ArduMaker vs 1Panel
Docker on your own server or a VPS that comes managed?
Verdict
11–8 
ArduMaker wins
Criteria won: ArduMaker 5, 1Panel 2. Tied on 6.
Only criteria that resolve to yes, partial or no are counted. Price has no single winner: it depends on each case.
Comparison table
| Criterion | ArduMaker | 1Panel | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type of service | VPS with panel and MCP | Open source Docker-first panel | Depends |
| Starting price | From €5.00/month, flat | Free; Pro from $80/year | Depends |
| Root and SSH | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| Server included | Yes | No | ArduMaker |
| Deploy from Git | Yes | Manual · Code via SSH or scripts | ArduMaker |
| Docker and one-click apps (n8n) | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| Databases | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| WordPress | Yes | Partial · One-click install | ArduMaker |
| Email on your domain | Yes | Not verified · Not verified | Depends |
| Automatic SSL | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| Backups | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| Teams and permissions | Yes | Depends on plan · Users and roles in Enterprise | ArduMaker |
| MCP and AI management | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| Panel maintenance | Yes | Manual · You maintain Docker and the OS | ArduMaker |
| Open source | No | Yes | 1Panel |
| Start for free | Partial · Free tools, paid VPS | Yes | 1Panel |
1Panel is an open source, Docker-centric panel with an app store and an official MCP server that you install on your VPS. ArduMaker includes the server and a maintained panel.
Quick summary
ArduMaker
- Who it is for: Teams who want the server, the panel and AI agent access handled by the platform, with per-person permissions.
- Biggest strength: Nothing to install or update, deploys on every GitHub push and remote MCP with OAuth and human approval.
1Panel
- Who it is for: People who already have a VPS and want a modern, free, container-based panel to install apps and sites.
- Biggest strength: Free and open source, with a broad Docker app store and an official MCP server for managing the panel.
The main difference: 1Panel is software you install and maintain on your server; ArduMaker gives you the server with the panel already running, and agents connect differently: an API token in 1Panel, OAuth with approval in ArduMaker.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-17
Key differences
Install the panel or get it ready-made
1Panel installs with a script on your VPS, and from there you manage containers, sites and databases. It's free, but the server, updates and security are yours. ArduMaker delivers the VPS with its panel running and the platform maintains it.
How an AI agent connects
1Panel publishes an official MCP server that runs on your machine or in Docker and uses an API access token for the panel: whoever holds the token has that access. ArduMaker offers a remote MCP server with OAuth, applies the permissions each person already has and asks for human approval on sensitive actions.
Containerized apps vs. native services
In 1Panel almost everything runs as a container from its store, which makes it easy to try many apps. ArduMaker combines Docker with Compose and native services: PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis and WordPress with PHP-FPM run on the system and are managed from the panel.
Continuous deployment
1Panel runtimes serve a code folder and restart from the panel. In ArduMaker you connect a GitHub repo and branch, and every push deploys with a domain and SSL.
Pricing and costs
1Panel OSS costs nothing; the Pro edition adds features such as a multi-node console and an advanced WAF for an annual subscription or a perpetual license. You always pay separately for the server and, if you use them, off-site backups. With ArduMaker the plan includes the VPS and the maintained panel; email on your domain is billed per mailbox.
| Item | ArduMaker | 1Panel |
|---|---|---|
| Panel | Included with the VPS from €5.00/month | OSS free |
| Pro features | No Pro edition: the plan includes the full panel | Pro $80/year or a one-time $200 (V2 updates) |
| Server | Included in the plan | Separate, from the provider of your choice |
| Maintenance | Handled by the platform | Your time |
Assumptions: Prices checked on October 17, 2026 on 1Panel's official pricing page, in US dollars, excluding taxes. Server not included.
Real-world scenarios
n8n for a small team
On ArduMaker: You install n8n from the catalog with workers, PostgreSQL and Redis wired up and publish it on your domain with SSL.
On 1Panel: You install it from the app store as a container and publish it through a reverse-proxy site; queue mode with workers is yours to configure.
Node.js API that updates on every push
On ArduMaker: You connect the GitHub repo and every push deploys; the process runs as a service and you see its logs in the panel.
On 1Panel: You create a Node.js runtime pointing at the code folder; to update, you pull changes over SSH or with a script and restart from the panel.
An agent that runs the server
On ArduMaker: You connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor over OAuth; the agent sees only what you see and sensitive actions wait for your approval.
On 1Panel: You install mcp-1panel, create an API token and configure it in the client; the token defines the scope.
Trying lots of self-hosted apps
On ArduMaker: You use Docker with Compose on the VPS for anything not in the catalog, with full root.
On 1Panel: This is its strength: the store has many apps ready to install as containers in one click.
When 1Panel is the better fit
- You already have a VPS and want a modern panel with no license fee.
- You want a broad store of containerized apps to try and self-host.
- You prefer an MCP server that runs on your own machine against your panel.
- You manage several servers and the Pro edition's multi-node console helps.
- You're comfortable updating the panel, Docker and the OS.
When ArduMaker is the better fit
- You don't want to install or maintain the panel or the server.
- You want automatic deploys from GitHub on every push.
- You need email on your domain, DNS and WordPress with staging in the same account.
- You want agents to connect over OAuth with per-person permissions and human approval.
- You prefer native PostgreSQL, MySQL and Redis alongside Docker.
How to migrate from 1Panel to ArduMaker
Since 1Panel mostly uses containers, migrating means moving each app's data and redeploying it on ArduMaker, from the catalog, with Compose or from GitHub.
- Inventory: List store apps, runtime sites, databases, data volumes and scheduled tasks.
- Lower the TTL: A few days ahead, lower the TTL on DNS records pointing at the 1Panel server.
- Create the VPS: Pick a plan sized for all the containers you run today; containers share memory.
- Databases: Export with mysqldump or pg_dump from the container and import into the VPS's native engine or an equivalent container.
- Apps: Anything in ArduMaker's catalog, such as n8n or WordPress, install from there and import its data. Everything else moves to Docker with Compose, copying the volumes.
- Your own code: Push the runtimes' code to GitHub and connect it to ArduMaker's deploys, with its environment variables.
- DNS, SSL and checks: Update the records or delegate the zone, publish the domains to issue certificates, test everything and keep the old server for a few days.
Frequently asked questions
Is 1Panel free?
The open source edition is free. The Pro edition costs $80 a year or $200 as a perpetual license for V2, with a 30-day trial, according to its pricing page. The server is always paid separately.
Does 1Panel have an MCP server?
Yes: the 1Panel team publishes mcp-1panel, which you install as a binary or container and connect to the panel's API with a token. 1Panel can also deploy other MCP servers in containers.
How is ArduMaker's MCP different?
ArduMaker's is remote and run by the platform: you connect over OAuth, the agent inherits your permissions and sensitive actions ask for human approval. There's no API token to store in the client.
Can I install 1Panel on an ArduMaker VPS?
It isn't recommended: 1Panel installs its own proxy and manages Docker, while an ArduMaker VPS already ships with its panel and nginx. With Docker enabled you could try it, but the usual choice is one or the other.
Does 1Panel include email?
We found no built-in mail server in the documentation we reviewed, so we don't count it as included. In ArduMaker email on your domain is built in, with webmail, IMAP/SMTP and guided DNS, billed per mailbox.
Sources
1Panel data checked on 2026-10-17 on its official pages. Prices change: confirm them before deciding. Logos belong to their owners and are shown only to identify each service.