Cosmos Server vs Web-Portal
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 | Web-Portal |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 55 · Fair |
| Category | Dashboards & Startpages | Dashboards & Startpages |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Go | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,164 | ★ 260 |
| First released | 2023 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Google homepage | Google homepage |
What are Cosmos Server and Web-Portal?
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
Web-Portal
Web-Portal is a simple, configurable startpage and link organizer for homelabs and bookmarks. It provides a clean grid of services and applications that can be themed and grouped.
- Configurable link grid
- Plugin support
- Theme customization
- Lightweight footprint
Cosmos Server vs Web-Portal: key differences
Cosmos Server is written in Go, while Web-Portal is built with Python. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Cosmos Server versus MIT for Web-Portal. Web-Portal is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Cosmos Server. Web-Portal 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 260.
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 Web-Portal if…
- Simple to configure
- Low resource use
Watch out for
- Smaller community
- Basic feature set
Frequently asked questions
Is Cosmos Server or Web-Portal 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 Web-Portal free and open-source?
Yes. Cosmos Server is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Web-Portal under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cosmos Server and Web-Portal with Docker?
Cosmos Server: yes. Web-Portal: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Cosmos Server or Web-Portal?
Web-Portal 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.