Cosmos Server vs Dash. by phntxx
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 | Dash. by phntxx |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,164 | ★ 943 |
| First released | 2023 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Google homepage | Google homepage |
What are Cosmos Server and Dash. by phntxx?
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
Dash. by phntxx
Dash. is a modern, configurable dashboard for organizing self-hosted services and bookmarks. It is set up with a single configuration file and shows services in a clean responsive grid.
- Single-file configuration
- Responsive service grid
- Search integration
- Light and dark themes
Cosmos Server vs Dash. by phntxx: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Dash. by phntxx's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Cosmos Server is actively maintained. Cosmos Server is written in Go, while Dash. by phntxx is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Cosmos Server versus MIT for Dash. by phntxx. Dash. by phntxx is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Cosmos Server. Dash. by phntxx is the more established project (first released 2021), while Cosmos Server arrived in 2023. Cosmos Server has the considerably larger community, at 6,164 GitHub stars versus 943.
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 Dash. by phntxx if…
- Simple setup
- Clean responsive design
Watch out for
- No service status checks
- Smaller community
Frequently asked questions
Is Cosmos Server or Dash. by phntxx 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 Dash. by phntxx free and open-source?
Yes. Cosmos Server is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Dash. by phntxx under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cosmos Server and Dash. by phntxx with Docker?
Cosmos Server: yes. Dash. by phntxx: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Cosmos Server or Dash. by phntxx?
Dash. by phntxx has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Cosmos Server. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.