Cloudron review (2026): is the free plan enough?
Self-hosted platform for installing and updating apps on your server
Black Friday: is there a Cloudron sale?
Cloudron report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for running a few self-hosted apps on one Ubuntu server
Cloudron installs apps from its App Store onto your own Ubuntu server and handles updates, backups, single sign-on and mail. The free plan stops at two apps, and everything about the setup, from the server to the domain, is yours to provide.
Who Cloudron is for
- 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
Who Cloudron is not for
- 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
Why Cloudron gets a 2.0
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyPro 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.
- CFree plan and trialA free plan for two apps, which is a cap you will hit quickly. There is no trial, and you still pay for a server.
- CFeaturesApp 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.
- DEase of useNo 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.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb 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.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Cloudron's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/cloudron#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/cloudron.svg" alt="Cloudron: 2.0 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Cloudron stands among web hosts
Cloudron's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 49 of the 122 other web hosts we grade, and level with 24.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 57 of 122) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at about $16.76 a month, against a middle price of $9.69 for the category: 77 of the 107 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. 42 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 123 web hosts we grade, cut by the letter each got. Cloudron’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 13 of 122, level with 65
- CFree plan and trialAbove 74 of 122, level with 24
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 122, level with 85
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 122, level with 39
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 57 of 122, level with 65
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 111 web hosts. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Cloudron, or make your own?
Your call
Cloudron sits between: not beyond making, and not a weekend's work either.
What you would give up is listed below. Whether that is worth the price is your call. It costs $201.10 a year.
What you could make
- It runs in a browser, which is where something home-made would run too.
What you could not
- Reading the reports inbox providers send about your domain.
- It plugs into other products, Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage and DigitalOcean Spaces among them.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: single sign-on and audit logs.
What this rests on. Cloudron’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Cloudron?
Cloudron is software you install on your own Ubuntu server to run web apps from the Cloudron App Store. It handles app installs and updates, user management with single sign-on, per-app backups, a firewall and a built-in mail server. The company says it has no access to your server.
Worth knowing
- 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
- 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.
Cloudron pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, Cloudron has a free plan, and paid plans start at €15 per month, billed yearly (€30 billed monthly), excluding VAT.
- Starts at
- €15 per month, billed yearly (€30 billed monthly), excluding VAT
- Free plan
- Two apps.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | €0 | Run up to two apps on your own server. |
| Pro | €15per 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 | €25per 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. |
Read from cloudron.io on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Cloudron before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountYearly billing halves the monthly price
Pro is €15 a month billed yearly against €30 billed monthly, and Max is €25 against €50.
Stated on cloudron.io
Works with
- Amazon S3
- Google Cloud Storage
- DigitalOcean Spaces
- Immich
- Vaultwarden
Cloudron alternatives
- Cloudron vs Coolify
Free plan · from $5/mo
- Cloudron vs Dokploy
Free trial · from $4.50/mo
- Cloudron vs Dokku
Free plan · from $849 one-time
Common questions
Does Cloudron have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Cloudron is listed for Web.
Does Cloudron have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Cloudron is listed for Web.
Is Cloudron open source?
Cloudron is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Can Cloudron be self-hosted?
Yes. Cloudron's own site says it can be run on a server of your own.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.