I already own an Umbrel server and it’s really great, the ease of use is outstanding. There are lots of apps to one click install, everything get’s its own TOR address… it’s simply amazing.
I have some spare hardware and wanted to try other node/personal server software. Looking at the alternatives it seems every single one of them is way behind Umbrel in terms of updates and available apps. Start9 for example is mentioned but the latest release is almost 2 years old…
If you are looking for an operating system with a built in app library there are a couple. The more advanced chose to do their own with many choices of operating systems. They choose witch apps to install. I almost chose to Proxmox to be the hypervisor and then spin up an Ubuntu VM to run LN and Bitcoin node. In addition to running many VM and/or container. It’s all about what you want to do in the end.
It really depends on what you’re looking for.
If you want an all-in-one solution, Start9 or CasaOS might be suitable.
If you want just a bitcoin+LN node, Rapiblitz or MyNode might work.
If you want apps but not so focused on BTC you could try Yunohost or Captain Rover.
Umbrel is focusing in a use-my-hardware solution lately, and still lacks some basic security features, I agree it’s the simplest to use, but depending on your needs it might not be the best.
