ArduMaker vs HestiaCP
A lightweight panel for PHP sites or a platform for apps?
Verdict
11–8
ArduMaker wins
Criteria won: ArduMaker 5, HestiaCP 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 | HestiaCP | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type of service | VPS with panel and MCP | Free panel for Debian and Ubuntu | Depends |
| Starting price | From €5.00/month, flat | Free, server not included | Depends |
| Root and SSH | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| Server included | Yes | No | ArduMaker |
| Deploy from Git | Yes | Manual · Git over SSH, by hand | ArduMaker |
| Docker and one-click apps (n8n) | Yes | Partial · PHP installers, no Docker | ArduMaker |
| Databases | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| WordPress | Yes | Partial · One-click install only | ArduMaker |
| Email on your domain | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| Automatic SSL | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| Backups | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| Teams and permissions | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| MCP and AI management | Yes | Not verified · Not verified | Depends |
| Panel maintenance | Yes | Manual · You update Hestia and the OS | ArduMaker |
| Open source | No | Yes | HestiaCP |
| Start for free | Partial · Free tools, paid VPS | Yes | HestiaCP |
HestiaCP is a free, lightweight panel for PHP sites, email, DNS and databases on your own Debian or Ubuntu server. ArduMaker is a managed VPS with a panel, built for apps too.
Quick summary
ArduMaker
- Who it is for: Developers and teams who deploy apps and automations as well as sites, and don't want to run the panel themselves.
- Biggest strength: GitHub deploys, Docker with Compose, n8n with workers and MCP ready without installing anything.
HestiaCP
- Who it is for: Admins who want a free, lightweight panel for PHP sites, email and DNS on their own VPS.
- Biggest strength: Free software (GPLv3), no license, with full email, clustered DNS and low resource usage.
The main difference: HestiaCP handles classic web hosting on your server very well and for free; ArduMaker includes the server and adds what a modern app needs: Git, containers, workers and agents.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-17
Key differences
Classic web hosting vs. a platform for apps
HestiaCP is built for PHP sites on nginx or Apache, email and DNS, and it does that with very few resources. It has no Git deploys or container management. ArduMaker connects a GitHub repo and deploys on every push, runs Docker with Compose and offers n8n with workers and systemd services for 24/7 processes.
Free license, self-maintenance
HestiaCP is free and open source, with no per-account or per-domain fees. In return, updates and security are your responsibility: in July and August 2026 the project shipped several releases with important patches that were worth applying quickly. With ArduMaker the platform updates the panel.
Managed WordPress or just installed
HestiaCP installs WordPress in one click; after that you maintain it with wp-cli or from WordPress itself. ArduMaker treats each site as an app with backups, staging, migration from another host and plugin, content or cache editing from the panel or over MCP.
AI agents
Hestia has a CLI and an API that an agent could use through your own script, but we found no official MCP server. ArduMaker includes MCP with OAuth and human approval.
Pricing and costs
HestiaCP costs nothing: you pay for the VPS you install it on and, if you want, remote backups on external storage. The real cost is your time for installing, updating and watching security. With ArduMaker the VPS includes the panel and its upkeep; email on your domain is billed per mailbox, while in Hestia it's included and uses your server's resources.
| Item | ArduMaker | HestiaCP |
|---|---|---|
| Panel | Included with the VPS from €5.00/month | Free (GPLv3) |
| Server | Included in the plan | Separate, from the provider of your choice |
| Email on your domain | Monthly fee per mailbox | Included, uses your server's resources |
| Off-server backups | Weekly VPS backup in ArduMaker storage, off the host | You configure the remote target and pay for it separately |
| Maintenance and security | The platform takes care of the panel | Your time |
Assumptions: Data checked on October 17, 2026 on HestiaCP's official site and repository. The panel is free; server and remote storage prices depend on the provider you choose.
Real-world scenarios
Ten small PHP sites with email
On ArduMaker: Each WordPress site is created as a native app; other PHP sites are published with nginx on the VPS. Email is enabled per domain and billed per mailbox.
On HestiaCP: This is its home turf: you create domains, tick a box for email and DNS, and everything fits on a small VPS with no license fee.
Laravel with queues and continuous deployment
On ArduMaker: You connect the repo, every push deploys, the queue runs as a systemd service and the database can be native PostgreSQL or MySQL.
On HestiaCP: Quick install creates the Laravel skeleton; Git deploys, the queue worker and its supervision are yours to set up over SSH.
Automations with n8n
On ArduMaker: You install n8n with workers, PostgreSQL and Redis from the catalog and publish it with SSL.
On HestiaCP: Hestia doesn't manage containers: you install Docker by hand and configure the proxy to n8n in the domain's template.
Your own DNS server for several domains
On ArduMaker: You manage DNS zones in the ArduMaker panel and point domains at your VPS.
On HestiaCP: Hestia runs BIND on your server and supports DNS clustering across several Hestia servers.
When HestiaCP is the better fit
- You want a free, open source panel with no licenses or account counting.
- You mostly host PHP sites with email and DNS on the same server.
- You need email for many domains without a per-mailbox fee.
- You have little memory to spare and want a lightweight panel.
- You prefer to control every piece of the server and its templates.
When ArduMaker is the better fit
- You deploy from GitHub and want every push to publish on its own.
- You need Docker, n8n with workers or managed 24/7 processes.
- You want WordPress with staging, backups and migration from the panel or over MCP.
- You don't want to track and apply the panel's security patches yourself.
- You want an AI agent to operate the server with OAuth and human approval.
How to migrate from HestiaCP to ArduMaker
Moving from HestiaCP to ArduMaker goes user by user and domain by domain. Hestia's backups are a good safety net, but the practical route is moving each piece with standard tools.
- Inventory per user: For each Hestia user, review web domains, databases, mailboxes, cron jobs and DNS zones.
- Prepare DNS: If Hestia was your DNS server, copy each zone's records and lower the TTL a few days ahead.
- Create the VPS: Pick a plan sized for the sites you're moving; Hestia is light, so leave headroom if you'll add Docker or n8n.
- WordPress: Make a backup with All-in-One, Duplicator or UpdraftPlus and create the site in ArduMaker from that file.
- Other sites and apps: Push the code to GitHub and connect it to ArduMaker's deploys, or copy it to the VPS over SSH and publish it with nginx.
- Databases: Export with mysqldump or pg_dump and import into the matching engine on the VPS.
- Email: Add the email domain with SPF, DKIM and DMARC, create the mailboxes and copy them over IMAP with imapsync.
- Switch DNS and verify: Update the records or delegate the zone, publish the domains to issue certificates and test everything before shutting down the Hestia server.
Frequently asked questions
Is HestiaCP free for commercial use?
Yes: it's free software under the GPLv3 license, with no license fee or domain limit. You only pay for the server you install it on.
Does HestiaCP support Docker or Git deploys?
Not from the panel. You can install Docker or clone repos over SSH, but the panel doesn't manage them. In ArduMaker both come built in.
What about Hestia's security updates?
You apply them. In 2026 the project released several versions with security patches within a few weeks, and its forum urged users to update right away. It's worth keeping automatic updates on and following the announcements.
Can I install HestiaCP on an ArduMaker VPS?
It isn't recommended: Hestia expects a clean system and sets up its own nginx, email and DNS, while an ArduMaker VPS already ships with its panel and nginx. If you want Hestia, install it on a server dedicated to it.
Can ArduMaker act as a DNS server like Hestia?
ArduMaker manages DNS zones in its panel and gives you a free subdomain; it doesn't sell domains, you connect yours. It doesn't offer your own DNS cluster like Hestia, because the platform runs DNS.
Sources
HestiaCP 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.