CloudPanel vs Cloudron (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, CloudPanel grades higher than Cloudron: 2.4 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
CloudPanel grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
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 CloudPanel if
- Fits if you host PHP, Node.js or Python sites on a Debian or Ubuntu VPS
- Works for people who want a panel without licence fees
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need paid support, as the ticket system and managed offer are listed as coming soon
- Not for you if you want mail or DNS handled in the panel, since the listing doesn't show either
- Watch out: the Premium and Enterprise columns show no prices
- Watch out: only Debian 11 and 12 and Ubuntu 22.04 and 24.04 are listed, and you maintain the server
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
| 2.4GPACloudPanelFair | 2.0GPACloudronFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CThe Community Edition is free for commercial and hobby use, but only if you host it yourself on a server you pay for, so it counts as C. | 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 | AFree outright for commercial and hobby sites, with no site or user cap listed. Support is the docs and Discord. | 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 | CA site wizard, isolated sites, several PHP versions, firewall rules, a CLI and WordPress quick install. The listing shows no mail or DNS management. | 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 | DNo store rating on record. You provide a Debian or Ubuntu server and install it yourself. | 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 | BWeb only, but it launches on AWS, DigitalOcean, Hetzner, Google Cloud, Azure and Vultr, and uses Let's Encrypt. | 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 | a free panel for PHP, Node.js, Python | 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: CloudPanel and Cloudron. How we grade
Price against what you get
CloudPanel has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Cloudron starts at about $16.76 a month and scores 2.0.
They score the same, and CloudPanel starts $16.76 a month lower. Of the other web hosts on the chart, none scores higher than CloudPanel 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
- CloudPanel also covers managed WordPress.
- Cloudron also covers dMARC.
At a glance
| CloudPanel | Cloudron | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | €15 per month, billed yearly (€30 billed monthly), excluding VAT |
| Free plan | The Community Edition is free for commercial and hobby sites, with documentation and Discord for support. | Two apps. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | MGT-COMMERCE | Cloudron UG (haftungsbeschränkt) |
| Price read from | cloudpanel.io | cloudron.io |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
CloudPanel
- The vendor lists Debian 12 or 11 and Ubuntu 24.04 or 22.04 as the choices for the operating system.
- The Premium and Enterprise columns on the pricing page show no prices, and their ticket system is listed as coming soon.
- A managed offer for support is announced as coming soon, so there is no paid support plan today.
- You supply and maintain the server; CloudPanel is the panel, not the hosting.
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
CloudPanel
- Site wizard
- Create a WordPress site, PHP application, Node.js app, Python app or static site from templates, including a free Let's Encrypt certificate.
- Isolated sites
- Each site is isolated at the system level, so a vulnerability in one site does not reach the others on the server.
- Several PHP versions
- The panel ships with multiple PHP versions, and changing the version for an app is a single selection.
- Firewall and access rules
- A UFW-based firewall interface, IP restrictions for panel access, an IP blocker and a bot blocker.
- Cloud launch options
- Launch images on AWS, DigitalOcean, Hetzner Cloud, Google Compute Engine, Azure or Vultr, with automated backups on those providers.
- CLI
- Sites can also be set up from the command line with their application-specific configuration.
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
CloudPanel
Community Edition$0
Free for commercial and hobby sites; support through the documentation and Discord.
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
CloudPanel
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, CloudPanel or Cloudron?
As of Nov 13, 2026, CloudPanel is cheaper to start with: it is free, against about $16.76 a month for Cloudron. CloudPanel is free, and Cloudron starts at €15 per month, billed yearly (€30 billed monthly), excluding VAT.
Which has a free plan, CloudPanel or Cloudron?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both CloudPanel 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.