Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Sandstorm.io VS DockSTARTer

Compare Sandstorm.io VS DockSTARTer 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.

DockSTARTer logo DockSTARTer

DockSTARTer helps you get started with home server apps running in Docker.
  • Sandstorm.io Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-08
  • DockSTARTer Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-22

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.

DockSTARTer features and specs

  • Ease of Setup
    DockSTARTer provides a simplified setup process for Docker environments, especially beneficial for users who are new to Docker or who do not want to manually configure containers.
  • Pre-configured Applications
    It offers a wide array of pre-configured applications that can be easily deployed, eliminating the need for individual configuration files and reducing setup time.
  • Community Support
    There is an active community around DockSTARTer that provides support, shares configuration tips, and contributes to the growing list of supported applications.
  • Automatic Updates
    DockSTARTer can handle automatic updates for both itself and the applications it manages, ensuring that everything is kept up to date with minimal user intervention.
  • Comprehensive Documentation
    The tool is well-documented, offering detailed instructions on installation, configuration, and troubleshooting, which aids both beginners and advanced users.

Possible disadvantages of DockSTARTer

  • Limited Customization
    While DockSTARTer offers a high level of convenience, it may limit customization for users who require specific configuration setups not available within the provided options.
  • Dependency on Git and Docker
    Users need to have Docker and Git installed to use DockSTARTer, which may add complexity for those unfamiliar with these tools or when operating systems are not fully compatible.
  • Complex Troubleshooting
    When issues arise, troubleshooting can be more complex, especially for users who are not familiar with Docker or the underlying structure of Docker Compose files.
  • Resource Use
    Running multiple containers on a single machine can consume significant system resources which can be a problem for users with limited hardware capabilities.
  • Learning Curve
    While DockSTARTer simplifies many processes, there is still a learning curve involved in understanding how Docker and Docker Compose work, which can be challenging for beginners.

Analysis of Sandstorm.io

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Sandstorm.io is a strong option for individuals or small teams who want the convenience of the cloud without sacrificing control over their data. Its focus on security and privacy makes it an appealing choice for privacy-conscious users.

Why this product is good

  • Sandstorm.io is considered good because it provides a secure and easy-to-use platform for deploying and managing web applications. It offers an open-source alternative to traditional cloud services and emphasizes privacy, user autonomy, and data ownership. It allows users to install apps with one click and manage their own server, reducing reliance on third-party services.

Recommended for

  • Developers who want to self-host and manage web applications.
  • Teams looking for collaboration tools while maintaining data sovereignty.
  • Privacy-focused users who wish to minimize dependency on third-party cloud services.
  • Tech enthusiasts interested in exploring open-source alternatives to popular SaaS solutions.

Sandstorm.io videos

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DockSTARTer videos

Raspberry Pi 4: Ultimate Home Server with DockSTARTer

More videos:

  • Review - DOCKSTARTER Pumpfoil by HYDROFOIL.DE - easiest dock start on market

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Sandstorm.io and DockSTARTer)
Cloud Computing
67 67%
33% 33
Control Panels
43 43%
57% 57
VPS
100 100%
0% 0
Cloud Storage
59 59%
41% 41

User comments

Share your experience with using Sandstorm.io and DockSTARTer. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Sandstorm.io might be a bit more popular than DockSTARTer. We know about 30 links to it since March 2021 and only 27 links to DockSTARTer. 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 (30)

  • AI models need a virtual machine
    What you're speaking of is basically the capability security model [1], where you must explicitly pass into your software agent the capabilities that they are allowed to access, and there is physically no mechanism for them to do anything not on that list. Unfortunately, no mainstream OS actually implements the capability model, despite some prominent research attempts [2], some half-hearted attempts at... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • 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 / 8 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 / about 1 year 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 โ€œcomputerโ€ 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 / almost 2 years ago
View more

DockSTARTer mentions (27)

  • services and ssl are a nightmare
    I recommend Dockstarter if you're not that familiar with docker yet. It helps setting up everything and there's documentation available for every app. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Project Olympus - Recommendations/Ideas for further improvement
    PiHole is a pretty great project. It can introduce some microlag at page load which I solved by migrating it from a Pi4 to Ubuntu. https://dockstarter.com/. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Bash alias in container shell?
    I'm using dockstarter on Ubuntu 22.04, which is like docker with training wheels lol. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Guacamole: Error connecting to RDP server
    I'm trying to figure out why I can't get Guacamole remote desktop to work. I'm using the Guacamole that came with Dockstarter. This is the image. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Plex is running but I canโ€™t find it. Why?
    This can easily be achieved even without knowledge: https://dockstarter.com/. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

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

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

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

DebOps - Your Debian-based data center in a box

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

FLAP - The aim of FLAP is to facilitate the use of self-hosted services to allow more people to manage their numeric data.

UBOS - Linux distro that makes it 10x easier to run server-side apps like Nextcloud or Mastodon for your family, on PC, Raspberry Pi, cloud and others