Best single-board computers for Home Assistant (2026)
Home Assistant runs comfortably with 4GB of memory and a wired network connection. Each of these has both. Best first, by our score. Running costs assume 24/7 at idle, at 26.32p/kWh. Where we don't have today's price, we use the typical UK price we found when researching it.
Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›
- #1
Raspberry Pi 5 4GB
7.9/10verdict: buyThe Raspberry Pi 5 4GB is for homelabbers and developers who want a small Linux board with official OS support and a standard 40-pin GPIO header. It suits people moving up from a Pi 4 who want more CPU performance for services, projects or display output. Buyers should be ready to sort out a proper 5A power supply and think about cooling.
Broadcom BCM2712LPDDR4X-4267 SDRAMmicroSD card slot with SDR104 supportDual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth…4GB+ memoryGigabit Ethernet3W idle · £6.92/year to run · £126.35 over three years, all in
Read the full review ݣ105.60typical UK price when researchedCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)
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- #2
Raspberry Pi 400
7.2/10verdict: buyThe Raspberry Pi 400 is for anyone who wants a complete, compact Raspberry Pi desktop with the keyboard built in and no assembly. It suits learners, classrooms and homelabbers who want a small terminal or light desktop machine running Raspberry Pi OS. It is a weaker fit for anyone who needs easy GPIO access or fast internal storage.
Broadcom BCM27114GB LPDDR4-3200MicroSD card slotGigabit Ethernet4GB+ memoryGigabit Ethernet3W idle · £6.92/year to run · £78.35 over three years, all in
Read the full review ݣ57.60typical UK price when researchedCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)
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- #3
IceWhale ZimaBoard 2
6.3/10verdict: good, not the bestThe ZimaBoard 2 is for homelabbers who want a compact x86 board for a small NAS or Docker host. It offers an Intel N150, dual 2.5GbE and two SATA ports, with 8GB or 16GB of soldered RAM. It suits people who value low power draw and quiet running over upgradeability.
Intel N1508GB32GBDual 2.5GbE4GB+ memoryGigabit Ethernet8.2W idle · £18.91/year to run · £345.61 over three years, all in
Read the full review ݣ288.89typical UK price when researchedCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)
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