UniFi Controller Hosting Compared: Cloud UniFi, HostiFi, UniHosted and Ubiquiti's Own Hosting
Every provider below runs Ubiquiti's software. What you are choosing between is pricing model, device capacity, whether UniFi OS Server is offered, server locations, backup policy and support. This page sets those out side by side, including the places where another provider fits a situation better than we do. Always confirm current prices and limits on each provider's own site.
At a glance
| Cloud UniFi | HostiFi | UniHosted | Ubiquiti's own hosting | DIY (VPS) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $15/mo, 100 devices | $19/mo, 25 devices | Free tier (5 devices, shared instance); paid from $59/mo, 125 devices | $29/mo, 100 devices | $10 to 50/mo plus your time |
| Top of range | $150/mo, 2,000 devices (custom to 6,000) | $249/mo, 1,000 devices; Enterprise above | $149/mo, 500 devices; $0.40 per device on Enterprise | $99/mo, 1,000 devices | Whatever you build |
| UniFi OS Server | Yes, the default for new subscriptions (Network Application on request) | Yes, on the same plans | Yes, UniFi OS Server only | Ubiquiti's hosted console | If you install it |
| Locations | Canada, US, France, Germany, UK and Australia, placed by your billing country; Poland, Italy, Singapore and India on request | 32 locations | Six named locations in Europe, the US and Singapore | United States, Canada, Europe and Australia (Ubiquiti's wording) | Your choice |
| Infrastructure | Dedicated bare-metal servers we run ourselves, with our own hypervisor layer, in OVHcloud data centres | Vultr VPS instances (their stated provider) | Hetzner VPS instances (their six regions are Hetzner Cloud's locations) | Ubiquiti's own cloud infrastructure; provider not stated | Whatever you rent |
| Hosting UniFi since | 2013 | 2018 | 2023 (company established 2021) | 2022 (an earlier hosted controller ran 2017 to 2019) | Not applicable |
| Backups | Nightly, encrypted, copied to two offsite storage providers, one copy immutable for 30 days | Nightly; 5, 30 or 90 days by plan | Daily on paid plans | Not stated | On you |
| Custom domain | One on every plan; several on P75 and above | $99/mo plan and up | Paid plans | Not mentioned | On you |
| Multiple sites | Unlimited, all plans | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Updates | Network Application releases tested for 1 to 4 weeks before rollout; UniFi OS Server updates itself | Automated on $19; update testing and scheduling from $99 | Stable versions on paid plans; early-access releases on the free tier | Managed by Ubiquiti | You test |
Provider by provider
Cloud UniFi (us)
A private controller per customer on dedicated bare-metal servers that we operate ourselves, with our own hypervisor layer, rather than on VPS instances rented from a cloud provider. The servers sit in OVHcloud data centres in Beauharnois (Canada), Vint Hill and Hillsboro (US), Gravelines, Roubaix and Strasbourg (France), Limburg (Germany), Erith (UK) and Sydney (Australia), and we bring up nodes at OVHcloud's other bare-metal sites (Toronto, Paris, Warsaw, Milan, Singapore and Mumbai) when a customer needs one. We have hosted UniFi controllers since 2013, longer than any other provider on this page. Plans are priced by device count, with the same features on every plan: nightly encrypted backups copied to two independent offsite storage providers (one copy immutable for 30 days), a custom domain (one on plans up to P50, several on P75 and above), unlimited sites, sign-in with a Ubiquiti account for MFA, and IP allow-listing on request on P25 and above. New subscriptions run UniFi OS Server, the classic Network Application is still available on request, and existing Network Application customers can move when they are ready. We test every Network Application release for one to four weeks before rolling it out, and skip releases that do not meet our stability bar. Our weak spot: our public documentation was thin for years, and this section is part of fixing that.
HostiFi
An independent UniFi host with the most locations of the providers here (32 data centres, on Vultr cloud instances; Vultr is their stated infrastructure provider), and UISP and Omada hosting alongside UniFi. The entry plan covers 25 devices at $19 a month with five days of backups; custom domains, update testing and 30-day backups start at the $99 plan; the $249 plan covers 1,000 devices, with an Enterprise tier above that. UniFi OS Server is offered on the same plans. The tiers step up in device count faster than ours at the low end, so the fit depends on where your device count lands.
UniHosted
A newer provider whose plans are now UniFi OS Server only. There is a free tier for five devices on a shared instance, then flat tiers at $59 a month for 125 devices and $149 for 500, with per-device pricing on the Enterprise tier above that. Custom domains are on paid plans. Their deployment regions are Nuremberg, Falkenstein, Helsinki, Ashburn, Hillsboro and Singapore, which are Hetzner Cloud's locations, so the controllers run on Hetzner VPS instances. The free tier suits trying a hosted controller with one or two access points.
Ubiquiti's own hosting
Ubiquiti sells hosted UniFi directly, managed through Site Manager, at $29 a month for up to 100 devices and $99 a month for up to 1,000, with the plan ladder shown inside Site Manager. It runs on what Ubiquiti describes as its own cloud infrastructure, available in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. Updates are handled by Ubiquiti, and support runs through Ubiquiti's support channels. It is the first-party option if you want everything from one vendor.
DIY on a VPS
Cheapest on paper ($10 to 50 a month), and the right call for homelabs and people who enjoy the work. What you take on, and when it stops being worth it:
How to choose, by situation
- Managing client networks: compare per-device cost at your total fleet size, and check for unlimited sites and staged upgrades. Our P50 plan is $50 a month for 500 devices, which is $0.10 per device per month; HostiFi's equivalent tiers are $99 for 250 and $249 for 1,000, and Ubiquiti's hosting is $99 for 1,000.
- Single business, one or a few sites: any managed option beats self-hosting on reliability. Under 100 devices, the entry plans are $15 a month with us (100 devices), $19 at HostiFi (25 devices) and $29 at Ubiquiti (100 devices).
- Outside the US: pick a provider with servers in your region. Latency shows up in the management interface and the hotspot portal. We place European and Australian customers on servers in their region, and can bring up a node at another OVHcloud site, Singapore or Mumbai for example, when a customer needs one. Check each provider's location list for yours.
- Experimenting at home: a small VPS is the cheapest way to learn, and some providers offer a free tier for a few devices. Hosting earns its fee once the network matters to someone other than you.
Common questions
Can I move between providers later? Yes. A UniFi controller migration is a backup and restore or Site Export operation regardless of who hosts it. Our migration guides work in both directions. There is no lock-in beyond the effort of moving, plus one extra step if you are changing from the Network Application to UniFi OS Server at the same time.
Do all these run the same software? Yes, Ubiquiti's. Providers differ in whether they offer UniFi OS Server, the Network Application or both, and in the hosting around it (backups, domains, locations, support). The UniFi features themselves are identical everywhere.
What happens to my data if I leave? You download a standard UniFi backup and restore it anywhere, including your own hardware. With us, backups are yours to download at any time from the controller.
UniFi and UniFi OS are trademarks of Ubiquiti Inc. Cloud UniFi is an independent hosting provider and is not affiliated with, authorised by or endorsed by Ubiquiti Inc. Competitor prices and limits are taken from each provider's public pages on the date shown.