PiKVM, JetKVM & KVM-over-IP

The "I need to BIOS-edit / re-flash a misbehaving server from another room" problem. Commercial IPMI/iDRAC/iLO solves it for enterprise gear; for everything else (mini-PCs, gaming PCs, headless workstations, Pis themselves) the KVM-over-IP category emerged from PiKVM and is mainstream by 2026. For headless management without a dedicated KVM (SSH, RustDesk) see SSH Bastion; for fleet-level OS provisioning see Pi Fleet Management.

PiKVM

The original; FOSS; runs on a Pi 4 (best) or Pi Zero 2 W with HDMI capture.

• ★ PiKVM v4 Plus (official) — pre-built device; Pi 4-based; full features (ATX power control, virtual media, Wake-on-LAN, hardware HDMI capture). Commercial product, ~$385. The polished pick.
• ★ PiKVM v4 Mini — smaller, cheaper version. ~$280.
• ★ PiKVM DIY (FOSS) — Pi 4 + HDMI-to-CSI bridge (USB or CSI capture) + USB OTG cable. Free software, ~$80 in parts. The "I want it to be free and open" path. Software is GPLv3.
• PiKVM v3 / v3 HAT — older HAT-based DIY kit. Still supported.

What you get:

• Web UI streaming the target's HDMI at 1080p60 with low latency.
• Virtual USB keyboard + mouse + mass storage (mount ISO and boot it remotely).
• BIOS-level access — change boot order, enter UEFI, run memtest.
• ATX power button / reset / Wake-on-LAN integration.
• Tailscale / WireGuard supported for remote access (set up yourself).

JetKVM

The 2024 newcomer; tiny, integrated, much cheaper than PiKVM hardware.

• ★ JetKVM — purpose-built KVM-over-IP device with HDMI in, USB out, Ethernet, Type-C power. ~$70. Polished web UI, low-latency stream, ATX add-on board for power button. Open hardware + open firmware (Apache 2.0), shipping at scale since late 2024. The "just buy one" pick in 2026 if you need only one or two.

JetKVM's main tradeoff: less flexible than PiKVM for unusual setups (multiple targets, custom integrations) but for "I want one box behind one PC" it's hard to beat on price/polish.

TinyPilot

Commercial, polished, US-based.

• TinyPilot Voyager 2a — pre-built, Pi-based, paid-only. ~$400. Great support; closed-source firmware (the underlying TinyPilot software is mostly open but the appliance ships closed).
• TinyPilot DIY — old open-source path; superseded by PiKVM for FOSS-purist DIY.

NanoKVM (Sipeed)

Niche, very small, RISC-V-based.

• NanoKVM — Sipeed's tiny KVM-over-IP based on a RISC-V SoC; ~$30. Newer, less polished firmware than PiKVM/JetKVM but cheap. Good for "one extra remote-access dongle" use cases. Open-source firmware.
• NanoKVM-PCIe — fits in a PCIe slot to power off the host's standby rail.

OpenIPC / DIY HDMI capture + USB HID

Roll-your-own paths; usually not worth it given JetKVM exists.

• HDMI USB capture (cheap CSI / MS2109 USB capture) + Pi Zero 2 W with USB OTG keyboard/mouse emulation + custom Python — possible but you'd be reinventing PiKVM.
• Comet (community) — alternative FOSS KVM-over-IP firmware; less mature.

Enterprise IPMI / BMC alternatives (context)

• Dell iDRAC / HPE iLO / Supermicro IPMI — built into server motherboards. Free for basic; license keys for virtual media features. Not relevant for desktop / mini-PC use.
• OpenBMC — Linux Foundation BMC firmware project; runs on some server motherboards.
• Glasgow / SOL over USB — niche, for embedded debugging not full KVM.

Common gotchas

• HDMI HDCP — HDCP-protected sources (Mac with iCloud video, Netflix) won't capture. KVMs are for un-protected signals (BIOS, OS boot, server consoles); plain desktops with HDCP off are usually fine.
• USB power off → KVM goes dark — choose a KVM with separate power input (JetKVM has Type-C; PiKVM v4 has its own PSU).
• Wake-on-LAN reliability — get the target BIOS / OS WoL settings right first; the KVM's WoL just sends the magic packet.
• Network exposure — never expose a KVM's web UI directly to the internet. Always behind Tailscale, WireGuard, or an SSH tunnel. See VPN Mesh.

License / pricing

• PiKVM software: GPLv3, free.
• PiKVM v4 hardware: ~$280-$385 commercial.
• JetKVM: ~$70 hardware; open firmware (Apache 2.0).
• TinyPilot Voyager: ~$400 commercial; software mixed (some open, appliance closed).
• NanoKVM: ~$30 hardware; open firmware.

Pick this if…

• Default 2026 buy, just works: JetKVM (~$70).
• DIY / FOSS / can-customize: PiKVM DIY on Pi 4.
• Polished commercial pre-built: PiKVM v4 Plus or TinyPilot Voyager.
• Cheapest possible: NanoKVM ~$30.
• You have an enterprise server: the motherboard's IPMI is already there.
• You don't need BIOS access, just remote desktop: SSH / RustDesk / Anydesk — see SSH Bastion.