StartOS

A Linux distribution from Start9 for running a personal server, with a web UI that installs, networks, backs up and monitors self-hosted services.

2k stars, 203 forks Rust On GitHub since November 2020

Visit website View on GitHub How to run it

StartOS at a glance

Open sourceYes, MITNo paid parts in the repository
Health74 of 100Actively developed
Self-hostingDocker, Linux, macOSSteps in the README
AppsLinux, macOS, including ARMBuilds in GitHub releases
Interface5 languagesIncluding English, German and French
Release rhythmAlmost dailyLatest: start-os/v0.4.1.2, 5 November 2026

What is StartOS?

StartOS turns a computer into a personal server managed from the browser. It handles service discovery and installation, network configuration, backups, dependencies between services and health monitoring, using its own container runtime and a setup wizard. This monorepo also contains Start9's other products: start-cli for managing servers and packaging, a package registry, the StartTunnel VPN and forwarding server, and StartWRT, an OpenWrt-based router system. Most binaries wrap a shared Rust core, and the web apps are written in Angular.

Good fit if

  • You want a dedicated home server OS where installing services takes a few clicks.
  • You care about privacy and want your own infrastructure without Linux administration skills.

Look elsewhere if

  • You want to add an app platform to an existing Debian server: YunoHost or Runtipi.
  • You prefer git-based app deployment on a VPS: Coolify.

Before you adopt it

StartOS and the related tools are MIT-licensed, and no paid parts were found in the repository. Development is busy across a handful of engineers, and version 0.4.1 was released on 31 October 2026. Services run only if someone has packaged them for StartOS.

Drafted with AI from the project's README and repository data, then checked against that data on 31 October 2026. Report a correction

How to run StartOS yourself

Docker
Dockerfile or compose file in the repository
Compose file
None in the repository
Setup effort
Not rated: no compose file to judge from
Kubernetes
No Helm chart in the repository
Desktop and mobile
Builds for Linux, macOS, including ARM in GitHub releases
Interface languages
5 languages: English, French, German, Polish and Spanish

Install instructions: start9.com or the README on GitHub.

StartOS health: is it still maintained?

74 of 100, actively developed

Release rhythmAlmost dailyLatest: start-os/v0.4.1.2, 5 November 2026
Issue repliesNot measuredToo few recent issues from outside the team
Bus factorLow riskThe most active of 6 authors wrote 43% of recent commits
  • Activity
    656 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 5 November 2026.
    30 / 30
  • Contributors
    6 people wrote the latest 100 commits; the most active wrote 43% of them.
    11 / 20
  • Releases
    12+ releases in the last 12 months; the latest, start-os/v0.4.1.2, on 5 November 2026.
    18 / 20
  • Replies to issues
    Too few recent issues from outside the team to measure, so this part gets a neutral score.
    10 / 20
  • Security practices
    No OpenSSF Scorecard for this repository yet, so this part gets a neutral score.
    5 / 10

Read from GitHub on 6 November 2026. How the score works

StartOS license: is it open source?

StartOS uses MIT, an open-source license approved by the OSI.

  1. November 2020First published on GitHub.
  2. TodayMIT.

StartOS for developers

Written in

  • Rust 58%
  • TypeScript 34%
  • Shell 3%
  • JavaScript 2%
  • Roff 2%
  • Other <1%

Getting involved

Contributing guideNot foundNo CONTRIBUTING file in the repository
Open issues176On GitHub
Authors, 90 days6Of the latest 100 commits

Language shares are GitHub’s count of the code in the repository.

Alternatives to StartOS

  • UmbrelAn elegant home server OS. Run AI agents, store your files, backup your photos, and do more with over 300… 64 health · PolyForm license · 12.5k stars
  • CoolifyAn open-source, self-hostable PaaS alternative to Vercel, Heroku & Netlify that lets you easily deploy… 78 health · Apache-2.0 · 65.7k stars
  • CosmosThe Most Secure and Easy Selfhosted Home Server. Take control of your data and privacy without sacrificing… 58 health · Apache-2.0 + Commons Clause · 6.2k stars
  • 1Panel1Panel is a modern, open-source Linux server management panel and a lightweight AI management platform.… 88 health · GPL-3.0 · 37.4k stars
  • DokkuA docker-powered PaaS that helps you build and manage the lifecycle of applications 79 health · MIT · 32.2k stars

All 26 projects in Self-hosting & PaaS

Questions about StartOS

Is StartOS open source?

Yes. StartOS is published under MIT, an OSI-approved open-source license.

Is StartOS still maintained?

Its health score is 74 of 100 (actively developed). It had 656 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 5 November 2026, and its latest release came out on 5 November 2026.

How do I run StartOS?

You can run it with Docker, as an app for Linux, macOS, including ARM. The README on GitHub has the exact steps.

What is StartOS written in?

StartOS is written mainly in Rust (58% of the code), with TypeScript (34%), by GitHub’s count of the repository.

What languages is StartOS available in?

The repository has interface translations for 5 languages: English, French, German, Polish and Spanish.

What are the alternatives to StartOS?

Close alternatives in the Self-hosting & PaaS category include Umbrel, Coolify, Cosmos.