CapRover vs Cloudron (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, CapRover and Cloudron share a 2.0 GPA, both have a free plan, and CapRover has no paid plan to buy, against about $16.76 a month for Cloudron.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
CapRover grades higher on the free plan. Cloudron grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Cloudron
Self-hosted platform for installing and updating apps on your server
Which one is for you
Pick CapRover if
- Fits if you run your own server and want a simple app dashboard
- Works for developers who know Docker and DNS
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a hosted service, as the site lists none
- Not for you if you cannot set wildcard DNS or open ports 80, 443 and 3000
- Tight if you want paid support, as none is listed
- Watch out: the docs target a fresh Ubuntu 24.04 install
Pick Cloudron if
- Fits if you want to run a few open-source apps on your own server with updates handled
- Makes sense if you are comfortable renting and securing a server but don't want to hand-configure each app
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't want to run a server, because Cloudron is software you install and maintain
- Tight if you need more than 2 apps, as the free plan stops there
- Pricey if you want groups, roles or a directory server, which need Max at 25 euros a month
- Watch out: prices are in euros, exclude VAT, and the install page asks for Ubuntu 26.04 with 2 GB RAM and 20 GB disk
How we grade them
| 2.0GPACapRoverFair | 2.0GPACloudronFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CFree software, but only free if you host it yourself, and you pay for the server. | CPro is 15 euros a month billed yearly, in the middle of web hosting at $10.99 to $20.83. The server is paid for separately, and the free plan is only free if you host it yourself. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe whole platform is free to install, with no paid tier. You need your own server. | CA free plan for two apps, which is a cap you will hit quickly. There is no trial, and you still pay for a server. |
| Features | CApps in any language, one-click apps, HTTPS, several deploy methods and Docker Swarm clusters. No hosted version, so updates and backups are yours. | CApp installs, updates, backups, a firewall, mail and single sign-on. Groups and roles, a directory server and multiple backup sites need Max, and the free plan has no more than two apps. |
| Ease of use | DSelf-hosting with a fresh Ubuntu server, wildcard DNS and open ports 80, 443 and 3000. | DNo store rating on record. You install it on a fresh Ubuntu server with at least 2 GB RAM and a domain, so it means self-hosting. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb dashboard with one-click apps and no API or apps listed. | BWeb only, but backups can go to Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage or DigitalOcean Spaces, and the App Store carries apps such as Immich and Vaultwarden. |
| Best for | self-hosting your own app platform | running a few self-hosted apps on one Ubuntu server |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: CapRover and Cloudron. How we grade
Price against what you get
CapRover has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Cloudron starts at about $16.76 a month and scores 2.0.
Cloudron scores higher, and starts $16.76 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other web hosts on the chart, none scores higher than CapRover for less, and 42 score higher than Cloudron for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- CapRover also covers databases.
- Cloudron also covers dMARC.
At a glance
| CapRover | Cloudron | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | €15 per month, billed yearly (€30 billed monthly), excluding VAT |
| Free plan | The whole platform is free to install on your own server; the site's headline says "free forever". | Two apps. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | CapRover | Cloudron UG (haftungsbeschränkt) |
| Price read from | caprover.com | cloudron.io |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
CapRover
- CapRover does not supply servers; you rent and maintain your own, and the docs target a fresh Ubuntu 24.04 install.
- Setup needs a domain with wildcard DNS access and public inbound ports 80, 443 and 3000.
- Support comes from documentation and a community Slack group; no paid support is listed.
- The site lists no hosted version, so updates, backups and security fall to you.
Cloudron
- Cloudron is installed on your own server, so the hosting bill is separate; the install page asks for a fresh Ubuntu 26.04 server with at least 2GB RAM and 20GB disk, plus a domain.
- The Free plan stops at two apps.
- User groups and roles, a directory server and multiple backup sites need the Max plan.
- Prices exclude VAT where applicable and are shown in euros.
Key features
CapRover
- Apps in any language
- Node.js, Python, PHP, Java, Ruby, .NET or anything that runs in a container can be deployed.
- One-click apps
- Databases, WordPress, monitoring tools and other popular services can be launched from a catalog.
- Automatic HTTPS
- Let's Encrypt certificates are issued and renewed, with a one-click redirect from HTTP to HTTPS.
- Several ways to deploy
- Deploy from the dashboard, the command-line tool, a webhook, or an existing Git workflow.
- App settings in one place
- Ports, persistent directories, environment variables and instance counts are managed from the dashboard.
- Docker Swarm clusters
- Additional nodes can be added to a Docker Swarm cluster, with load balancing handled by CapRover.
Cloudron
- App Store installs
- Apps are installed from the Cloudron App Store without writing Dockerfiles or provisioning databases by hand.
- Timely updates
- The company says it publishes new app releases within days and security fixes within 24 hours, pulled by your server rather than pushed.
- User management
- Users can be invited and given access to chosen apps, with a dashboard that lists the apps they can open.
- Built-in mail server
- Includes catch-all addresses, aliases, per-domain relays, delivery logs and spam filtering rules, with DKIM, SPF and DMARC set up automatically.
- Backups and portability
- Encrypted backups can go to external storage such as Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage or DigitalOcean Spaces, and a whole server can be moved to another provider.
- Firewall and audit
- A built-in firewall and an audit log of events are included on every plan.
Plans
CapRover
Self-hosted$0
Install it yourself on Ubuntu 24.04 with at least 1 GiB of RAM and 5 GiB of free disk. Server costs are yours; the project asks for donations via OpenCollective.
Cloudron
Free€0
Run up to two apps on your own server.
Pro€15
per month, billed yearly (€30 billed monthly)
Unlimited apps with app updates, per-app backups, firewall, email solution and single sign-on. Excludes VAT where applicable.
Max€25
per month, billed yearly (€50 billed monthly)
Everything in Pro plus user groups and roles, a directory server, multiple backup sites and VPN-only app access.
Ways to pay less
CapRover
No public discounts listed.
Cloudron
- Annual discount
Yearly billing halves the monthly price
Pro is €15 a month billed yearly against €30 billed monthly, and Max is €25 against €50.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, CapRover or Cloudron?
As of Nov 13, 2026, CapRover is cheaper to start with: it is free, against about $16.76 a month for Cloudron. CapRover is free, and Cloudron starts at €15 per month, billed yearly (€30 billed monthly), excluding VAT.
Which has a free plan, CapRover or Cloudron?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both CapRover and Cloudron have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.