ArduMaker vs CapRover
A lightweight PaaS for yourself or a managed panel for a team?
Verdict
9–7 
ArduMaker wins
Criteria won: ArduMaker 4, CapRover 2. Tied on 5.
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 | CapRover | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type of service | VPS with panel and MCP | Open source PaaS on Docker Swarm | Depends |
| Starting price | From €5.00/month, flat | Free; optional Pro, unlisted price | Depends |
| Root and SSH | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| Server included | Yes | No | ArduMaker |
| Deploy from Git | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| Docker and one-click apps (n8n) | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| Databases | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| Automatic SSL | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| Backups | Yes | Partial · Config only, experimental | ArduMaker |
| Teams and permissions | Yes | No | ArduMaker |
| MCP and AI management | Yes | Not verified · No known official MCP | Depends |
| Panel maintenance | Yes | Manual · CapRover, Docker and OS are yours | ArduMaker |
| Open source | No | Yes | CapRover |
| Start for free | Partial · Free tools, paid VPS | Yes | CapRover |
CapRover is a free, open source PaaS you install on your server and drive by CLI, webhook or one-click apps. ArduMaker adds teams with roles, full backups and MCP.
Quick summary
ArduMaker
- Who it is for: Teams and agencies that need several people with permissions, whole-server backups and an agent that runs the infrastructure.
- Biggest strength: Companies with per-project roles, a weekly full VPS backup and MCP over OAuth, with nothing to install or maintain.
CapRover
- Who it is for: Developers who want a free, lightweight, proven PaaS on their own 1 GB RAM server.
- Biggest strength: Low requirements, one-command CLI deploys and Docker Swarm clustering when you need to grow.
The main difference: CapRover is a free PaaS you set up and look after on your server; ArduMaker is the server with the panel already managed, built for teams and agents too.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-17
Key differences
A lightweight PaaS you set up
CapRover installs with Docker on Ubuntu (tested on 24.04 with Docker 25+), and its docs give 1 GB of RAM as a starting point because builds use memory. You first point a wildcard DNS record at the server. ArduMaker hands you the VPS with the panel running and a free subdomain.
Teams and permissions
CapRover doesn't document multiple users or roles, and its own comparison recommends Dokploy or Coolify when you need them. ArduMaker organizes work in companies with admins and members, per-project roles and lists of who can see each VPS.
What a backup restores
CapRover's backup is marked experimental: it restores configuration, but apps come back as placeholders you redeploy, and volumes are handled separately. ArduMaker takes a live full VPS backup every week, keeps the last 4 and lets you download it.
AI agents
CapRover doesn't publish an official MCP server. ArduMaker includes a remote MCP server with OAuth and human approval to run VPSs, deploys, databases, domains, email and WordPress.
Pricing and costs
CapRover is free: you pay a provider for the server, and per its docs 1 GB of RAM is usually enough to start. CapRover Pro is optional and adds 2FA, login alerts and build notifications; we couldn't find its published price. Add storage for your own database and volume backups, and the time to keep the OS updated. ArduMaker charges a fixed plan with the VPS, the panel and the weekly backup.
| Item | ArduMaker | CapRover |
|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | VPS with panel from €5.00/month | Free software |
| Server | Included | Separate, at least 1 GB of RAM recommended |
| Extra panel security | Sign-in with your ArduMaker account | 2FA and alerts with paid CapRover Pro |
| Data backups | Weekly full VPS backup included | You set them up, with your own storage |
Assumptions: CapRover details checked on October 17, 2026 at caprover.com and pro.caprover.com. Server cost, which depends on the provider, and taxes are not included. ArduMaker: list price of the entry plan.
Real-world scenarios
Deploying from the terminal
On ArduMaker: You link the GitHub repo and every push deploys; you can also deploy a specific commit or roll back to an earlier one from the panel.
On CapRover: You add a captain-definition to the repo and run caprover deploy; the CLI uploads the code and streams the build.
n8n with its database
On ArduMaker: One-click n8n with workers, PostgreSQL and Redis.
On CapRover: The official n8n template starts a companion PostgreSQL and connects n8n to it over the internal network.
WordPress site for a client
On ArduMaker: Native WordPress with PHP-FPM and MySQL, staging, backups and email on the client's domain.
On CapRover: One-click WordPress app with MySQL; updates happen in the WordPress admin and email goes through another service.
Three-person team on the same server
On ArduMaker: Each person signs in with their own account and role in the company and each project.
On CapRover: No separate users documented: panel access is shared or handled outside CapRover.
When CapRover is the better fit
- You want a free, open source PaaS that runs on a small server.
- You like deploying with one CLI command from your repo.
- You need a multi-node Docker Swarm cluster.
- You want to edit each app's nginx template.
- You already manage your servers and don't mind updating the OS.
When ArduMaker is the better fit
- You work as a team and each person needs their own account and role.
- You want a full server backup you can download.
- You want an AI agent to run the infrastructure over MCP with human approval.
- You need email on your domain and native WordPress with staging.
- You'd rather not source and maintain the server yourself.
How to migrate from CapRover to ArduMaker
CapRover apps are Docker services with a captain-definition, so they move with their repo or image, their variables and their persistent data.
- Note apps and persistent directories: For each app, write down the deploy method, the image or Dockerfile, variables, domains and persistent directories.
- Create the VPS: Pick an ArduMaker plan with headroom for builds, which CapRover ran on the same server.
- Dump the databases: Open each one-click database container and dump it with pg_dump, mysqldump or mongodump. Create PostgreSQL, MySQL or Redis from the ArduMaker panel and restore.
- Set up the deploy: Link the GitHub repo; if the captain-definition pointed at a Dockerfile, install it as a Docker app from the repo. Load the environment variables.
- Copy persistent data: Move the files in persistent directories, such as uploads or n8n data, over SSH to the app's data folder.
- Move DNS: Lower the TTL and switch each domain's records, including the wildcard if you used one, to the ArduMaker VPS; publish each domain to issue the certificate.
- Verify and keep an exit: Test the apps and their jobs. Keep the CapRover server running for a few days so you can roll back if something fails.
Frequently asked questions
Is CapRover free?
Yes, it is open source and free; you only pay for the server. CapRover Pro is an optional paid service that adds 2FA, login alerts and build notifications.
How much RAM does CapRover need?
Its docs suggest 1 GB of RAM, since builds use memory and 512 MB may not be enough, and propose a swap file if you run short. It is tested on Ubuntu 24.04 with Docker 25+ and needs ports 80, 443 and 3000.
Does CapRover support multiple users?
Its docs don't describe users or roles, and its official comparison recommends Dokploy or Coolify for multi-user workflows. On ArduMaker each person has their own account and role per company and project.
How does CapRover handle backups?
It has a backup and restore feature marked experimental that saves configuration; apps come back without their content and must be redeployed. You back up database and volume data yourself.
Does CapRover integrate with AI agents?
We didn't find an official CapRover MCP server, only community listings. ArduMaker includes a remote MCP server with OAuth and human approval.
Can I move my CapRover apps to ArduMaker without changing code?
Generally yes: Dockerfile apps install as Docker apps and Node or Python apps deploy from GitHub. What changes is the captain-definition, which isn't used, and the paths for persistent data.
Sources
CapRover 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.