Print Host Hardware

The "what runs Mainsail / Fluidd / OctoPrint?" question. In 2026 the choice is between Raspberry Pi (or a Pi-clone), a vendor-branded "pad" (Sonic Pad, BIQU Pi-clone), or repurposed mini-PC. See Klipper / Printer UIs for the software side and Print Farm Management for multi-host setups.

Single-board computers

• ★ Raspberry Pi 4 / 5 — the canonical Klipper / OctoPrint host. Pi 5 has surplus headroom; Pi 4 (2GB+) is still plenty. Only complaint: official supply has been better in 2025 but still pricier than the clones.
• ★ BIQU CB1 — Pi-form-factor SBC ($25–$35); pairs with BIQU Pi v1.2 carrier board. Linux runs Klipper just fine. The hobby-budget pick.
• Orange Pi 3B / Zero 3 / 5B — Allwinner / Rockchip SBCs; supported by MainsailOS and Armbian. Cheaper than Pi, ecosystem rougher.
• Radxa Zero / Rock Pi — small ARM SBCs; supported but less popular for Klipper.
• Banana Pi BPI-M5 / M2 Pro — niche, works.
• Libre Le Potato (AML-S905X-CC) — older Pi-class SBC; works but largely superseded.

Vendor-branded "pads" (touchscreen + Klipper host)

• ★ Creality Sonic Pad — closed-source Klipper pre-install + 7" touchscreen. Most owners ditch the stock UI and install vanilla Mainsail/Fluidd via SSH.
• BIQU MicroPad / BIQU Hermit Crab Tablet — ARM-based touchscreen pads; ship with KlipperScreen.
• Elegoo Centauri Pad — vendor pad bundled with newer Elegoo printers.
• Anycubic Kobra Touch Screen / Kobra 3 Module — vendor-specific; less open.
• Tronxy / Mingda / Voxelab pads — exist; vary widely in quality, generally locked.

Mini-PC / x86 hosts

• ★ Beelink S12 / EQ12 / GMKtec — fanless mini-PCs; overkill for one printer but ideal for a 4–10 printer farm running multiple Klipper instances. Run Linux, install KIAUH for each printer.
• Intel NUC — same idea, EOL'd by Intel but still common.
• Repurposed thin client (HP T620, Dell Wyse) — under-$50 used; surprisingly capable.
• Old laptop with Linux — perfectly fine, especially for OctoPrint.

Klipper-on-printer-board hosts (no separate SBC)

• BTT Pi 2 / Pi-class CM4 carriers — host SBC integrated on the printer mainboard.
• Sovol SV08 / Bambu X1C / Prusa MK4 — printers that ship with their own integrated host (varies in openness; X1Plus / OpenBambu jailbreak Bambu's; Sovol's is mostly open).
• MKS THR Pad / MKS PI — Makerbase host boards; budget, viable.

Pre-baked OS images

• ★ MainsailOS — Debian-based image with Mainsail + Klipper + Moonraker + Crowsnest. The default flash for Pi / CB1.
• ★ FluiddPi — Debian-based with Fluidd; same idea as MainsailOS, different UI.
• OctoPi — Debian-based with OctoPrint pre-installed. The OctoPrint default.
• RatOS — Debian-based, opinionated, RatRig-tuned but works on any Klipper printer; ships with sensible defaults and a setup wizard.
• MKS PI image — vendor-baked image for MKS PI hardware.

Setup helpers / installers

• ★ KIAUH (Klipper Installation And Update Helper) — open source; bash menu installer. Adds Klipper, Moonraker, Mainsail, Fluidd, Crowsnest to a fresh Debian/Ubuntu host. Multi-instance for farms.
• MoonrakerObicoInstaller / OctoEverywhere installer — vendor-provided one-liners for tunnel agents.
• Crowsnest installer — bundled in MainsailOS / FluiddPi but available standalone.

Networking / connectivity hardware

• GL.iNet travel routers / TP-Link Wi-Fi-only adapters — for printers in the garage / shed where Wi-Fi is weak.
• PoE HAT (Pi 4 / Pi 5) — single-cable power + network; clean for permanent installs.
• USB-Ethernet dongle — common for 2.4 GHz-only environments where you want wired.

Storage / SD reliability

• Industrial SD cards (Sandisk High Endurance, Samsung Pro Endurance) — extend SD life for Klipper logs / G-code uploads.
• Pi 4/5 SSD adapters (USB-SATA, M.2 HAT) — boot from SSD, kill SD-card-corruption woes. Strongly recommended for long-running farms.
• NVMe HAT for Pi 5 — official and third-party; fastest, cleanest.

Pick this if…

• Default new Klipper host, easy: Raspberry Pi 4 (2GB+) + MainsailOS.
• Default budget host: BIQU CB1 + BIQU Pi v1.2 board + MainsailOS.
• Multi-printer farm host: Beelink mini-PC running multiple Klipper instances via KIAUH.
• Want a touchscreen out of the box, OK with closed firmware: Creality Sonic Pad (then SSH in and install vanilla Mainsail).
• OctoPrint user: Pi 4 + OctoPi.
• Tired of SD-card corruption: boot from SSD or NVMe.