Looking for an alternative to self-hosting UniFi? Try UniHosted
Self-hosting your UniFi Controller gives you flexibility. But it also gives you maintenance, manual backups, and constant responsibility.
If you're an MSP managing client networks, that overhead adds up fast: Patching servers, renewing SSL certificates, troubleshooting Mongo errors, and hoping your backups work.
UniHosted takes all of that off your plate, without giving up control.
Let's dive in!
Why self-hosting creates problems over time
Running your own UniFi Controller on a VPS or physical server seems efficient at first. You choose the hardware, control the updates, and avoid third-party services.
But over time:
- You're maintaining the OS, firewall, Java, and UniFi software
- You have to script your own backups and test restores
- SSL certificates expire if unattended
- Updates occasionally break everything
- Crashes mean you're rebuilding from scratch—usually under pressure
Self-hosting gives you control, but you own every failure too.
Here is how our paid UniFi hosting plans compare:
Self-hosted vs UniHosted
| Feature | Self-hosted VPS | UniHosted paid plans |
|---|---|---|
| Setup time | ❌ Manual | ✅ Instant |
| Update control | ❌ You test + apply | ✅ Tested and managed |
| SSL + domain | ❌ Manual | ✅ Preconfigured |
| Backups | ❌ DIY scripts | ✅ Daily + restore |
| Uptime monitoring | ❌ You maintain it | ✅ 24/7 monitored |
| Support | ❌ None or forums | Email and chat on Core; founder-led support on Scale |
| Multi-site support | ✅ With config | ✅ Native and unlimited |
| Starting price | Varies per setup | $59/month |
Why MSPs move to UniHosted
If you're managing networks professionally, every hour you spend fixing your own infrastructure is an hour you’re not serving clients.
With UniHosted, you still get full control over your UniFi Controller, but you no longer need to worry about:
- Building and securing the host
- Managing upgrades and rollbacks
- Restoring from backups manually
- Debugging version conflicts
- Maintaining uptime during client outages
You get all the control of self-hosting, without the burden of keeping it running.
What paid UniHosted plans include
- A single cloud controller for all client sites
- Daily automated backups with restore access
- Updates tested internally, then rolled out to Free users after stability confirmation, before paid users
- Built-in SSL, custom domains, and 2FA
- Support that actually answers
It's built for MSPs who want reliability without complexity.
Migration assistance is included with every paid plan. We check your supported devices and controller version before agreeing on the migration steps.
Free uses a shared controller for up to five devices on one site. It excludes support, backups, custom domains, backup import and IP access control.
Final thoughts
Self-hosting works. But it's not sustainable when you're managing multiple clients and networks. What starts as "simple and cheap" becomes fragile and time-consuming.
UniHosted gives you a reliable UniFi controller without the infrastructure headaches. You keep your clients connected and supported. We keep your controller online, updated, and backed up. Feel free to give us a try!