What is Kamatera Cloud and how to set up a custom server
Published on 2026-10-26 by frfrand
Technical guide and practical examples: What is Kamatera Cloud and how to configure a custom server. Comparison with ArduMaker.
Sometimes a standard VPS setup ends up odd: you have CPU to spare, you lack memory, or you need a specific location. Kamatera appears as a configurable cloud alternative. But being able to choose pieces doesn't mean you automatically know which pieces you need.
A platform isn't chosen for its logo or for how easy the first demo looks. It's chosen thinking about what happens when you need to update it, recover data, or hand the project over to a client.
What is Kamatera and what is it really for?
Kamatera allows configuring cloud server resources with compute and deployment options by region and product. The freedom to size resources is useful when you measure load, but it demands more infrastructure decisions.
A concrete case, no smoke
An API that transforms videos with FFmpeg may need more CPU while processing than another API that only queries PostgreSQL. Choosing a machine with many resources without measuring load can end in a high bill without improving the user response.
How to get started step by step
- Measure CPU, RAM, disk, and traffic of the existing application.
- Configure an instance in the region that makes sense for users and data.
- Prepare the system, users, SSH, and access rules.
- Deploy the app with environment variables and supervised services.
- Repeat load tests and adjust resources only where there is evidence.
Test everything with a test user, from an external device. Don't just load the home screen: perform an operation that persists data, restart the process, and query it again. If it depends on emails or webhooks, simulate an external provider failure and check what happens.
The point that usually causes problems
Billing and licensing options should be reviewed in the current plan. Evaluate transfer costs, disks, backups, support, and the team's operational time.
It is also advisable to separate quick tasks from background jobs. A reservation API should not block the response because it is generating a PDF or sending an email; a worker can handle those operations with retries and logs.
How would you solve it in ArduMaker?
ArduMaker starts from VPSs with management tools included, so deploying code, services, and databases may require less external configuration. Kamatera may offer more options to adjust machines more granularly.
For example, for a FastAPI + PostgreSQL project, you could set up a VPS in ArduMaker, connect the Git repository, prepare the backend service, configure the database with restricted access, and associate a domain with SSL. If you also use Redis or n8n, you can integrate them into the architecture, always respecting the memory and CPU of the contracted plan.
The comparison that really matters
| Question | Kamatera | ArduMaker |
|---|---|---|
| What do you contract? | Kamatera allows configuring cloud server resources with computing and deployment options | VPS and integrated management tools |
| Who configures the app? | The team, with the product's facilities | The team, with Git deployment and VPS tools |
| Can you use PostgreSQL and workers? | Depending on the product and architecture | Yes, within the environment's resources and services |
| Do you need to review backups and security? | Yes, with different responsibilities | Yes, equally important |
What costs should you take into account?
Kamatera is interesting if you need to customize infrastructure resources; ArduMaker if you prioritize the developer workflow with server and panel together. To compare fairly, add not only the base price but the functions your application really needs: RAM, disk, persistent storage, backups, transfer, licenses, separate databases, and maintenance hours. Plans and prices change, so you should always review current conditions.
A rule that avoids surprises: if tomorrow you need to move your application, make sure you can export the database, your files, and the domain configuration. Git code does not automatically include data.
Mistakes I would avoid when starting
- Contracting too many resources blindly. Measure the load before scaling.
- Opening the database to the Internet. Use private networks or authenticated tunnels when appropriate.
- Confusing snapshot with validated backup. Restoration is tested, not assumed.
- Publishing without logs or a rollback plan. A green deployment can hide a broken API.
So, what do I go with?
Kamatera is interesting if you need to customize infrastructure resources; ArduMaker if you prioritize the developer workflow with server and panel together.
Instead of discussing brands for days, build the same small application in the chosen environment. If you can publish it, diagnose a failure, and recover it without turning every step into an odyssey, you found a reasonable option.
Sources: Official Kamatera Documentation · Comparison with ArduMaker · What is a VPS.
In one sentence: what matters is how much control you need and who takes care of keeping the application running. The rest are tools to achieve it.