Why *shouldn't* I use a container install

I think there are two main reasons to choose HAOS over container.

  1. Simpler upgrades for add-ons. Having HA prompt you to upgrade with one click is simpler than managing it yourself (although Watchtower can help). I still have MQTT and Node Red running outside of HA (because 5 years ago I thought HA might be unstable), but it’s just an extra pain and brings no benefit I can see.

  2. It’s the most common installation. If you post problems about HAOS, there’s more chance of help and/or somebody that’s had the same problem.

Possibly the biggest negative is HAOS “takes over” the whole machine, which is why I run it in a VM. Then I can choose to use HA add-ons or a docker container in another VM if I need extra flexibility (which I haven’t needed yet).

I wonder if the real question is “why would you install Container rather than HAOS?”.

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