What is Cosmos Cloud?
Cosmos Cloud is a server management platform built on Docker. It gives you a beautiful web interface to install, update, and manage applications — but under the hood, everything is running in standard Docker containers. That means you can start with the GUI and later customize anything you want without starting from scratch.
Who it's for
People who want flexibility without complexity. You get the visual ease of Umbrel but the underlying power of Docker. If you think you might eventually want to play with Docker Compose files or integrate custom services, Cosmos grows with you better than the other two.
Pros
- Modern stack — built on Docker, so apps are isolated and updates are clean
- Beautiful UI — the most polished admin interface of the three options
- Growth path — you can start in the GUI and later drop into Docker Compose without migrating platforms
- Good x86 support — built for mini PCs first, Raspberry Pi second
Cons
- Smaller community — newer than Umbrel and YunoHost, so fewer forum posts if you hit a snag
- Smaller app catalog — growing fast but not as large as YunoHost's 300+
- More resource-heavy — Docker overhead means you'll want 16GB RAM minimum for a full stack
Best for
People who want Umbrel's ease of use but know they'll eventually want more control. If you're the type who reads "You can also modify the docker-compose.yml file" and thinks "good, I'd like that option," Cosmos is your platform.
What you'll need
- A mini PC with at least 16GB RAM (Cosmos + Docker + apps add up)
- A USB stick (8GB+)
- An ethernet cable (Wi-Fi works but not recommended for Docker networking)
- About an hour for setup