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FoldingAtHome

FoldingAtHome is a container for the Folding@home client, the distributed computing project run by Stanford University that pools thousands of computers to…

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FoldingAtHome is a container for the Folding@home client, the distributed computing project run by Stanford University that pools thousands of computers to simulate how proteins fold. It uses your machine's spare CPU cycles to advance research into Alzheimer's, Huntington's, Parkinson's, and many cancers. It suits homelab servers and workstations with idle compute that their owners want to put to scientific use, but note the client keeps the CPU busy and draws power while it runs.

Platform availability

Available on 3 of 9 platforms

  • Unraid
  • TrueNAS (not listed)
  • Umbrel (not listed)
  • ZimaOS
  • Proxmox
  • Helm (not listed)
  • Mac (not listed)
  • Windows (not listed)
  • Linux (not listed)

Health score?A 0-100 score computed nightly from four factors: maintained (40%: recent commits and steady activity), popular (25%: GitHub stars, log scale), easy to install (20%: platforms, install notes, setup guides, Docker image) and light to run (15%: minimum RAM, ARM support). When the source code has been checked, a fifth factor, security check (20%: automated scan for committed secrets, unsafe desktop-app settings, known-vulnerable dependencies and project hygiene; any serious finding caps it at 20), is added. Factors without data are left out and the rest are rescaled.

52/100 Fair

Maintained
74last commit 62 days ago
Popular
3877 GitHub stars
Easy to install
553 install platforms, install notes, Docker image
Light to run
1032 GB minimum RAM

Availability: platform listings confirmed today, links checked 11 days ago

GitHub stars
77
Open issues
6
Last commit
2026-08-12
Latest release
v21.11.0
License
CC0-1.0
Activity
stale

Checked 2 days ago - source: GitHub (FoldingAtHome/containers)

Resources & Compatibility

Minimum requirements: 32 GB RAM, 10240 GB disk. ARM (e.g. Raspberry Pi) is not supported.

Checked 14 days ago - source: Docker Hub image tags and published docs

First-install notes

  • Configure team and name Edit the config.xml file in the app's data folder to set your preferences, such as your username and team. On Unraid this file lives at /mnt/user/appdata/FoldingAtHome. source
  • Allow WebUI access To reach the client's web interface from your network, edit the same config.xml in the FaH appdata folder to allow your specific subnet. source

Fetched 7 days ago - each note links to its source

Alternatives (3)

  • MIT OpenCourseWare - Since 2001, MIT OpenCourseWare has been creating new opportunities for millions of learners and educators, sharing Open Educational Resourc…
  • Microsoft Learn - Build skills that open doors.
  • Udemy - This online learning platform offers over 250,000 courses in subjects like programming, data science, and design.

Checked yesterday - source: AlternativeTo

Common questions

Where do I set the Folding@home team, username, and web interface access?

Edit config.xml in the app's data folder to set your username and team. Edit the same file to allow your specific subnet for the client's web interface. On Unraid, the file is in /mnt/user/appdata/FoldingAtHome.

Where can I sanity-check my Folding@home setup or troubleshoot a hardware-specific problem?

The project's forum and Discord are where most donors go for hardware-specific issues or a configuration sanity check. Both are linked from the support page.

What should I look for if the GPU client stops working or misbehaves?

Many GPU problems revolve around specific driver versions. Reports from other donors on the forum can help, though NVidia has its own support structure.

Can a home server put idle compute toward Folding@home?

Running protein-folding simulations at home uses spare compute and means one fewer job for larger compute systems to handle.

Answers sourced from ca.unraid.net, foldingathome.org, forum.foldingathome.org, www.reddit.com

Community

Collected 9 days ago - public community threads