ArduMaker vs Cloudron

Verdict

11–6

ArduMaker wins

Criteria won: ArduMaker 6, Cloudron 1. 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

Quick summary

ArduMaker

• Who it is for: People who deploy their own code, databases and automations and don't want to rent or prepare a separate server.
• Biggest strength: Every push to GitHub deploys, PostgreSQL, MySQL and Redis are your own databases with a manager in the panel, and an agent can run everything over MCP with human approval.

Cloudron

• Who it is for: Teams and individuals who want to self-host ready-made apps (files, chat, wikis, email) with as little sysadmin work as possible.
• Biggest strength: A broad one-click app catalog with single sign-on, a built-in mail server and automatic updates with a backup taken first.

The main difference: Cloudron turns a server you rent into a platform for packaged apps; ArduMaker is the server and the panel together, built for deploying your own code as well as apps.

Key differences

Packaged apps vs your own code

Cloudron shines at installing apps that are already in its catalog. A custom app has to be packaged: a Dockerfile on its base image, a CloudronManifest.json and the code in a read-only folder, then installed with the CLI. On ArduMaker you link a GitHub repo and branch, and every push deploys.

Internal databases vs databases you own

On Cloudron, MySQL, PostgreSQL or Redis are addons the platform hands to each app, and its docs say they are reachable only from inside the server, for example through an SSH tunnel. On ArduMaker, PostgreSQL, MySQL or MariaDB and Redis are native VPS databases with a manager in the panel.

Who provides and looks after the server

Cloudron needs a clean Ubuntu x64 machine with at least 2 GB of RAM and 20 GB of ext4 disk, and it does not support ARM, LXC, Docker or OpenVZ. It also advises against installing extra software on the base system. On ArduMaker the VPS is included, with root, and you decide what to install.

Email and AI agents

Both handle email on your domain: Cloudron ships a full mail server that can publish MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC through a DNS API, and ArduMaker offers mailboxes, webmail and IMAP/SMTP with guided DNS. For AI agents, Cloudron has no official MCP, while ArduMaker includes a remote MCP server with OAuth and human approval.

Pricing and costs

Cloudron charges a subscription per instance: Free at no cost for up to 2 apps, Pro with unlimited apps at €15/month billed yearly or €30 month to month, and Max at €25/month yearly or €50 monthly. On top of that you pay for the server, rented from another provider with at least 2 GB of RAM and 20 GB of disk, and for backup storage if you pick S3 or another paid destination. Updates are automatic, but keeping an eye on the server is still your job. On ArduMaker you pay a fixed plan that already includes the VPS, the panel and the weekly backup.

Assumptions: Cloudron prices checked on October 17, 2026 on cloudron.io/pricing via search results, in euros and excluding VAT; confirm them on its site before you buy. Server and backup storage costs are not included, as they depend on the provider. ArduMaker: list price of the entry plan.

Real-world scenarios

Nextcloud, chat and a wiki for a small team

On ArduMaker: You deploy each tool as a Docker app with its Compose file and publish it with a domain and SSL; each app handles its own login.

On Cloudron: You install each app from the catalog in one click; they all share Cloudron's single sign-on and update themselves.

Your own Node API with PostgreSQL

On ArduMaker: You link the GitHub repo, create the PostgreSQL database in the panel and every push deploys the API with a domain and SSL.

On Cloudron: You write a Dockerfile on Cloudron's base image and a manifest requesting the PostgreSQL addon, and build and install each release with the CLI.

n8n for business automations

On ArduMaker: You install n8n in one click with workers, PostgreSQL and Redis on the plan's VPS.

On Cloudron: You install n8n from the catalog; the package updates itself and the platform includes it in its scheduled backups.

Company email on your own domain

On ArduMaker: You create mailboxes in the panel, follow the guided DNS setup (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and use webmail or IMAP/SMTP.

On Cloudron: You enable email for the domain, Cloudron publishes MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC when DNS is API-managed, and you assign each mailbox to a user or group.

An AI agent that checks and restarts apps

On ArduMaker: You connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor to the MCP server over OAuth; sensitive actions ask for human approval.

On Cloudron: You install a community MCP yourself, give it a Cloudron API token and accept that it is not an official product.

When Cloudron is the better fit

• You want to self-host ready-made apps (Nextcloud, chat, wikis, password managers) without writing Compose files.
• Single sign-on across every app on the platform matters to you.
• You want the platform and apps to update themselves, with a backup taken first so you can roll back.
• You already have a server or a home machine and want to put it to use.
• You need varied backup destinations: several S3-compatible providers, NFS, CIFS or SSHFS.

When ArduMaker is the better fit

• You deploy your own code from GitHub on every push, without packaging it.
• You need PostgreSQL, MySQL or Redis as databases you own, with a manager in the panel.
• You don't want to rent or prepare a separate server.
• You want root to install your own packages, which Cloudron advises against on its base system.
• You want an AI agent to work through an official MCP server with OAuth and human approval.

How to migrate from Cloudron to ArduMaker

Moving from Cloudron to ArduMaker means moving app by app: data, databases, email and domains. Keep the Cloudron instance running until everything works on the new VPS.

1. Take inventory: List every installed app, its domains, the mailboxes and aliases, and where Cloudron stores its backups.
2. Create the VPS: Pick an ArduMaker plan with the RAM and disk your apps use today and wait until it is active.
3. Export the databases: From each app's web terminal in Cloudron, use the MySQL or PostgreSQL button to open the client and take a dump with mysqldump or pg_dump. Create the database in the ArduMaker panel and restore the dump.
4. Recreate the apps: Install n8n in one click and import your workflows; move WordPress with the migration from another host; run the rest as Docker apps with their official image and the files from their data folder.
5. Bring your own code: Push the code you packaged for Cloudron to GitHub and link the repo and branch in ArduMaker, or deploy its Dockerfile as a Docker app.
6. Move email: Create the mailboxes in ArduMaker, copy messages with an IMAP tool and update MX, SPF and DKIM following the guided DNS setup.
7. Domains and SSL: Lower the TTL, point the DNS records at the VPS and publish each domain; the certificate is issued when you publish it.
8. Verify and roll back if needed: Test every app, workflow and outgoing email. If something fails, point DNS back to the Cloudron server, and shut it down only once everything is verified.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Cloudron 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.

• Cloudron: planes Free, Pro y Max
• Cloudron Docs: instalación y requisitos del servidor
• Cloudron Docs: actualizaciones automáticas
• Cloudron Docs: copias de seguridad
• Cloudron Docs: usuarios, grupos y roles
• Cloudron Docs: servidor de correo
• Cloudron Docs: empaquetar una app propia
• Cloudron Docs: conectarse al complemento de PostgreSQL

Keep reading

• GitHub deploys
• n8n
• Email on your own domain
• PostgreSQL
• Backups
• MCP server for AI agents

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