Cloudron is the practical middle ground between a managed SaaS service and administering every container yourself. Install it on a fresh, supported Ubuntu VPS and it provides a web dashboard for deploying packaged applications, terminating HTTPS, routing subdomains, applying many updates, isolating apps with Docker, and scheduling per-app backups. You still own the server, DNS, credentials, storage planning, firewall policy and restore testing.
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This guide covers the current installation workflow, realistic VPS sizing, DNS and TLS, app trust, backup boundaries, hardening, capacity planning and the situations where manual Docker Compose or a managed platform is a better fit.
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What Cloudron does on an Ubuntu VPS
Cloudron describes itself as “a platform that makes it easy to install, manage and secure web apps on your server.” Instead of assembling a reverse proxy, certificate automation, container definitions, update jobs and backup scripts for every application, you operate those functions from one control plane.
- Application lifecycle: install supported packages, configure domains and update applications from the dashboard.
- Ingress and HTTPS: Cloudron routes domains and obtains and renews certificates, avoiding most hand-written Nginx and Let’s Encrypt configuration.
- Isolation: applications run in Docker-based isolation with per-app CPU and memory controls.
- Data protection: configure app-level backup and restore and migrate an entire Cloudron to another provider.
- Server ownership: you remain responsible for the VPS account, Ubuntu host, SSH access, domain registration, DNS, capacity, provider firewall and verification that backups can actually be restored.
The platform is not a general-purpose hosting shell. Cloudron’s network guidance says installing additional packages or running unrelated services on the server is unsupported unless current documentation explicitly allows the integration. Treat the VPS as dedicated Cloudron infrastructure.
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Prerequisites and supported VPS requirements
Start with a new, x64 VPS. The current Cloudron installation documentation (2026) lists Ubuntu Resolute 26.04 x64, a minimum of 2 GB RAM, a minimum of 20 GB disk and unblocked TCP ports 80 and 443. Release names and minimums can change, so confirm the live requirements immediately before provisioning.
| Requirement | Current documented baseline | What it means in practice |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Ubuntu Resolute 26.04 x64 | Use a fresh supported image; do not reuse a server with an existing web stack. |
| Architecture | x64 | ARM is not supported. |
| Memory | At least 2 GB RAM | An installation minimum, not a recommendation for several busy applications. |
| Disk | At least 20 GB | Include operating-system, Docker-image, app-data, backup and growth headroom. |
| Inbound ports | 80 and 443 available | Required for HTTP validation, web traffic and certificate issuance. |
| Unsupported virtualization or deployment models | ARM, LXC, Docker and OpenVZ | Choose a conventional supported VPS virtualization model instead. |
Do not size a production server from the 2 GB and 20 GB figures alone. Cloudron documents that Docker images consume around 10 GB and that an individual app is typically around 2 GB for its image, with wide variation. It also maintains a dynamically resized /apps.swap file capped at 4 GB. App databases, uploads, logs, image layers, temporary files and retained backups can exceed those figures quickly.
A simple capacity plan
- Reserve the documented baseline for Cloudron itself and Ubuntu.
- Budget image space for every installed app; use the documented “around 2 GB” figure only as a rough starting point, not a guarantee.
- Estimate persistent data separately: media libraries, file stores and databases often dominate disk use.
- Leave free space for upgrades, temporary exports and filesystem recovery. A disk that is technically large enough on day one can become unserviceable after several image updates.
- Keep backup storage outside the VPS. A second copy on the same root disk does not protect against disk loss or provider failure.
Provision and install Cloudron
Use a provider image that meets the requirements above, assign a stable public IPv4 address, and make sure reverse DNS and provider-level networking do not block web traffic. Do not install Docker, Nginx, a hosting panel or unrelated services first; the installer expects a clean machine.
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- Create the VPS. Select the supported x64 Ubuntu release, attach a disk sized for your app and data plan, and record the public IP address. Keep the provider’s recovery or console access available in case SSH configuration needs to be repaired.
- Connect over SSH. Log in with the provider’s initial account, update access credentials and confirm that you have administrative privileges. Cloudron’s own installer and firewall management require that level of access.
- Download the installer. Run the documented commands exactly:
wget https://cloudron.io/cloudron-setup chmod +x cloudron-setup ./cloudron-setup - Wait for provisioning. The script installs the Cloudron components and configures the host. Do not interrupt it or start competing services while it is running.
- Open the first-run interface. Browse to
https://<IP>. The certificate is initially self-signed, so your browser will display a warning. Accept it temporarily to reach setup. - Set the primary domain and administrator. Enter the domain you will use for the dashboard and create a strong, unique administrator credential. The normal dashboard is placed at
my.example.com; individual apps commonly use subdomains such asgit.example.comorchat.example.com. - Finish DNS configuration. Choose a supported DNS provider integration or select wildcard/manual DNS and create the records yourself. Preserve existing records unless you have deliberately mapped them to this VPS.
- Harden access. Disable or restrict password-based SSH where practical, use key authentication, limit administrative users and configure the VPS provider firewall. Leave Cloudron free to manage its own iptables and ip6tables rules.
The installer is short; production readiness is not. A successful dashboard login only proves that the control plane started, not that DNS, certificates, backups, monitoring and recovery are ready.
Point a domain at Cloudron
Cloudron needs authoritative DNS that resolves your chosen domain to the VPS. The easiest path is a provider integration from Cloudron’s list, which can create records as applications are added. If you cannot use an integration, use manual DNS or a wildcard record.
Manual and wildcard DNS choices
- Dashboard record: create an address record for the primary hostname, such as
my.example.com, pointing to the VPS address. - Wildcard record: point
*.example.comto the VPS when you want newly created app subdomains to resolve automatically. Keep the dashboard’s explicit record as well if your DNS provider requires it. - Existing services: leave mail, verification, API and other unrelated records untouched. Moving the zone or changing nameservers can break services that are not part of Cloudron.
- Propagation: wait for resolvers to observe the new records before diagnosing an application as unreachable. A local cached answer can differ from an authoritative lookup.
Once a hostname resolves to the VPS, Cloudron’s reverse proxy can route it to the selected app and automate certificate issuance. Do not edit /etc/nginx manually; that configuration is platform-managed and manual changes can be overwritten or leave routing inconsistent.
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Install applications and understand the trust model
The App Store is the default route. Select an app, choose its domain, review its storage and configuration options, and let Cloudron create the isolated service. Updates, logs, environment settings and backup controls then appear in the app’s dashboard entry.
Four ways to publish an app
| Category | Use case | Operational boundary |
|---|---|---|
| App Store | Supported packaged applications | Best default for predictable installation, updates and backup integration. |
| Community app | A package supplied through a developer’s CloudronVersions.json URL |
Cloudron does not review these packages. Install only from developers you trust and evaluate their maintenance history. |
| External link | Expose a URL without hosting the application on this VPS | Cloudron does not become the application’s update or backup system. |
| App proxy | Publish an externally hosted HTTP(S) service behind a Cloudron-managed endpoint | Cloudron can provide DNS, certificates, aliases, redirects, CSP and availability notifications, but the external app remains outside Cloudron’s update and backup control. |
Community packaging is a supply-chain decision, not merely an installation shortcut. Check who publishes it, how releases are maintained and whether the package’s source and update process are understandable. A package appearing in a community feed is not an endorsement.
Backups, restores and storage boundaries
Cloudron supports per-app backup and restore and can migrate a complete Cloudron between providers. Its official materials name Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage and DigitalOcean Spaces as external encrypted-backup destinations. Configure an external destination before placing valuable data on the server, then perform a restore test rather than assuming a successful upload equals recoverability.
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What is and is not included
An external app data directory is included in that app’s backup. Mounted volumes are not backed up. Restoring an application therefore does not recreate the contents of a mounted volume. This matters for media libraries, file stores and databases that were deliberately mounted from another path.
- Inventory every mount and record its source path, owner, permissions and restore procedure.
- Keep application data and mount data in separate recovery checklists.
- Perform a test restore to an isolated hostname or recovery VPS and verify login, uploads, background jobs and database consistency.
- Document retention, encryption access, destination credentials and who is responsible for approving a restore.
Managing a growing filesystem
Cloudron stores platform data under /home/yellowtent/boxdata and app data under /home/yellowtent/appsdata. If the root filesystem becomes constrained, use Cloudron’s supported volume or data-directory workflow to move high-storage app data to an external disk. Make a complete backup first and verify that the application is healthy after the move. Do not improvise by moving directories while containers are running or by editing internal paths that Cloudron manages.
Security and routine operations
Cloudron’s security model includes Docker isolation, automatic Ubuntu security updates and a platform designed to run backend and frontend code on the customer’s server without requiring a CDN or analytics service. Those defaults reduce routine work but do not remove the operator’s security duties.
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Host and account checklist
- Use a long, unique Cloudron administrator password and protect recovery credentials.
- Prefer SSH keys, restrict SSH to trusted source addresses where possible, and remove unused accounts.
- Enable the VPS provider firewall for only the traffic you need. Keep 80 and 443 reachable and allow your administration path.
- Let Cloudron manage its own firewall rules. Do not directly edit the managed configuration unless following a current Cloudron procedure.
- Monitor disk, memory, swap, CPU, certificate status, failed backups and application health.
- Schedule maintenance windows for major app upgrades and retain an emergency console path.
Cloudron adds firewall ports as applications require them and blocks unneeded ports. A provider firewall and Cloudron’s firewall solve different layers of exposure; configure both without creating contradictory rules.
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The right choice depends on whether you value integrated defaults or unrestricted control. The following axes expose the practical trade-offs.
| Decision axis | Cloudron | Manual Docker Compose | Another control panel | Managed app platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supported host model | Specific supported Ubuntu x64 and VPS assumptions | Depends on your own Docker and OS choices | Varies by product | Provider-defined runtime |
| Packaging | App Store packages plus unreviewed community packages, links and proxies | You write or obtain Compose files and images | Panel-specific catalog | Provider catalog or build pipeline |
| DNS and TLS | Integrated domain routing and certificate automation | You assemble and maintain proxy and certificate tooling | May be integrated, with product-specific limits | Usually integrated, but tied to the provider |
| Isolation and resource controls | Docker isolation with per-app CPU and memory controls | Available, but you configure limits and boundaries | Depends on the panel | Usually enforced by the platform |
| Updates and rollback | App lifecycle is managed through the dashboard; behavior depends on package support | You own image pinning, migrations, testing and rollback | Panel-dependent | Provider-dependent |
| Backups | Per-app backup and restore, plus whole-Cloudron migration; mounted volumes excluded | You define database, volume and off-site backup jobs | Panel-dependent | Often service-specific and export-dependent |
| Unrelated services | Additional packages and services on the host are unsupported | Flexible, subject to your administration and security discipline | Varies | Often prohibited or abstracted away |
| Portability | Can migrate a complete Cloudron between providers | High if images, data and configuration are portable | Depends on export tooling | May require provider-specific migration work |
| Operator workload | Lower for standard app lifecycle tasks | Highest control and highest responsibility | Intermediate, product-dependent | Lowest host maintenance, with less infrastructure control |
Choose Cloudron when you want several conventional web apps on one VPS and prefer a consistent dashboard for certificates, domains, isolation, updates and backups. Choose Compose when you need arbitrary services, custom networking, unsupported images or complete control over deployment files. Choose a managed platform when avoiding server administration matters more than owning the underlying host.
Costs and provider selection
Your total cost has four parts: the VPS, the Cloudron subscription or plan applicable to your deployment, the domain and external backup storage. The amount you pay for any one component varies by provider, region, capacity and billing term, so obtain current figures at deployment time rather than relying on an old price.
Cloudron’s provider list includes AWS, DigitalOcean, Linode, LumaDock, Time4VPS and Vultr. Compare them on sustained RAM and CPU performance, expandable disk, snapshots, IPv4 availability, console recovery, firewall controls, traffic allowances, region and support response. Referral or affiliate terms can change and should be checked on the provider and Cloudron pages before purchase.
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Quick Recap
Troubleshooting common failures
The installer stops or the dashboard is unreachable
- Confirm the VPS is a fresh supported x64 Ubuntu installation and not ARM, LXC, Docker or OpenVZ.
- Check that ports 80 and 443 are open both in the provider firewall and in any upstream network policy.
- Use the provider console to inspect the host if SSH was interrupted; do not install a competing web server as a workaround.
A hostname does not load or HTTPS is not issued
- Verify the A or wildcard record resolves to the VPS’s current public IP from an external resolver.
- Remove stale records that point the same hostname to another server, while preserving unrelated mail and verification records.
- Ensure HTTP and HTTPS reach the VPS and that the domain is not being intercepted by a proxy or restrictive DNS setting.
An app runs out of disk
- Inspect app data, Docker images, logs and backup retention rather than deleting files under Cloudron-managed directories manually.
- Increase the VPS disk or move high-storage app data through the supported external-volume or data-directory workflow.
- Check mounted volumes separately because their contents are not part of app backups.
A restore is incomplete
- Determine whether missing content lived in a mounted volume; Cloudron does not recreate mounted-volume contents from an app backup.
- Restore the corresponding external data from its own documented backup.
- Repeat the test with the application’s database, uploads, permissions and background jobs, not just a successful container start.
A production-readiness checklist
- Supported fresh Ubuntu x64 VPS with capacity beyond the 2 GB RAM and 20 GB disk installation minimums.
- Stable public IP and provider console access.
- DNS records for the dashboard and app domains, with existing records preserved.
- Ports 80 and 443 reachable; provider firewall and Cloudron firewall rules understood.
- SSH keys, restricted administration and unique Cloudron credentials.
- External encrypted backup destination configured.
- Mounts inventoried and excluded-content recovery documented.
- At least one test restore completed on an isolated hostname or recovery server.
- Monitoring for disk, memory, swap, certificates, failed backups and application health.
- Decision made about whether every required service is supported by Cloudron’s app model.
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