The Raspberry Pi Zero 2W costs around $15, runs Linux, and has enough headroom to host two or three serious services without breaking a sweat. The trick is picking the right software. We tested eight of the best apps for Raspberry Pi projects across Pi 4, Pi 5, and the Zero 2W to find the ones that consistently deliver fun-per-dollar without requiring a deep Linux background.
What to look for in a Raspberry Pi app
- ARM64 native support. The Pi 4, Pi 5, and Zero 2W all run 64-bit ARM. Apps with proper aarch64 builds run faster and use less power than x86-emulated ones.
- Headless first. Most Pis live on a shelf without a monitor. Apps that ship a web UI for everything beat apps that need a connected display.
- Low idle CPU. The Pi 4 and Zero 2W idle below a watt with most software, but a single bad service can push that into the double digits and heat the board.
- Backup and restore story. SD cards fail. A clean export/import path matters more on a Pi than on a NAS.
- Active community. Pi-tuned guides, Docker compose recipes, and community blocklists save hours of fiddling.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Runs well on | Free plan | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OctoPrint | 3D printer remote monitoring | Pi 4, Pi Zero 2W | Yes, full | Plugin ecosystem, webcam streaming |
| Pi-hole | Network-wide ad blocking | Pi Zero 2W and up | Yes, full | Classic, mature, friendly UI |
| Home Assistant | Whole-home automation | Pi 4 (recommended), Pi 5 | Yes, full | Local-first smart home brain |
| Jellyfin | Self-hosted media streaming | Pi 4, Pi 5 (transcoding) | Yes, full | Free Plex alternative |
| Nextcloud | Personal cloud and file sync | Pi 4, Pi 5 | Yes (community) | Files, photos, calendar in one |
| Tailscale | Secure access back to the Pi | Any Pi | Yes (up to 100 devices) | Zero-config WireGuard mesh |
| Pi-Apps | One-tap installer for everything else | Any Pi running Pi OS | Yes, full | Curated app store on top of apt |
| Klipper | High-speed 3D printer firmware | Pi 4, Pi Zero 2W | Yes, full | Resonance compensation, pressure advance |
The 8 best apps for Raspberry Pi projects
1. OctoPrint — best for 3D printer remote monitoring
OctoPrint turns a Pi into the brain of a 3D printer. Plug the Pi into the printer’s USB, attach a small webcam, and you get a browser-based UI to slice, queue, monitor, and time-lapse prints from any device on the network. The plugin ecosystem is rich enough that you can layer in print failure detection, filament tracking, MQTT integration, and Discord notifications. The Pi Zero 2W just barely handles it; the Pi 4 is the sweet spot.
Where it falls short: Streaming a high-resolution webcam through OctoPrint’s bundled software can choke a Zero 2W during slicing. Use a separate camera service like camera-streamer for anything beyond 640x480.
Pricing:
- Free: Fully free, open-source
- Paid: None
Platforms: Linux ARM (Pi OS, OctoPi image)
Download: OctoPrint.org
Bottom line: Pick OctoPrint if you own a printer that does not already include WiFi monitoring. Skip it if your printer has Klipper or proprietary cloud monitoring you trust.
2. Pi-hole — best for network-wide ad blocking
Pi-hole is the iconic Pi project: install it on a Zero 2W, point your router’s DNS at it, and every device on the home network stops loading ads and trackers without browser extensions. The web UI lets non-Linux family members see exactly what is blocked and unblock the occasional false positive in a click. Runs comfortably in under 100 MB of RAM, which is well within Zero 2W headroom.
Where it falls short: Aggressive blocklists break some smart home devices. Default lists are conservative on purpose.
Pricing:
- Free: Fully free, open-source
- Paid: None
Platforms: Linux ARM (Pi OS, Ubuntu, Docker)
Download: Pi-hole.net
Bottom line: Pick Pi-hole if you want one network-level fix for ads across every device. Skip it if your home is fine with browser-level blockers.
3. Home Assistant — best for whole-home automation
Home Assistant is the local-first smart home platform that knits Zigbee, Z-Wave, Matter, Wi-Fi, and proprietary cloud devices into a single dashboard with the automation engine to back it. On a Pi 4 it runs comfortably for a typical home of 50-100 entities. The Pi 5 handles 500+ entities with energy management, voice control via Whisper/Piper, and AI-powered automation suggestions.
Where it falls short: The Pi Zero 2W is not enough for Home Assistant Operating System. Use Home Assistant Container on the Zero 2W and only for very small setups, or step up to a Pi 4 minimum.
Pricing:
- Free: Fully free, open-source
- Paid: Optional cloud add-on (around $7/month) for remote access without a tunnel
Platforms: Linux ARM (Home Assistant OS, Pi OS, Ubuntu)
Download: Home-Assistant.io
Bottom line: Pick Home Assistant if you have more than five smart devices and care about local control. Skip it if you have one smart speaker and three bulbs.
4. Jellyfin — best for self-hosted media streaming
Jellyfin is the open-source media server that lets you stream a personal movie, TV, and music library to any device without a Plex account or subscription. A Pi 5 with hardware-accelerated video decoding handles 1080p direct-stream comfortably and one transcoded 1080p stream simultaneously. Pi 4 is fine for direct-stream only.
Where it falls short: Transcoding 4K content is a Pi 5 stretch and impossible on Pi 4. Library scanning on slow SD cards is painful; use an attached USB SSD for the database.
Pricing:
- Free: Fully free, open-source
- Paid: None
Platforms: Linux ARM, Docker, Windows, macOS (server side)
Download: Jellyfin.org
Bottom line: Pick Jellyfin if you want to self-host media without subscribing to anyone. Skip it for 4K transcoding workloads.
5. Nextcloud — best for personal cloud and file sync
Nextcloud replaces Google Drive, Photos, Calendar, and Contacts with software running on a Pi 4 or Pi 5. Files sync to and from any client (desktop, Android, iOS), photos back up automatically, and the Talk module gives a self-hosted chat layer. On Pi 4 with an external SSD it serves a small family comfortably; on Pi 5 it scales further.
Where it falls short: Running Nextcloud on an SD card is asking for trouble. Use a USB SSD or external storage for both the database and the data. The first install requires more Linux comfort than Pi-hole or Home Assistant.
Pricing:
- Free: Community edition, all features
- Paid: Enterprise support contracts (not relevant for home)
Platforms: Linux ARM (Snap, Docker, NextcloudPi image)
Download: Nextcloud.com
Bottom line: Pick Nextcloud if Google Drive’s cost or data policy bothers you. Skip it if you do not have an SSD to attach.
6. Tailscale — best for secure access back to the Pi
Tailscale is the easiest way to reach your home Pi from anywhere without port forwarding, dynamic DNS, or a public IP. Install it once on the Pi and once on your phone, sign into both with the same account, and you can hit http://pi.tailnet.ts.net from a coffee shop with the same security as if you were on the home LAN. It uses WireGuard underneath.
Where it falls short: Free tier caps at 100 devices on a single tailnet, which is plenty for a household but not for a small business.
Pricing:
- Free: Up to 100 devices, three users
- Paid: Around $5/month per user for unlimited devices
Platforms: Linux ARM, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
Download: Tailscale.com
Bottom line: Pick Tailscale to skip the port-forwarding pain. Skip it only if you are committed to bare WireGuard or OpenVPN.
7. Pi-Apps — best for one-tap installer for everything else
Pi-Apps is a Pi-specific app store that sits on top of apt and curates the install scripts for hundreds of common Pi projects. Want Stable Diffusion on a Pi 5? Two clicks. Lutris for Steam compatibility? Two clicks. Chromium with hardware acceleration on Pi OS Bookworm? Two clicks. It saves hours of digging through outdated Reddit threads.
Where it falls short: Quality varies per recipe because the community maintains them. Some apps are abandoned upstream and the install fails silently.
Pricing:
- Free: Fully free, open-source
- Paid: None
Platforms: Pi OS, Ubuntu on Pi
Download: Pi-Apps.io
Bottom line: Pick Pi-Apps as a discovery tool for what else you can put on a Pi. Skip it if you only run one or two services and the apt-get installer works.
8. Klipper — best for high-speed 3D printer firmware
Klipper moves the heavy math of 3D-printer motion planning off the printer’s tiny microcontroller and onto a Pi. The result is faster, smoother prints, support for input shaping (resonance compensation), and pressure advance tuning that produces noticeably better surface finish. Most newer printers ship Klipper-ready firmware.
Where it falls short: Initial setup requires editing a config file with printer-specific kinematics. Not a click-through install.
Pricing:
- Free: Fully free, open-source
- Paid: None
Platforms: Linux ARM (Pi 4, Pi Zero 2W via MainsailOS or FluiddPi image)
Download: Klipper3D.org
Bottom line: Pick Klipper if you have a 3D printer and want better prints with no hardware upgrade. Skip it if the printer is already fast enough for you.
How to pick the right one
- If you have a 3D printer: OctoPrint for monitoring, Klipper for firmware upgrades
- If you want network-level privacy: Pi-hole
- If you have more than a handful of smart devices: Home Assistant
- If you want to ditch Plex: Jellyfin
- If you want to ditch Google Drive: Nextcloud
- If you want to reach the Pi from anywhere: Tailscale
- If you do not know what else to install: Pi-Apps for discovery
For a single Pi Zero 2W, the strongest one-board combination is Pi-hole + Tailscale: useful, low-resource, and reachable from anywhere. For a Pi 4 or 5, add Home Assistant and Jellyfin for the full home-server build.
FAQ
What can I do with a Raspberry Pi Zero 2W? Plenty for $15: Pi-hole ad blocking, Klipper for a 3D printer, a Tailscale exit node, a small Home Assistant install (Container, not OS), or a magic mirror. The Zero 2W is best as a single-service device.
Is the Pi 5 worth the extra money over the Pi 4? For media streaming, Home Assistant with voice, or a full Nextcloud setup, yes. For Pi-hole, Tailscale, or OctoPrint, the Pi 4 is more than enough and the Zero 2W is fine.
Do I need a fan on my Raspberry Pi? The Pi 5 wants active cooling under load. The Pi 4 benefits from a passive heatsink. The Zero 2W runs cool enough for indoor use without either.
Can I run multiple apps on one Pi? Yes. Use Docker Compose to keep them isolated. Pi-hole + Tailscale + Home Assistant fits comfortably on a Pi 4 with 4 GB of RAM.
What is the easiest way to back up a Raspberry Pi?
Image the SD card with dd or Raspberry Pi Imager once you have a working setup, then use rsync or Restic to back up data directories on a schedule. SD cards die, and a fresh image saves a day of reinstalls.
