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An unused Raspberry Pi can run a practical home service, but the right project depends on its model, memory, storage and the job you want it to do. For a first build, consider Pi-hole or AdGuard Home for network DNS filtering, Home Assistant for smart-home control, or Syncthing for syncing files between your own devices. Jellyfin is another possibility, but its documentation warns that most single-board computers may be too slow for a good experience.
Start with one service, check its requirements against your Pi, and consider what stops working when the device is offline. These projects solve different problems; the two DNS filters in particular are alternatives, not services to run together as competing resolvers.
Before choosing a project, check the Pi you have
A Raspberry Pi bought around 2020 could be any of several models and configurations. Identify its model and RAM, inspect the power supply, and check the condition and capacity of its storage before committing to an always-on service. An aging or unreliable microSD card can undermine a project even if the software itself fits the Pi.
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →- Decide what problem to solve. DNS filtering, smart-home control, device-to-device file syncing and media serving have different requirements.
- Consider the offline cost. If a Pi providing DNS goes down, clients that rely on it may lose name resolution. If it hosts smart-home functions, some control may be unavailable. Plan maintenance and backups accordingly.
- Prefer wired Ethernet when practical. It is especially relevant for a home network service and is required during Home Assistant’s documented Pi installation process.
- Keep the first build modest. A Pi can host one useful service without being a good fit for every workload at once.
1. Pi-hole: filter DNS requests on your home network
Pi-hole works as a DNS service: devices that use it for name resolution can have requests filtered according to its configuration. That makes it useful if you want network-level filtering rather than setting up filtering separately on each device. Its benefit depends on client devices actually using Pi-hole as their resolver; installing it alone does not automatically route every device through it.
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Pi-hole’s documentation lists a minimum of 512 MB of RAM and 2 GB of free storage, with 4 GB of storage recommended. Those figures are Pi-hole requirements, not a general specification for the other projects here. See the Pi-hole prerequisites.
Because DNS is a basic dependency for network connections, think through what happens when the Pi is off for an update or has a storage or power problem. Before changing router DNS settings, make a maintenance and recovery plan. Do not expose an administration interface to the public internet casually.
2. Home Assistant: bring smart-home control onto the Pi
Home Assistant runs on hardware in your home and can bring supported smart-home devices and automations into one system. Its documentation describes a Raspberry Pi as a reasonable choice when you already own suitable hardware or want to host it alongside other services. That is not a blanket endorsement of every Pi: the current Pi installation guidance calls for a Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 with at least 2 GB of RAM.
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Pi installation requirements
For the documented Raspberry Pi route, gather the following:
- A Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 with at least 2 GB RAM.
- A compatible power supply.
- An A2 microSD card with at least 32 GB of capacity.
- An SD card reader.
- An Ethernet connection, required for installation and recommended for reliability.
The A2 card recommendation relates to the small reads and writes common in application workloads. Check compatibility with your particular Pi before buying anything. Home Assistant lists its hardware and installation requirements in its Raspberry Pi installation guide.
Choose the installation type deliberately
Home Assistant OS is the recommended installation type for most people using their own hardware. Home Assistant Container is a different route and has limitations; in particular, users who want Home Assistant “apps” need another installation type. Follow the official installation guidance for the route that matches how you intend to use it. Do not assume the Pi 4/5 requirements apply to an older model.
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3. Syncthing: keep selected folders in sync between devices
Syncthing connects devices using device IDs and shares selected folders between them. A Pi can participate as a home sync node, making it a potential fit for modest personal file syncing between computers and other devices.
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It is not automatically a backup. If a file is changed or deleted and that change synchronizes, another synced device may reflect it too. Keep a separate, independent copy of important files.
Performance depends on the Pi and the workload. Syncthing’s FAQ notes that low-powered devices such as Raspberry Pi can become CPU-limited: hashing new or changed files, optional compression, encryption, and scanning or maintaining indexes all use CPU. Treat it as a modest sync setup, not a high-throughput NAS. The Syncthing FAQ explains these resource considerations.
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4. AdGuard Home: another option for DNS filtering
AdGuard Home is another way to provide DNS filtering on a home network. Its getting-started documentation includes a 32-bit ARMv6 option described as recommended for Raspberry Pi, but that excerpt does not establish compatibility across every Pi model and operating system. Check the current installation options against your specific hardware rather than assuming universal support. See AdGuard Home’s getting-started documentation.
Choose between AdGuard Home and Pi-hole based on your requirements and the installation route that fits your device. They overlap as DNS filters; running both as competing DNS services is not a sensible default for a first project.
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Jellyfin organizes and serves a local media library, but a Raspberry Pi may not be a good media-server choice. Jellyfin’s hardware-selection guidance warns that most single-board computers, including Raspberry Pi—especially Pi 5—may be too slow for an acceptable experience because hardware-acceleration support is limited. Do not count on a Pi for robust transcoding or assume it will handle 4K playback.
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If you still want to experiment, keep the library and expectations modest, and check whether your playback device can play the media directly rather than relying on the server to convert it. That is a cautious setup suggestion, not a performance guarantee. See Jellyfin’s hardware-selection guidance.
Which service should you try first?
| Project | Best fit | Requirements or constraints established here | What to consider if the Pi is offline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pi-hole | DNS filtering for clients configured to use it | Pi-hole documents at least 512 MB RAM and 2 GB free storage; 4 GB storage is recommended. | Clients relying on it for DNS may have name-resolution problems. |
| Home Assistant | Smart-home control on hardware at home | Pi route requires Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 with at least 2 GB RAM, A2 microSD of at least 32 GB, suitable power, card reader and Ethernet. | Smart-home control hosted on the Pi may be unavailable. |
| Syncthing | Modest syncing between selected folders and devices | Low-powered devices can be CPU-limited during hashing, compression, encryption and scanning. | Syncing pauses until participating devices are available again. |
| AdGuard Home | Alternative DNS filtering project | Getting-started documentation includes a 32-bit ARMv6 option described as recommended for Raspberry Pi; full model-by-model compatibility is not established here. | Clients relying on its DNS service may have name-resolution problems. |
| Jellyfin | Experimenting with a local media library and simple playback expectations | Jellyfin cautions that most SBCs may be too slow for an acceptable experience due to limited hardware acceleration. | Media hosted by the Pi will not be served while it is unavailable. |
For a DNS filtering need, choose one of the two DNS projects. For a smart home, Home Assistant is the relevant option if your Pi meets its stated requirements. For files, Syncthing fits syncing rather than backup. Jellyfin is the most performance-sensitive choice here, so treat it as an experiment rather than a dependable transcoding plan.
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