Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Sandstorm.io VS Umbrel

Compare Sandstorm.io VS Umbrel and see what are their differences

Sandstorm.io logo Sandstorm.io

Take control of your web by running your own personal cloud server with Sandstorm.

Umbrel logo Umbrel

Run your personal server on a Raspberry Pi or Ubuntu/Debian, self-host open source apps like Nextcloud, Matrix, and Bitcoin node, and take full control of your data. For free.
  • Sandstorm.io Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-08
  • Umbrel Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-01

Sandstorm.io features and specs

  • Security
    Sandstorm encapsulates each application in its own secure environment, minimizing the risk of breaches and unauthorized access. It uses techniques like capabilities-based security to give applications and their users specific permissions.
  • Simplicity
    The platform makes it easy to deploy and manage web applications without needing extensive sysadmin knowledge, thanks to its user-friendly interface and seamless app installation procedure.
  • Decentralization
    Sandstorm allows users to run their own private cloud, giving them full control over their data and applications without relying on third-party cloud services.
  • Wide Range of Applications
    Sandstorm supports a variety of open-source web applications, ranging from productivity tools to communication and collaboration apps, which can be easily deployed and managed.
  • Community Support
    With a vibrant open-source community, Sandstorm benefits from continuous updates, new applications, and active discussions helping users troubleshoot and improve their deployments.

Possible disadvantages of Sandstorm.io

  • Scalability Limitations
    Sandstorm is designed primarily for small to medium-scale deployments, which can be a limitation for large organizations with extensive infrastructural needs.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its user-friendly environment, there can still be a significant learning curve for those unfamiliar with containerized environments and capability-based security models.
  • Limited Enterprise Features
    As it caters mostly to individual users and small teams, Sandstorm might lack some advanced enterprise features like detailed analytics, reporting, and comprehensive customer support.
  • App Compatibility
    Not all web applications are compatible or available on Sandstorm, which can limit choices and force users to look for alternatives or miss out on certain functionalities.
  • Maintenance Requirement
    Running a private cloud means the user is responsible for maintenance, updates, and backups, which can be burdensome for those without technical expertise or the resources to manage a server.

Umbrel features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Umbrel offers a clean and intuitive user interface, making it easy for users of all technical levels to navigate and manage their server applications effectively.
  • Privacy-Focused
    Built with privacy in mind, Umbrel ensures that your data stays on your personal server instead of being shared with third-party services or stored in the cloud.
  • Support for Bitcoin and Lightning
    Umbrel is particularly appealing for cryptocurrency enthusiasts as it supports running a Bitcoin full node and a Lightning Network node, facilitating self-sovereign finance.
  • Modular and Extensible
    The platform is modular, allowing users to easily install and manage a variety of apps like home automation tools, media servers, and more through a built-in app store.
  • Active Community
    Umbrel has a supportive and active community providing assistance and sharing usage tips, which can be quite beneficial for new users.

Possible disadvantages of Umbrel

  • Hardware Requirements
    Running Umbrel typically requires a dedicated hardware setup, such as a Raspberry Pi 4, which may not be feasible or convenient for all users.
  • Technical Challenges
    While Umbrel is user-friendly, setting up and maintaining a personal server might present technical challenges, especially for non-tech-savvy users.
  • Limited App Ecosystem
    Compared to larger ecosystems, the Umbrel app store is more limited, meaning fewer available applications to install and use.
  • Dependency on Network Stability
    Umbrel's performance and availability depend on the stability of your network connection, which can be a drawback in regions with unstable internet connectivity.
  • No Official Mobile App
    There is currently no official Umbrel mobile app, which means that management and monitoring are typically done through a web interface, potentially limiting accessibility.

Sandstorm.io videos

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Umbrel videos

Umbrel: A Self-Hosted Server With Crypto and BlockChain Tech

More videos:

  • Review - ☂️ Why I REMOVED Umbrel From My Bitcoin Lightning Node
  • Review - What is Umbrel? - An OS for a Personal Server and Bitcoin Node Explained in 5 Minutes!

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Sandstorm.io and Umbrel)
Cloud Computing
71 71%
29% 29
Linux
0 0%
100% 100
VPS
100 100%
0% 0
Control Panels
73 73%
27% 27

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Umbrel should be more popular than Sandstorm.io. It has been mentiond 53 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Sandstorm.io mentions (29)

  • Self hosted FLOSS fitness/workout tracker
    > Is this a thing that I don't know about? Or is the market too narrow to be useful? (Otherwise, why doesn't it already exist?) I'm not super familiar with it, but I think what you describe was/is the goal of Sandstorm (https://sandstorm.io/). Then there are also efforts like YunoHost (https://yunohost.org/) which are kind of like that, gives SSO auth and everything out of the box for all the apps it supports.... - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Ask HN: Is there any software you only made for your own use but nobody else?
    This hits close to home. I have something similar, except it's not as featureful and it's ridiculously purpose-built for me. E.g. I have one page in this app for generating PDFs of a very specific type that I need. I have another page that parses CSVs from my bank. These aren't tools I use regularly, I just need them occasionally, but they're all in one repo in one project. There are of course apps that do each of... - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
  • Website Impersonating a Desktop Environment
    Sandstorm really had this kind of feeling. Not that it presented as a desktop environment visually - but it offered a much more integrated “computer” of documents versus silod web site apps where you need to open each site to see the files in the app. https://sandstorm.io/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: Experience using your user's Google Drive instead of a database?
    RemoteStorage https://remotestorage.io/ seems to be trying to do this too I also really like the https://sandstorm.io approach which goes a little farther beyond. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Tech Independence
    They tried, it was called sandstorm https://sandstorm.io/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
View more

Umbrel mentions (53)

  • OpenWrt Two Approval
    What I would want to have some company to make one device that would at the same time be: 1) router 2) smart tv (airplay, chromecast, miracast) 3) smart speaker 4) smart home gateway (matter) 5) wireless charging pad 6) private cloud (nextcloud) 7) private backup (removable nvm) 8) private vpn / dns / pihole / adguard 9) mini server Everything in a nice package and preconfigure and ideally modular (upgradable ssd,... - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • Why I self host my servers (and what I've recently learned)
    Umbrel[0] maybe? I posted a list of related services here[1] as well, though most of them are cloud based. [0]: https://umbrel.com/ [1]: https://forum.indiebits.io/t/open-identities/500/12. - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • Self Hosting 101 – A Beginner's Guide
    Have you checked out Umbrel[1]? You can self-host Umbrel on your own hardware[2] as well. I'm not sure if they allow for multiple nodes that can stay in sync. If (/once) they do, it'd solve for disasters / availability. [1]: https://umbrel.com [2]: https://github.com/getumbrel/umbrel. - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • Escaping Surveillance Capitalism, at Scale
    I really thought this article was going to offer a solution, not just enumerate the problems. I'm already all too familiar with the problems. I like what Umbrel[0] is doing. They're essentially expecting that just like computing was able to move from centralized mainframes to homes, servers are poised to make the same migration. I think they really need to solve redundancy, though. If I'm to self-host... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Tech Independence
    But there is: https://umbrel.com/ (except for hosting email which is not realistic anymore). - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Sandstorm.io and Umbrel, you can also consider the following products

FreedomBox - FreedomBox is a personal server running a free software operating system, with free applications designed to create and preserve personal privacy.

YunoHost - YunoHost is a Debian GNU/Linux based distribution packaged with free software that automates the...

Cloudron - The Cloudron platform helps you effortlessly run web apps on your server.

Libre.sh - Implementation of IndieHosters Network based on CoreOS

DockSTARTer - DockSTARTer helps you get started with home server apps running in Docker.

HomeDock OS - Self-host, manage, and take control of your private cloud. Transform any Windows, macOS, Linux or Raspberry Pi into your own private cloud. Self-host apps, manage your data, and take full control of your digital life, with full Docker compatibility.