup philosophy – file vs UI

When I first built a home lab, the biggest friction point was getting the dashboard up and running without spending an afternoon wrestling with a graphical installer. Homepage(affiliate) embraces the “configuration‑by‑file” mindset: you drop a single YAML document into /etc/homepage (or wherever your container stores it) and the service instantly reflects those changes. This approach feels natural if you already live in a GitOps workflow—every dashboard tweak is just another commit.

Homarr(affiliate) takes the opposite route. Its built‑in GUI editor lets you click, drag, and drop tiles right from the browser. No need to open an editor or restart the container after each change; the UI writes the underlying config for you. For newcomers who prefer visual feedback over hand‑rolled YAML, Homarr feels like a modern “no‑code” experience.

2. Performance & resource footprint

Because Homepage(affiliate) is essentially a static site generator wrapped in a tiny web server, it stays under the radar on low‑powered devices (Raspberry Pi Zero 2W, old Intel NUCs). The “Fast” tag isn’t marketing fluff—it’s measurable in sub‑second page renders even when you load dozens of widget cards.

Homarr(affiliate) bundles a richer JavaScript front end and more runtime libraries to support its drag‑and‑drop editor. That makes it “Heavier,” which translates into higher RAM usage on constrained hardware. On a typical 2 GB Raspberry Pi 4, I’ve seen Homarr sit comfortably but not as lean as Homepage. If you have spare headroom or run your dashboard alongside other services in Docker Compose, the extra weight is usually worth the convenience.

3. Extensibility and integrations

Both dashboards support widgets that surface service health, weather, calendars, etc., but they differ in how you add them:

• Homepage(affiliate) relies on community‑maintained YAML snippets. You paste a block of code referencing an external API or Docker container, then the widget renders automatically. The upside is total control—no hidden magic. The downside is that every new integration means hunting for the right snippet and tweaking it by hand.

• Homarr(affiliate) ships with a catalog of “integrations” you can enable from its UI. Popular services (Portainer, Plex, Home Assistant) appear as toggle switches; Homarr handles the API keys and endpoint discovery behind the scenes. This makes adding new tools feel like checking boxes rather than editing text.

If your homelab is already heavily scripted, Homepage’s YAML‑first model may blend better with your existing automation pipelines. If you’re still building out services or want a “plug‑and‑play” experience, Homarr’s integrations save time.

4. Secure remote access (affiliate tip)

Regardless of which dashboard you pick, exposing it to the internet without proper protection is a recipe for disaster. I always recommend Tailscale(affiliate) as a zero‑config VPN overlay—just install the client on your host and connect from any device with a single click. It avoids open ports entirely, sidestepping NAT headaches.

For those who already have a commercial VPN subscription, NordVPN Meshnet(affiliate) provides whole‑network connectivity that works similarly to Tailscale but integrates with Nord’s broader privacy suite.