Homarr vs Heimdall: Which Dashboard to Self-Host?

Quick Verdict

Homarr is the clear upgrade from Heimdall. Both use a web UI for configuration, but Homarr has deeper service integrations, a modern architecture (complete v1.0 rewrite), and active development. Heimdall has been in maintenance mode since 2023. If you’re currently running Heimdall, migrating to Homarr gives you live data widgets, better Docker integration, and a more polished experience. If you’re picking a dashboard for the first time, Homarr or Homepage are better starting points.

Updated March 2026: Verified with latest Docker images and configurations.

Overview

Heimdall launched as one of the first self-hosted application dashboards. Built on Laravel (PHP) by the LinuxServer.io team, it gives you a web UI to add app tiles with icons, URLs, and optional “enhanced” integrations that show basic status data (Pi-hole query counts, Sonarr series count, etc.). Configuration happens entirely through the browser — no config files to edit.

Homarr started as a similar concept but has evolved significantly. The v1.0 rewrite (2024, by homarr-labs) replaced the original codebase entirely with Next.js and TypeScript. It offers a drag-and-drop board editor, deep integrations with the *arr stack and download clients, and real-time widget data that goes beyond Heimdall’s basic status tiles.

Feature Comparison

Feature	Homarr	Heimdall
Configuration	Drag-and-drop GUI	Web UI forms
Service integrations	Deep (~30 services with live data)	Basic (~90 enhanced tiles, limited data)
Widget data depth	Real-time (downloads, upcoming, storage)	Surface-level (counts, status)
Docker integration	Container status, start/stop, stats	None
Docker auto-discovery	Via Docker socket	No
Theme	Light/dark, color customization	Light/dark, custom backgrounds
Authentication	Built-in user management, roles, permissions	Basic pin/password per user
Multi-board	Yes (multiple dashboards)	No (single dashboard per user)
Search	App search	App search
Icon support	Dashboard Icons, URL favicons	Font Awesome, custom upload
Drag-and-drop	Yes (resize tiles, rearrange)	Yes (basic reordering)
Mobile responsive	Yes	Yes
Custom CSS	Limited	No
Database	SQLite (better-sqlite3)	SQLite (Laravel)
Framework	Next.js (TypeScript)	Laravel (PHP)
Architecture	Modern, maintained	Legacy, maintenance mode
License	MIT	MIT

Docker Setup

Homarr

services:
  homarr:
    image: ghcr.io/homarr-labs/homarr:v1.56.0
    container_name: homarr
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "7575:7575"
    volumes:
      - homarr_data:/appdata
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro  # Optional: Docker integration
    environment:
      - TZ=UTC
      - SECRET_ENCRYPTION_KEY=your_random_64_char_hex_string  # CHANGE: generate with `openssl rand -hex 32`

volumes:
  homarr_data:

Access at http://your-server:7575. Create an admin account on first launch.

Heimdall

services:
  heimdall:
    image: lscr.io/linuxserver/heimdall:2.6.3
    container_name: heimdall
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "8080:80"
      - "8443:443"
    environment:
      - PUID=1000
      - PGID=1000
      - TZ=UTC
    volumes:
      - heimdall_config:/config

volumes:
  heimdall_config:

Access at http://your-server:8080. Add apps through the web interface.

Integration Depth: The Real Difference

Heimdall’s enhanced tiles tell you that a service exists and maybe a number or two. Homarr’s integrations tell you what’s happening in that service.

Example: Sonarr integration

Data Point	Homarr	Heimdall
Number of monitored series	Yes	Yes
Upcoming episodes with dates	Yes	No
Download queue with progress	Yes	No
Missing episodes count	Yes	No
Disk space usage	Yes	No
Click to view details	Yes	Link to Sonarr

Example: qBittorrent integration

Data Point	Homarr	Heimdall
Active downloads with progress bars	Yes	No
Upload/download speed	Yes	No
Total data transferred	Yes	No
Pause/resume from dashboard	Yes	No
Basic status	Via download widget	Enhanced tile (limited)

If you run a media stack (Sonarr, Radarr, qBittorrent), Homarr transforms from a bookmark page into a management dashboard. Heimdall remains a bookmark page with badges.

Development and Future

This is the deciding factor for anyone choosing today:

Metric	Homarr	Heimdall
Last significant release	2025 (v1.0 rewrite)	2023
Active development	Yes (homarr-labs organization)	Maintenance mode
GitHub stars	7K+	8K+
Contributors	80+	40+
Breaking changes risk	Moderate (v1.0 was a full rewrite)	None (stable, frozen)
Community	Active Discord	LinuxServer.io community

Heimdall is stable software that does what it does. It won’t break, but it also won’t improve. Homarr is actively evolving — the v1.0 rewrite was disruptive (migration from v0.x required rebuilding your dashboard), but the new architecture supports features Heimdall’s Laravel codebase can’t.

Migration Path

If you’re migrating from Heimdall to Homarr:

1. There’s no automated migration tool — you’ll rebuild your dashboard manually
2. Homarr’s drag-and-drop editor makes this faster than it sounds (~30 minutes for a typical dashboard)
3. Service integrations need API keys re-entered
4. The result will be significantly better — live data, modern UI, Docker integration

Performance

Metric	Homarr	Heimdall
RAM (idle)	~150 MB	~80 MB
RAM (active)	~200 MB	~100 MB
CPU	Low (spikes during polling)	Very low
Disk	~500 MB	~200 MB
Startup	~10 seconds	~5 seconds

Homarr uses more resources because it actively polls integrated services. The trade-off is live data. If resource usage is your primary concern, consider Homer (15 MB RAM) or Homepage (~80 MB with better widgets than Homarr).

Final Verdict

Homarr is the better dashboard by every meaningful measure. It has deeper integrations, active development, Docker auto-discovery, and a modern architecture. The only advantage Heimdall has is lower resource usage and proven stability — but stability through abandonment isn’t a feature, it’s a limitation.

If you’re setting up a new dashboard: use Homarr or Homepage. If you’re running Heimdall and it works for your needs: there’s no urgency to migrate, but when you’re ready, Homarr is the natural upgrade path.

Related

• How to Self-Host Homarr
• How to Self-Host Homepage
• How to Self-Host Dashy
• Homarr vs Homepage
• Homarr vs Dashy
• Heimdall vs Homer
• Best Self-Hosted Dashboards
• Docker Compose Basics