CasaOS Review, Pricing & Features

CasaOS is a free, open-source personal cloud OS with a one-click app store for Nextcloud, Jellyfin, Home Assistant, and more. Runs on Raspberry Pi to x86.

Category
Hosting
Pricing
Free/Open-source, from Free
Verified
Not yet
Last updated
July 18, 2026
Founded
2020
Headquarters
Shanghai, China
Web AppOpen SourceSelf-Hosted

Overview

CasaOS is a free, open-source personal cloud operating system developed by IceWhale Technology, a company founded in 2020 and based in Shanghai, China. It originated as the pre-installed software for ZimaBoard, IceWhale's crowdfunded single-board server, before becoming a standalone open-source project that runs on almost any 64-bit Linux machine.

The project is hosted on GitHub under IceWhaleTech and has surpassed 33,000 stars, making it one of the most widely adopted home-server dashboards, alongside alternatives such as Umbrel and OpenMediaVault.

Key Features

CasaOS runs on top of an existing Linux install (Ubuntu, Debian, Raspberry Pi OS) and provides a modern web dashboard for managing apps, files, and storage. Its one-click app store includes over 100 community-curated apps such as Nextcloud, Jellyfin, Home Assistant, Gitea, and AdGuard, each packaged as a Docker Compose-based 'CasaOS app.'

A built-in web file browser allows file management without needing SSH access, and storage tools visualize disk usage and let users mount external drives directly from the dashboard. Every installed app runs isolated inside its own Docker container.

Pricing

CasaOS is entirely free and open-source, with no paid tiers, subscriptions, or licensing fees. Users only bear the cost of the hardware they choose to run it on, from a $35 Raspberry Pi to repurposed PCs or dedicated servers.

IceWhale Technology also sells ZimaBoard hardware and maintains ZimaOS, a more fully featured Debian-based personal cloud OS evolved from CasaOS, but CasaOS itself remains free for anyone to install on their own compatible hardware.

Key Features

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Completely free and open source with no paid tiers
  • Very approachable UI for non-technical self-hosters
  • Large, actively maintained one-click app catalog
  • Runs on inexpensive hardware, from a Raspberry Pi up
  • Large, active GitHub community with frequent updates

Cons

  • Self-hosted, so users are responsible for their own updates and security
  • Smaller app catalog than some larger self-hosting platforms
  • Requires an existing Linux installation and basic technical comfort
  • Support is community-driven rather than backed by a commercial SLA

Pricing

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CasaOS free?

Yes, CasaOS is fully free and open-source with no paid tiers or subscriptions.

What hardware does CasaOS run on?

CasaOS runs on top of an existing Linux install and supports hardware ranging from a Raspberry Pi to repurposed laptops, PCs, and dedicated servers, including IceWhale's own ZimaBoard.

Who develops CasaOS?

CasaOS is developed by IceWhale Technology, a company founded in 2020 and based in Shanghai, China, with contributions from an active open-source community.

What apps can I install with CasaOS?

CasaOS's one-click app store includes over 100 community apps such as Nextcloud, Jellyfin, Home Assistant, Gitea, and AdGuard, each running in its own Docker container.

How is CasaOS different from ZimaOS?

CasaOS is the free, open-source dashboard project that runs on any compatible Linux machine, while ZimaOS is a more complete Debian-based personal cloud operating system evolved from CasaOS, made by the same company for Zima-brand hardware.

Related Tools