Cosmos Server vs SUI
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted dashboards & startpages options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Cosmos Server | SUI |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Dashboards & Startpages | Dashboards & Startpages |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Go | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,164 | ★ 1,574 |
| First released | 2023 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Google homepage | Google homepage |
What are Cosmos Server and SUI?
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
SUI
SUI is a simple startpage for self-hosted services. It shows app links and bookmarks defined in plain config files, offers search across multiple providers, and runs as a lightweight JavaScript app with no database, deployable via Docker. The project is archived.
Cosmos Server vs SUI: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: SUI's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Cosmos Server is actively maintained. Cosmos Server is written in Go, while SUI is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Cosmos Server versus MIT for SUI. SUI is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Cosmos Server. SUI is the more established project (first released 2018), while Cosmos Server arrived in 2023. Cosmos Server has the considerably larger community, at 6,164 GitHub stars versus 1,574.
Why pick each one
Choose Cosmos Server if…
- All-in-one server platform
- Easy app installs
Watch out for
- Opinionated approach
- Heavier than a plain dashboard
Choose SUI if…
- Dead simple setup
- Tiny footprint
Watch out for
- Limited widgets
- Manual config edits
Frequently asked questions
Is Cosmos Server or SUI better?
Neither is universally better. Cosmos Server has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Cosmos Server and SUI free and open-source?
Yes. Cosmos Server is licensed under Apache-2.0 and SUI under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cosmos Server and SUI with Docker?
Cosmos Server: yes. SUI: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Cosmos Server or SUI?
SUI has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Cosmos Server. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.