Nodl Review: Seven Years of Bitcoin Node Hardware, From One to Onyx

Since 2018, Nodl has been building plug-and-play Bitcoin nodes for people who want sovereignty without soldering. That's longer than any competitor in the space. The company just announced its fifth generation hardware, the Nodl Onyx, which ships Summer 2026 at €1,499. But is premium hardware worth it when you can run a node on a Raspberry Pi for under $200?

The answer depends on what you're actually trying to accomplish.

What Nodl Does (and Why It Matters)

Running your own Bitcoin node means verifying every transaction yourself rather than trusting someone else's server. It's the difference between checking your bank balance and actually counting the cash in the vault. For privacy-conscious users, it also means your wallet queries stay on your own hardware instead of broadcasting your addresses to third parties.

Nodl packages this capability into a box that requires exactly two things: a power outlet and an Ethernet cable. Setup takes about five minutes. The software runs 24/7 on low power consumption, syncing the blockchain and serving as your personal Bitcoin infrastructure.

More than 1,300 companies and individuals use Nodl devices daily, according to the company. That's a modest but established user base for specialized hardware.

The Current Lineup: One, Dojo, and Two

Nodl's existing products run on RockPi4 architecture with hexa-core RK3399 processors and 4GB RAM. These aren't desktop-class specs, but they're sufficient for running a Bitcoin node with room for supporting services.

Nodl One Mark 2 (€599)

The entry point. You get a 1TB Samsung SSD, Bitcoin Core, Lightning (LND), BTCPay Server for accepting payments, and Electrum Rust Server for wallet connectivity. Full Tor support comes standard. It's the stripped-down option for users who want the basics done well.

Nodl Dojo Mark 2 (€649-€849)

The privacy-focused model adds RAID configuration with two 1TB SSDs, full disk encryption, and a physical killswitch. The Dojo name comes from its deep integration with Samourai Wallet's backend software, including Whirlpool coinjoin for transaction privacy. If you're running Samourai Wallet seriously, this is what it's designed to connect to.

Nodl Two

Similar architecture to the Dojo, positioned as a middle option. Pricing falls between One and Dojo depending on configuration.

All models ship with open-source software under MIT License. You can audit everything running on your hardware.

The New Flagship: Nodl Onyx

Announced November 7, 2025, the Onyx represents a significant departure. The hardware specs jump to 12 ARM cores, 32GB RAM, and 4TB of redundant NVMe storage. Nodl claims it's 30 times faster than previous generation devices.

But the more interesting change is philosophical. The Onyx performs its Initial Block Download (the first sync of Bitcoin's entire transaction history) from scratch rather than shipping with a pre-synced blockchain. This eliminates a trust assumption that exists in many plug-and-play solutions: you're not trusting that someone else verified the chain correctly before shipping your device.

The software architecture has been rewritten to separate the user interface from backend node functions. This modular approach means Nodl can push UI updates without touching the critical code running your actual node, reducing the risk that a cosmetic update breaks something important.

Founders Edition pre-orders opened November 7, 2025 at €1,499, with shipping expected Summer 2026.

The Tradeoffs Worth Considering

Nodl's premium pricing is the obvious counterargument. A Raspberry Pi 4 with an SSD runs Bitcoin Core just fine for under $200 if you're willing to configure it yourself. Projects like Umbrel and RaspiBlitz provide the software layer for free.

The case for Nodl comes down to three things: time, support, and hardware quality. Building a DIY node takes hours of setup and debugging. When something breaks at 2am, you're on your own in forum threads. And consumer-grade components in a 24/7 application tend to fail faster than purpose-built hardware with RAID redundancy.

There's also the question of whether you need this at all. If you're holding Bitcoin long-term and making occasional transactions, a mobile wallet connecting to a trusted node might be perfectly adequate. Running your own infrastructure makes the most sense for regular users, merchants accepting Bitcoin payments, or anyone with serious privacy requirements.

The Competitive Landscape

Nodl isn't alone in plug-and-play nodes. Umbrel Home, Start9, and others offer similar convenience at various price points. Nodl's longevity (seven years in a space where companies come and go quickly) and its focus on privacy tooling (Samourai integration, Whirlpool) differentiate it, but competitors have their own strengths.

The Onyx's emphasis on trustless verification and modular architecture suggests Nodl is betting that serious users will pay premium prices for infrastructure that doesn't cut corners. Whether that bet pays off depends on how many Bitcoin users actually want sovereignty badly enough to spend €1,499 on it.

Making a Decision

If you're new to running nodes and want to test the waters, the Nodl One at €599 offers a reasonable entry point with genuine hardware quality. The Dojo makes sense specifically for Samourai Wallet users who want the full privacy stack.

The Onyx is for users who've already decided that running their own Bitcoin infrastructure is non-negotiable and want hardware that won't need replacing for years. At €1,499, it's an investment in sovereignty, not a casual purchase.

Nodl operates its own infrastructure without relying on Google, Amazon, or other major cloud providers, which matters if you're trying to reduce dependency on Big Tech. The company has survived five hardware generations in a niche market. That's not a guarantee of future success, but it's more track record than most Bitcoin hardware companies can claim.

For users who understand what they're buying and why, Nodl remains a legitimate option in plug-and-play Bitcoin nodes. Just make sure you actually need what it offers before spending the money.