SHSelfHostIndex

CasaOS vs Cosmos Server

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted dashboards & startpages options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
CasaOS Simple, easy-to-use home cloud system and dashboard VS CO Cosmos Server Self-hosted dashboard, app store, and reverse proxy
FeatureCasaOSCosmos Server
Deploy effort≈5-minute setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score45 · Fair91 · Excellent
CategoryDashboards & StartpagesDashboards & Startpages
LicenseApache-2.0Apache-2.0
LanguageGoGo
Setup difficultyEasyEasy
Min. RAM512 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, one-clickdocker
GitHub stars★ 37,254★ 6,164
First released20212023
ReplacesGoogle homepageGoogle homepage

What are CasaOS and Cosmos Server?

CasaOS

CasaOS is a community-based open-source home cloud operating system and dashboard built on Docker. It provides an elegant app store and dashboard for managing self-hosted applications.

  • Elegant app store
  • Drag-and-drop dashboard
  • File management
  • Docker app management

Read the full CasaOS guide →

Cosmos Server

Cosmos is a self-hosted server platform with an application dashboard, app store, reverse proxy, and security features. It makes managing and accessing homelab applications simple from one interface.

  • App dashboard and store
  • Built-in reverse proxy
  • Authentication and SSO
  • Security monitoring

Read the full Cosmos Server guide →

CasaOS vs Cosmos Server: key differences

Both projects are written in Go. CasaOS is the more established project (first released 2021), while Cosmos Server arrived in 2023. CasaOS has the considerably larger community, at 37,254 GitHub stars versus 6,164.

Why pick each one

Choose CasaOS if…

  • Very beginner-friendly
  • Polished interface

Watch out for

  • Best on dedicated hardware
  • Less control than raw Docker
CasaOS details

Choose Cosmos Server if…

  • All-in-one server platform
  • Easy app installs

Watch out for

  • Opinionated approach
  • Heavier than a plain dashboard
Cosmos Server details

Frequently asked questions

Is CasaOS or Cosmos Server better?

Neither is universally better. CasaOS has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are CasaOS and Cosmos Server free and open-source?

Yes. CasaOS is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Cosmos Server under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run CasaOS and Cosmos Server with Docker?

CasaOS: yes. Cosmos Server: yes.

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