> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.kombify.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# kombify and other homelab tools

> A map of the homelab landscape by what you want to do, and where kombify fits among the tools

Many good tools exist for running a homelab. This section helps you find the
one that fits what you want. It is information, not a ranking. Each detail page
says what the other tool does well and when it is the right choice today,
and it states the limits kombify has today.

## Pick by what you want

| You want | Tools to look at |
| - | - |
| An appliance that boots and has an app store | [Umbrel](https://umbrel.com), [CasaOS](https://casaos.io) and ZimaOS, [HexOS](https://hexos.com) |
| An operating system for storage | [TrueNAS](https://www.truenas.com), [Unraid](https://unraid.net), [Synology DSM](https://www.synology.com) |
| A hypervisor for virtual machines | [Proxmox VE](https://www.proxmox.com) |
| A manager for containers and Compose projects | [Portainer](https://www.portainer.io), [Dockge](https://github.com/louislam/dockge), [Komodo](https://komo.do) |
| A platform to deploy your own apps | [Coolify](https://coolify.io), [Dokploy](https://dokploy.com), [Runtipi](https://runtipi.io), [Cosmos](https://cosmos-cloud.io) |

These tools overlap in places, and many people run two or three of them
together.

## Where kombify sits

kombify defines the whole homelab in one declarative file. StackKits turns that
definition into a plan, applies it and verifies the result. Sign-in, an access
policy per service, routing, backup and updates are part of the definition and
are set up by default. Techstack operates the homelab, and kombify Cloud and
kombify AI are optional. The same definition describes a server at home and a
server in the cloud.

kombify is a layer beside and on top of the tools above. It does not replace a
hypervisor, a NAS operating system or an app platform.

## What kombify does today

* Sign-in with passkeys through Pocket ID, with no default passwords.
* An explicit access policy for each service.
* Restore into an isolated staging copy before you switch over.
* Updates that take a snapshot first.
* Plan, apply and verify from one definition.
* A local MCP server on every install, so your own AI agent can read and
  operate the homelab. See
  [Connect your own AI agent](https://docs.kombify.io/guides/stackkits/connect-your-ai-agent.md).

## Limits today

* kombify is before 1.0 and releases often.
* Compatibility is still being verified. See
  [OS compatibility](https://docs.kombify.io/stackkits/reference/os-compatibility.md).
* Installation needs a prepared Linux host and one command. There is no boot
  image yet.
* kombify does not manage disks or RAID.
* Bringing your own Compose project under the homelab's sign-in, routing and
  backup is not implemented.
* The catalog is curated and listed in the
  [use-case catalog](https://docs.kombify.io/stackkits/reference/use-case-catalog.md).
* Connected and Managed by kombify are in preview.

## Detail pages

* [Umbrel, CasaOS and ZimaOS](https://docs.kombify.io/start/compare/umbrel-casaos.md)
* [Runtipi](https://docs.kombify.io/start/compare/runtipi.md)
* [Proxmox VE with Komodo, Dockge or Portainer](https://docs.kombify.io/start/compare/proxmox-komodo.md)
* [Coolify](https://docs.kombify.io/start/compare/coolify.md)
* [TrueNAS, Unraid and Synology](https://docs.kombify.io/start/compare/nas-systems.md)

Last reviewed: 2026-11-10


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