The best mini-PC for home automation
A small, quiet, always-on computer is the best home for your smart home software. Here's what to buy, and what you actually need.
Self-hosted smart home platforms, Gladys Assistant, Home Assistant or openHAB, all run on a small computer that stays on 24/7. For years the default was a Raspberry Pi. Today, small Intel mini-PCs are usually the better buy: faster, with real SSD storage and Ethernet, often for a similar total price.
This guide explains what matters, which models to look at, and when a Raspberry Pi or a used office mini-PC is still the right call.
What actually matters
For a home automation server, ignore gaming specs. Look at:
- CPU: a recent low-power Intel chip (N100, N150 or similar) is more than enough for Gladys, Zigbee2MQTT and a few cameras.
- RAM: 8 GB is comfortable, 16 GB gives headroom for other self-hosted apps.
- Storage: an SSD (256 GB or more), not an SD card. SD cards wear out with a database writing all day.
- Ethernet: a wired connection is more reliable than Wi-Fi for a server.
- Power draw: it runs 24/7, so a low idle consumption matters more than peak performance.
- USB ports: for your Zigbee or Z-Wave dongle, ideally on a short USB 2.0 extension cable.
Any recent entry-level mini-PC ticks every box. The rest is budget and taste.
Mini-PC vs Raspberry Pi 5
The two most common choices, side by side:
| Intel N100/N150 mini-PC | Raspberry Pi 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Ready to use | Case, power supply and SSD included | Add a case, power supply and storage |
| Storage | Internal SSD | SD card by default; an NVMe SSD needs an extra board |
| Performance | Higher, x86 | Good, ARM |
| Power draw | Low | Very low |
| Software compatibility | Any x86 Docker image | ARM64 images only (Gladys supports both) |
| Best for | A main home server that will grow | A small, frugal setup, or reusing a Pi you already own |
Once you add a case, power supply and SSD to a Raspberry Pi 5, the total price is often close to an entry-level mini-PC that comes complete.
What we recommend
The machines we use and see working well with Gladys:
What we recommend in the install guide: quiet, efficient, and fast enough to run Gladys and more for years.
Slightly older chips, often cheaper, still more than enough for a smart home.
Lenovo ThinkCentre Tiny, Dell OptiPlex Micro or HP EliteDesk Mini: robust, cheap second-hand, a bit less frugal.
Still a good option for a small setup, ideally with an SSD rather than an SD card.
Already have a Synology or Unraid server running Docker? Gladys runs there too.
An old laptop with a working battery makes a decent server: it even has a built-in UPS.
From box to smart home
Once you have the machine:
- Plug it into your router with an Ethernet cable.
- Write Gladys Assistant OS, our official installer, to a USB drive and start the mini-PC from it.
- Answer a few questions: Gladys installs itself, automatic updates included.
- Plug in your Zigbee dongle on a short USB 2.0 extension cable, and enable Zigbee2MQTT in Gladys.
- Open Gladys from your phone or computer and add your devices.
The step-by-step installation guide covers each step.
Small hardware, big smart home
A mini-PC that costs about as much as a smart speaker can run your whole home locally: dashboards, automations, history, cameras, energy monitoring, and AI if you want it. It sips power, makes no noise, and doesn't depend on any cloud.
Gladys is free and open source: on a mini-PC, Gladys Assistant OS installs it from a USB drive, and it also runs with Docker on the other machines.
Go further
Complete your setup:
Frequently asked questions
Raspberry Pi 5 or mini-PC for home automation in 2026?
For most people, a mini-PC. Memory costs pushed Raspberry Pi 5 prices up several times: since April 2026 the 8 GB model lists at $175, before a case, power supply and SSD. An Intel N150 mini-PC with 16 GB of RAM and a 500 GB SSD sells for about $190 to $200, complete. A Pi you already own is still perfectly fine.
How much power does a home automation mini-PC use?
An Intel N100 or N150 mini-PC running Linux typically idles around 6 to 10 W, or roughly 50 to 90 kWh a year. Used office mini-PCs with older Core i5 chips usually idle around 15 to 25 W. A Home Assistant Green-style ARM box idles below 2 W.
How much RAM and storage do I need?
8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD are plenty for Gladys, Zigbee2MQTT and a few cameras. 16 GB and 500 GB give room for other self-hosted apps. Avoid SD cards for a server that writes to a database all day.
Which mini-PC do you recommend for Gladys?
We recommend the Beelink Mini S13 (Intel N150) in our installation guide. Any recent Intel N100 or N150 mini-PC with 8 to 16 GB of RAM, an SSD and Ethernet works just as well.
Is a used office mini-PC a good idea?
Yes, if you find one at a good price: Lenovo ThinkCentre Tiny, Dell OptiPlex Micro and HP EliteDesk Mini are robust and powerful. They draw more power at idle than a new N100/N150 machine, which adds up over years of 24/7 use.
Turn a mini-PC into your smart home hub
Gladys is free, open source and installs on a mini-PC from a USB drive, with Gladys Assistant OS, our official installer.