Before you start
What you need
myUSBdrive runs on a Raspberry Pi with your own USB drive. Here is the short shopping list. If you already have a Pi, you are most of the way there.
Why is it free?
Before you start
myUSBdrive runs on a Raspberry Pi with your own USB drive. Here is the short shopping list. If you already have a Pi, you are most of the way there.
Why is it free?
Typical total: about £90
Raspberry Pi 4 with 2GB (£53) is the sweet spot. myUSBdrive peaks at about 520MB in use, so 4GB or 8GB costs a lot more and does nothing for you.
Raspberry Pi 5 with 2GB (£62) is the newer board and noticeably quicker, which shows most when a big library is being scanned. Either one streams films, music and photos comfortably. A Pi 3 still works, but can struggle with some video formats.
Use one you already have, or add your own if you need more storage. This is where your files live, and it does not need to be a special NAS drive. A mains-powered drive is recommended, especially with a Pi 3.
Board prices checked at The Pi Hut in August 2026; the Pi, power supply and official accessories are also available from raspberrypi.com's approved resellers and any electronics retailer. You buy the kit once, and there is nothing else to pay to use myUSBdrive at home.
Watch a real installation from start to finish, from writing the SD card to browsing your files, so you know exactly what to expect.
Watch the setup walkthroughFree forever at home.
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Follow the full walkthrough, with a screenshot for every step, from writing the SD card to signing in for the first time.