Homarr
Homarr is an open-source, highly customizable web dashboard that centralizes links, status, and widgets for self-hosted apps and services. Its core purpose is to give individuals and small teams a visual, drag-and-drop launcher and lightweight status surface so apps are easier to find and open from one page.
It suits people running multiple self-hosted services and small teams needing a shared portal with access control. Homarr reduces friction finding and launching apps, surfaces simple health checks, and replaces scattered bookmarks, homepages, or spreadsheets with per-user views and permissions.
Use Cases
- Single-server home lab: launch Plex, Nextcloud, Home Assistant quickly.
- Shared household dashboard with per-user bookmarks and favorites.
- Side projects: group links, CI/CD status, quick access tokens.
- Team portal for internal tools, dashboards, and BI links.
- Lightweight onboarding: single page with necessary apps and links.
- Small ops overview: low-effort status for services, complementing monitoring.
Strengths
- Drag-and-drop grid UI and widgets for fast customization.
- App tiles plus 11k+ icon picker for consistent visuals.
- Built-in integrations and API/ping checks for service availability.
- User management, groups, and permissions for shared environments.
- Authentication options include internal users, LDAP/AD, and OIDC.
- Real-time updates via WebSockets/trpc patterns for live status.
- Runs on Docker, Helm, and Kubernetes where your infra runs.
- Self-hosting friendly: keeps data on-premise for EU or private control.
Limitations
- Community-maintained project; support level varies and has no SLA.
- Not a monitoring platform; limited to pings and app-specific widgets.
- Complex integrations still require API keys and network configuration.
- Enterprise features and paid support options are Unverified (according to summary).
- Community updates and integrations may need periodic maintenance.
Final Thoughts
Try Homarr now if you need a polished, shareable app-launch dashboard with SSO and on-prem control; wait if you require enterprise monitoring, vendor-backed SLAs, or formal compliance reporting.
Choose a managed cloud when you need vendor-backed support, 24/7 SLAs, or integrated governance and billing. A managed option provides vendor-backed support and turnkey governance and billing (when available).