UniFi cloud controller: how to get started (2026)

A UniFi cloud controller is UniFi OS Server running on a cloud server instead of on-site hardware like a Cloud Key. Your access points, switches and gateways connect to it over the internet, and you manage every site from one place.

UniFi OS Server is Ubiquiti's current software for self-hosting UniFi, and it runs the UniFi Network application. Ubiquiti now calls the older UniFi Network Server legacy and recommends UniFi OS Server for all self-hosted deployments. According to a Ubiquiti community post from September 2026, Network 10.6 is the last version for the standalone Network Server. There are three ways to run it in the cloud.

Already running a Cloud Key or a Dream Machine? That hardware runs the controller on-site. The FAQ below covers how it fits with a cloud controller.

The three options, with the trade-offs

1. Managed hosting

A hosting provider runs UniFi OS Server for you. You manage the networks. The provider looks after the server, the updates and the uptime.

At UniHosted, the Free plan covers up to five devices on one site. It runs on a shared controller and has no support or backups. Paid plans run on a dedicated controller. Core costs €59 a month for up to 125 devices and includes daily backups, email and chat support, and migration assistance.

What you get:

• No server to rent, no Linux to learn, no database to run
• On paid plans, updates, backups and monitoring are handled for you
• Someone to contact when something breaks, on paid plans

What to weigh:

• A monthly cost once you outgrow the free tier
• You depend on the provider doing the job well
• Less freedom to change the underlying server

Best for: MSPs and anyone who gets paid to keep networks running.

2. Official UniFi Hosting

This is Ubiquiti's own hosted option. There are two plans: $29 a month for up to 100 UniFi Network devices and $99 a month for up to 1,000. In the EU they cost €29 and €99. These were the prices in September 2026. There is a trial.

Ubiquiti describes it as functionally the same as UniFi OS Server, hosted and maintained by Ubiquiti. It runs the UniFi Network application and UniFi Talk Relay. You manage it through Site Manager at unifi.ui.com or the UniFi mobile app, and you can create a site per location or per client.

What you get:

• Hosting from the company that makes the software
• Managed through Site Manager and the UniFi mobile app
• A trial before you pay

What to weigh:

• All your clients live as sites inside one Ubiquiti-hosted console
• The store page shows only the starting price, so check the plan price for your device count before you commit

We compare it with managed hosting in more detail on our Official UniFi Hosting page.

Best for: teams that want Ubiquiti to host the controller and are happy to manage everything through Site Manager.

3. Self-hosting on a VPS

You rent a server and install UniFi OS Server on it yourself. Ubiquiti's help article sets the minimum at 2 GB of RAM and 10 GB of free storage. We recommend 4 GB of RAM for anything you depend on. At DigitalOcean, a 2 GB server costs $12 a month (September 2026).

The server needs TCP port 8080 and UDP port 3478 open. After that, updates, backups, SSL certificates and monitoring are your job. Ubiquiti notes that the server has to keep running for you to manage your devices. If it goes offline, the devices keep working on their last configuration.

What you get:

• The lowest cash cost
• Full control of the server, the region and the provider

What to weigh:

• Every update, backup, certificate renewal and recovery is yours
• When the server is down, you lose remote management of every site on it
• Comfort with a server console helps, especially on the day something breaks

Best for: home labs, and single networks run by someone who enjoys running servers.

If the network belongs to a client, a hosted option saves you the server work. Choose between managed hosting and Official UniFi Hosting on price, support and how you want clients kept apart. If it is your own network and you like running servers, self-host on a VPS.

How to connect devices to your cloud controller

UniFi devices contact the controller themselves. At each site, the firewall only has to let them reach the controller on TCP port 8080. Ubiquiti's remote adoption guide lists these methods.

SSH, for a few devices

Factory-reset the device, connect to it over SSH and run:

set-inform http://YOUR-CONTROLLER-ADDRESS:8080/inform

Use http in this address. The inform address does not work over https. The device then shows up as ready to adopt in your controller, and you click Adopt. Our guide to the set-inform command covers the details. On the UniHosted Free plan, the exact command is in adopting a device to the free tier.

The UniFi mobile app

If your phone can join Wi-Fi on the same network as the new device, the device appears for adoption in the UniFi mobile app.

DHCP or DNS, for many devices

To adopt many devices without touching each one, hand the controller's address out from your DHCP server (DHCP option 43). The alternative is to make the name unifi point to your controller on the site's DNS server.

Moving an existing controller to the cloud

Ubiquiti's route between controllers that support multiple sites, such as a Cloud Key, Official UniFi Hosting or a self-hosted UniFi OS Server, is Site Export:

1. On the old controller, go to Settings > System > Site Management and click Export Site.
2. On the new controller, choose Import Site from the site switcher. If there is no site switcher, turn on Multi-Site Management first.
3. Back on the old controller, finish the guided walkthrough, pick the devices to move and enter the new inform address.
4. Forget the devices on the old controller and wait for them to come online. A device that shows "Managed by Another Console" needs a factory reset and a fresh adoption.

Coming from the legacy UniFi Network Server? On Windows and macOS, the UniFi OS Server installer offers to migrate your setup. On Linux, use Site Export.

A Dream Machine, Cloud Gateway or other gateway with a built-in controller cannot be managed by an external controller. If you want a UniFi gateway at a site run from a cloud controller, Ubiquiti's answer is a UXG model. Check our supported and unsupported devices before you plan a move.

Frequently asked questions

Is a Cloud Key a cloud controller?

No. A Cloud Key is a small on-site device that runs the UniFi Network application locally. You can reach it remotely through Site Manager at unifi.ui.com, but it sits at one site and depends on that site's power and internet connection.

Is Site Manager (unifi.ui.com) a cloud controller?

No. Site Manager is Ubiquiti's free portal that connects you to each site's controller. Your devices and settings stay on that controller, whether it is a Cloud Gateway, a Cloud Key or a hosted UniFi OS Server. Site Manager adopts no devices itself.

Can UniFi Protect run on a cloud controller?

No. Ubiquiti says UniFi OS Server hosts the UniFi Network application, and every other UniFi application, Protect included, needs a compatible UniFi console. You can keep Protect on a Cloud Key or an NVR on-site and run the network from a cloud controller.

Is there a free UniFi cloud controller?

Yes. UniHosted's Free plan covers up to five devices on one site, on a shared UniFi OS Server. It has no support or backups. The details are on our free UniFi controller hosting page.

Final thoughts

Running UniFi OS Server in the cloud moves the controller off on-site hardware and puts every site in one view. For a home lab, a small VPS does the job. For client networks, the server work adds up: updates, backups, certificates and the occasional recovery.

That is where a fully managed controller fits. At UniHosted we run UniFi OS Server for MSPs and businesses, with a dedicated controller, daily backups and support on every paid plan. Migration is included too: we check your device models and controller version before we start. You can try it first on our free plan for up to five devices with a spare access point.