{"id":"8aef2bc2-83f4-4a98-ab2b-1f0aed0e29b6","slug":"vps-panel","kind":"mcp","name":"vps-panel","summary":"Free, self-hosted cPanel alternative for an Ubuntu VPS: deploy Node.js apps, domains, SSL, DNS, email with webmail, databases and backups. Rust agent + Next.js UI, with an MCP server for AI agents.","owner":"Meliorate-agency","repoUrl":"https://github.com/Meliorate-agency/vps-panel","license":"AGPL-3.0","licenseTier":"strong-copyleft","trust":"community","stars":1,"match":null,"fewStars":true,"format":"mcp","createdAt":"2026-10-09T17:52:56.000Z","addedAt":"2026-10-21T05:17:57.921Z","logoUrl":"https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/146561984?v=4","linkOnly":false,"collection":null,"skillPath":null,"categories":["cloud-infra","productivity","design-media"],"tags":["control-panel","cpanel-alternative","devops","dovecot","email-server","hosting-panel","letsencrypt","nextjs"],"runtime":"binary","local":true,"cloudCapable":false,"cloudCapability":"unknown","cloudReadyOnPlatform":false,"needsApiKey":false,"reviewed":false,"syncedAt":"2026-10-21T05:31:10.218Z","sample":false,"url":"https://conduits.dev/tools/vps-panel","language":"TypeScript","transports":["stdio"],"install":{},"requirements":{"env":[],"upstreamMayCharge":false},"tools":null,"readme":"# <img src=\"docs/logo.svg\" alt=\"\" width=\"52\" align=\"top\"> Bolt Panel\n\n**A free, self-hosted cPanel alternative for your own Ubuntu VPS.** Deploy Node.js apps from Git, any Docker image, or your own Dockerfile, run your domains, SSL, DNS and email with webmail, and manage databases and backups from one fast panel. Point Claude or any other MCP client at it and let an AI agent do the clicking.\n\n[![License: AGPL-3.0](https://img.shields.io/github/license/Meliorate-agency/vps-panel)](LICENSE)\n![Ubuntu 24.04](https://img.shields.io/badge/Ubuntu-24.04_LTS-E95420?logo=ubuntu&logoColor=white)\n![Rust agent](https://img.shields.io/badge/agent-Rust-B7410E?logo=rust)\n![Next.js UI](https://img.shields.io/badge/UI-Next.js_16-000000?logo=nextdotjs)\n[![GitHub stars](https://img.shields.io/github/stars/Meliorate-agency/vps-panel?style=social)](https://github.com/Meliorate-agency/vps-panel/stargazers)\n\n![Bolt Panel dashboard](docs/screenshots/dashboard.png)\n\n## Why Bolt Panel\n\n- **Free and open source.** AGPL-3.0, no per-account licence, no telemetry.\n- **Light.** nginx, a Rust agent and a Next.js UI. No Apache/PHP stack to babysit; a 2 GB VPS is enough.\n- **Git or Docker image to running app in one form.** Each app gets its own systemd service, an nginx vhost and a Let's Encrypt cert, with \"update available\" badges and one-click updates that roll back if the new version does not come up.\n- **Your own mail server, done right.** Postfix, Dovecot and Rspamd with DKIM, SPF and DMARC published for you, Roundcube webmail, forwarders, catch-alls and delivery tracking.\n- **AI-ready.** A built-in MCP server exposes 50+ tools to Claude Desktop, Cursor or your own agent, with read-only or full-access tokens and an audit log of every call.\n- **Safe by design.** The UI never runs as root: a small Rust agent does privileged work over a Unix socket. The installer hardens the OS (ufw, fail2ban, AppArmor, unattended-upgrades, SSH, sysctl).\n\n## Features\n\n- **Apps:** deploy Node.js apps from Git or a folder, or any public Docker image (Uptime Kuma, Gitea, Metabase...), or build your own repository's Dockerfile in any language, with env, kept folders and memory/CPU limits. Start/stop/restart, update checks with automatic rollback, folders to group them.\n- **Domains and DNS:** nginx sites (reverse proxy to a port, static folder, redirects), authoritative DNS with PowerDNS, one-click DNSSEC.\n- **SSL:** in-process ACME (Let's Encrypt), automatic renewal.\n- **Mail:** virtual mailboxes with quotas, DKIM signing, forwarders and catch-alls, delivery tracking, Roundcube webmail where each person sets their own filters and Out of Office.\n- **Databases:** MariaDB and PostgreSQL users, databases and grants, SQL dump import, phpMyAdmin and pgAdmin.\n- **One-click installs:** Docker, Redis, Qdrant, n8n, phpMyAdmin, pgAdmin, Roundcube, Tailscale.\n- **Operations:** encrypted, deduplicated backups with restic, cron jobs, live logs, a web terminal, task progress, audit log, health charts, email and webhook notifications.\n- **Security:** firewall and fail2ban bans from the UI, SSH keys and sshd settings, TOTP two-factor login, panel IP allowlist, admin and user roles.\n- **My Networks:** link several servers and see their status in one panel.\n- **Themes:** nine built-in colour themes or your own, and the panel updates itself from GitHub.\n\n## Screenshots\n\n<table>\n  <tr>\n    <td><a href=\"docs/screenshots/apps.png\"><img src=\"docs/screenshots/apps.png\" alt=\"Apps: Git deploys and one-click installs\"></a><br><sub><b>Apps</b>: Git deploys, update badges and one-click installs</sub></td>\n    <td><a href=\"docs/screenshots/domains.png\"><img src=\"docs/screenshots/domains.png\" alt=\"Domains: routing, SSL and DNS\"></a><br><sub><b>Domains</b>: routing, SSL and DNS in one table</sub></td>\n  </tr>\n  <tr>\n    <td><a href=\"docs/screenshots/mailboxes.png\"><img src=\"docs/screenshots/mailboxes.png\" alt=\"Mailboxes: quotas, forwarders, delivery tracking\"></a><br><sub><b>Mail</b>: mailboxes, forwarders, catch-alls and delivery tracking</sub></td>\n    <td><a href=\"docs/screenshots/mcp.png\"><img src=\"docs/screenshots/mcp.png\" alt=\"MCP server for AI agents\"></a><br><sub><b>MCP</b>: connect Claude or any MCP client in one paste</sub></td>\n  </tr>\n  <tr>\n    <td colspan=\"2\"><a href=\"docs/screenshots/themes.png\"><img src=\"docs/screenshots/themes.png\" alt=\"Themes\"></a><br><sub><b>Themes</b>: shown here in Dragon, one of nine presets</sub></td>\n  </tr>\n</table>\n\n## Bolt Panel or cPanel?\n\n| | Bolt Panel | cPanel |\n|---|---|---|\n| Price | Free, open source | Paid licence per account |\n| Built for | One owner running their own apps, mail and DNS | Hosting many separate customer accounts |\n| Stack | nginx, Rust agent, Next.js | Apache, PHP, Exim |\n| Deploying apps | Node.js from Git, any Docker image or your own Dockerfile, one form | PHP first; Node via Passenger |\n| AI agents | Built-in MCP server | Classic APIs |\n| Several servers | One view (My Networks) | One WHM per server |\n| PHP / WordPress | Not supported | Yes |\n| Resellers, customer accounts | Not supported | Yes |\n\n## Install\n\nOn a fresh Ubuntu 24.04 server, as root:\n\n```bash\ngit clone https://github.com/Meliorate-agency/vps-panel.git /root/vps-panel-src\nbash /root/vps-panel-src/scripts/install.sh --domain panel.example.com --email you@example.com\n```\n\nThe script installs everything, generates secrets, creates system users, brings up the agent and the panel, and prints the bootstrap admin credentials. Leave out `--domain` / `--email` to be asked, or to install in IP-only mode. Step by step: [FIRST_INSTALL.md](FIRST_INSTALL.md). Updates, uninstall and recovery: [docs/DEPLOY.md](docs/DEPLOY.md). Threat model and hardening: [docs/SECURITY.md](docs/SECURITY.md).\n\n## Develop\n\nFor local development on a workstation (no system mutations, no privileged paths):\n\n- `npm install`\n- `npm run dev`  - panel on `http://localhost:10000`\n- `cargo check --manifest-path agent/Cargo.toml` - the agent will only fully build/run on Linux because of UnixListener and `nix` requirements.\n\n## Out of scope\n\nPHP hosting, containerised app deploys, multi-server orchestration.\n\n## License\n\n[AGPL-3.0](LICENSE). You may use, change and share it; if you run a modified version as a service for others, you must publish your changes under the same license.\n\nIf Bolt Panel saves you a cPanel licence or an afternoon of server setup, a star helps other people find it.\n"}