Are you torn between running macOS or Linux in your homelab? I completely understand your dilemma—and it’s not an easy one to solve.
macOS and Linux are both great choices in a homelab. Each has unique strengths and weaknesses that make one better than the other in certain areas. So, which should you run? The answer might surprise you.
Both macOS and Linux Share a Lot of Similarities
If you didn’t know, macOS and Linux share a very similar core: Unix. If you go back far enough, you’ll find that modernmacOS is actually based on the Unix operating system. Similarly,Linux is based on Unix. So, at their cores, Linux and macOS share the same heritage.
That doesnotmake macOS and Linux the same, however. There’s still a lot difference between the two operating systems. But, there’s also a lot that makes them similar.
For instance, a lot of the terminal commands used on Linux cross over to macOS. You can also run similar software on both macOS and Linux, especially if you use something likeHomebreworDocker.
Overall, the choice is yours at this point whether you use macOS or Linux in your homelab, and there’s no clear winner here.
Linux Is More Ubiquitous for Homelab Use
Linux definitely is the go-to when it comes to homelab use. This typically comes from the fact that Linux is free, and macOS is only supposed to be runon official Apple hardware. Even if you are able to get macOS to run on non-official hardware, bugs and other issues can definitely creep up, and that’s not ideal for a homelab scenario.
So, if you don’t already own Apple hardware, macOS is basically out of the running for you. In the case of my homelab, I couldn’t (and wouldn’t) run macOS on my retired servers because it just wouldn’t be a good option for me.
macOS Can Run on Efficient and Extremely Powerful Mini PCs
While you can definitely get Windows or even Linux mini PCs, it’s hard to beat the power that theMac minihas to offer. Starting at $599, theMac mini is a powerhouse of a computer, especially when it comes to AI computation.
The thing is,Apple Silicon is leaps and bounds ahead of other chipson the market inseveral key areas. It’s hard to deny the power that’s hidden within the Mac mini. You won’t find a Windows- or Linux-based system that delivers the type of features or performance it does.
However, the Mac mini runs macOS exclusively.Linux is mostly functional on Apple Silicon, but you won’t be able to just pick any random distro and run it (yet, anyway). So, for that reason, you’re stuck with macOS.
Depending on which operating system you prefer, this can be a pro or a con. If you’re just looking for a great media server, thena Mac mini is a fantastic choice. Whether you go with an M1 or M4 Pro, you’re able to’t go wrong here. Macs can also handle all kinds of other tasks, like running Docker containers, websites, and more.
Apple Mac Mini (M4)
Powered by an impressive M4 chip, the redesigned Mac Mini starts with 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD, a 10-core CPU, and a 10-core GPU.
Macs are even great atrunning large language models natively. It’s quite impressive what you can make your Mac do.
Honestly, I’ve kicked around the idea of adding a Mac mini to my homelab for various reasons. If I found an M1 Mac Mini for the right price, I’d turn it into my Plex system in a heartbeat. It’d run circles around my 13900K in many instances, and also free up headroom on my main server for other tasks.
If I found a Mac mini with a bit more power than the base M1, I’d heavily consider running some large language models locally and possibly cancelling my ChatGPT Plus subscription. I do have a M1 Max MacBook Pro, but as I use that for work, I don’t want to bog it down with LLMs and would rather offload that to a secondary system.
Another thing to consider is building your own computer, or evenbuying pre-built mini PCs. You simply can’t match the performance of Apple Silicon for the price that you’d have to stay under. I recently built a moderate productivity computer for my church with a Core Ultra 5, 64GB RAM, and no graphics card, and came in at just under $1,000.
A more powerful system that I built after that with an i7-14700K and 64GB of DDR5 cost bang on $1,000. With the performance that the M4 offers, you’re able to’t really go much lower than an i7 or Core Ultra 7 to go toe-to-toe, meaning you’ll spend a few hundred dollars more to build a system than to buy a Mac mini.
macOS Might Be the Best Choice Because of the Hardware
macOS versus Linux is a hard nut to crack. Really, depending on your budget and needs, macOS could be the best choice, not because of macOS, but because of the hardware.
With how powerful Apple Silicon is, it might be best for you to choose macOS due to the power the M4 Mac mini has for $599. The Mac mini is a great computer for transcoding, running services (likeHome AssistantorScrypted), is extremely power efficient, and takes up a very small footprint.
Overall, the M4 Mac mini is the ideal homelab computer, in my opinion. It excels at nearly everything you throw at it. The only thing it doesn’t do well is run Linux. But, if everything you need to do in your homelab runs on macOS, then that’s not even a downside.
Linux Is a Fantastic Option if You’re Looking to Save Money
I still have a special place in my heart for Linux when it comes to homelabbing. I have been using it for nearly 15 years in some way, and I couldn’t imagine not having it deployed and ready to go.
You see, my homelab consists of two servers right now: a custom-built storage server from eBayrunning Unraid, and a desktop with an i9-13900K as my virtual machine host. Unraid is based on Linux, and so is Proxmox, which powers my virtual machines.
Within my virtual machine server, I have an Ubuntu Server VM running as my Docker host. This virtual machine handles all of my homelab services, from Plex to Scrypted, it handles it all.
Tuxedo Nano Pro (Gen 14)
Buy this mini PC with Tuxedo OS or the distribution of your choice to get on the Ryzen AI 300 train, but in Linux style. It supports up to four displays while weighing in at just over two pounds.
I couldn’t do what I’m doing without Linux. While macOS requires Apple’s own hardware to run, Linux can run on just about any hardware you already have. A great way to save money in your homelab is to buy used equipment and run Linux on it—that’s what I did.
Linux is also a great choice for those who plan to work in some form of computer lab in the future (or those who currently do). Linux is the prevalent operating system when it comes to running servers, so having knowledge of the OS can be crucial to excelling in that field.
There’s No Clear Winner, the Choice Is Up to You
At the end of the day, though, it’s really up to you which operating system you run. Both macOS and Linux can be a good choice for any homelab—you can even mix-and-match the two.
macOS can easily mount Linux filesystems, and Linux can interface with macOS pretty well. Both operating systems offer a similar command line interface, and even have comparable capabilities when it comes to installable software.
So, the choice is yours: do you want to use Apple’s ecosystem to run your homelab or the open-source Linux platform? Or maybe there’s room in your homelab for both…
