RackNerd's one-click apps explained

In September 2026, RackNerd launched ctrl, its own control panel for VPS plans. Alongside the usual reboot, console and reinstall buttons, it offers one-click apps: pick an app, and ctrl sets up a server with it installed. The list includes control panels for websites, Docker tools, a VPN, workflow automation and several AI tools.

This guide explains what each app is for, which plan size each one needs, how to choose between the similar ones, and the steps to take straight after installing so the server is safe. The most important thing to know comes first: installing a one-click app erases everything on the server, including the operating system. Use it on a new or empty server only.

What is in this guide

• A few words you will see
• How one-click apps work
• The apps at a glance
• Website control panels: which one?
• Coolify or Portainer?
• The AI apps
• WireGuard and n8n
• One-click or manual install?
• Ten minutes after installing
• The ctrl network firewall
• Troubleshooting
• Limits
• When to step up

A few words you will see

Term	What it means
ctrl	RackNerd's control panel for managing your VPS from a web browser.
One-click app	A ready-made server setup with an app installed, created for you by ctrl.
Control panel	Here, also software on your server, such as CloudPanel, that manages websites through a web page.
Container	A packaged app that runs separately from the rest of the server, usually with Docker.
Admin port	The network port an app's management page listens on.
Network firewall	ctrl's optional filter that blocks traffic before it reaches your server.

How one-click apps work

1. In ctrl, you choose a one-click app for your VPS.
2. ctrl erases the server, installs a fresh operating system and then installs the app. RackNerd's own pages warn that this cannot be undone.
3. When it finishes, ctrl shows the login details for the app.
4. You still have full root SSH access, and the server is unmanaged: updates and security are yours.

If the server already holds anything, back it up and copy it off first. See using a storage VPS for backups. Setup can take a while, so give it time before assuming it has failed.

The apps at a glance

The minimum sizes are those RackNerd lists in ctrl at the time of writing. Treat them as minimums: real use, with data and visitors, often needs more.

App	What it is	RackNerd's minimum	Good for
CloudPanel	A light control panel for PHP websites, built on nginx	1 vCPU, 2 GB	WordPress and PHP sites without the command line
CyberPanel	A website control panel built on OpenLiteSpeed	1 vCPU, 1 GB	WordPress sites with built-in caching
AdminBolt	A hosting control panel, installed on AlmaLinux 9. RackNerd mentions a free trial, so check its licence	2 vCPU, 2 GB	People who want a fuller hosting panel
Webmin	A web page for managing the Linux system itself: users, services, files and settings	1 vCPU, 1 GB	Managing a server without the command line
Coolify	A self-hosted platform for deploying apps from Git or Docker, with automatic HTTPS	2 vCPU, 2 GB	Developers deploying several apps
Portainer	A web page for managing Docker containers	1 vCPU, 2 GB	Running self-hosted apps in Docker
WireGuard (wg-easy)	A WireGuard VPN with a web page for adding devices	1 vCPU, 1 GB	A personal VPN in minutes
n8n	Workflow automation with AI steps	2 vCPU, 2 GB	Automating tasks between apps
Ollama	Runs local AI models	2 vCPU, 4 GB	Trying small models privately
AnythingLLM	Chat with your own documents	2 vCPU, 4 GB	Private document search
LibreChat	A chat interface for many AI providers	2 vCPU, 4 GB	One private place for AI chats
Hermes Agent	A personal AI agent that works through chat apps	2 vCPU, 4 GB	An assistant that carries out tasks
OpenClaw	A popular, powerful personal AI agent	4 vCPU, 8 GB	Agents with many tools and integrations

Website control panels: which one?

CloudPanel, CyberPanel and AdminBolt make a VPS feel more like shared hosting: create sites, databases and certificates from a web page. Webmin is different, as it manages the server rather than websites.

If you want	Consider
A light, simple panel for a few PHP sites	CloudPanel
WordPress with the LiteSpeed caching plugin	CyberPanel
A fuller hosting panel, and you are happy with AlmaLinux and its licence terms	AdminBolt
To manage system settings through a web page	Webmin
To learn how servers work	No panel. Follow installing WordPress on a VPS

Panels save time but add their own software to update, and their admin pages are a favourite target for bots. Keep them private, as shown in ten minutes after installing. If you only want one simple website and no server work at all, shared hosting may still be the easier choice.

Coolify or Portainer?

	Coolify	Portainer
What it does	Deploys apps for you, from Git or Docker images, with domains and HTTPS	Shows and manages the containers you run
Feels like	A hosting platform	A dashboard for Docker
Best for	Developers shipping their own apps	Self-hosters running ready-made apps
Learning curve	Moderate	Gentle, if you know Docker basics

Both rely on Docker, which uses some memory of its own. Installing and using Docker on a VPS explains the basics, including why Docker's published ports can bypass UFW.

The AI apps

Ollama, AnythingLLM, LibreChat, Hermes Agent and OpenClaw all need at least 4 GB in ctrl, and OpenClaw needs 8 GB. A few things to know before installing any of them:

• Local models are slow on CPU. Ollama runs models on the server's processor. Small models work, but expect slow answers. See what AI you can run on a 4 GB VPS.
• Many work best with an API. LibreChat, AnythingLLM and the agents can use hosted models through an API key. Set a spending limit on that key.
• Agents need extra care. Hermes Agent and OpenClaw can run commands and use your accounts. Give them a server of their own and follow the rules in running a self-hosted AI agent on a VPS.

The whole AI series is in self-hosted AI on a VPS: the complete series.

WireGuard and n8n

WireGuard with wg-easy gives you a VPN with a web page for adding phones and laptops, which is quicker than the manual setup in setting up a WireGuard VPN. The web page is the weak point: anyone who reaches it can add devices to your VPN. Keep it private, and use a strong password.

n8n connects apps and automates tasks. Its workflows often hold API keys for other services, so protect its login well. See automating with n8n on a small VPS.

One-click or manual install?

	One-click	Manual
Time to a working app	Minutes	An hour or more
What you learn	Little about what was installed	How every part fits together
Control over versions and settings	Set for you	Yours to choose
Existing data on the server	Erased	Kept
Fixing problems later	Harder if you do not know what was installed	Easier

A good compromise: use one-click to get going, then spend half an hour finding out what it installed, where its files live and how it updates. The commands in useful Linux server tools help.

Ten minutes after installing

1. Save the login details ctrl shows into your password manager, then change any default or generated admin password inside the app.
2. Secure SSH. Add your SSH key and turn off password login. See how to connect with SSH and set up SSH keys.
3. See what is listening:

   sudo ss -tulpn

   Note each port and which program owns it. Admin pages are the ones to protect.
4. Turn on a firewall that allows only what must be public. On Ubuntu or Debian:

   sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
   sudo ufw allow 80,443/tcp
   sudo ufw enable

   Add a VPN port only if you installed WireGuard. Apps installed on AlmaLinux, such as AdminBolt, use firewalld instead. Follow the app's documentation.
5. Restrict admin pages. Where an app allows it, bind its admin page to 127.0.0.1 and use an SSH tunnel, or allow its port only from your own IP address, for example sudo ufw allow from YOUR_IP to any port PORT proto tcp. Docker-based apps can bypass UFW, so check with ss again afterwards.
6. Turn off open sign-up in any app that allows public registration.
7. Turn on automatic security updates. See a beginner's guide to securing your VPS.
8. Find out how the app updates and put a weekly reminder in your calendar.
9. Set up backups of the app's data, off the server.

The ctrl network firewall

ctrl also offers a network firewall that filters traffic before it reaches your server. It is off by default, and RackNerd does not block any ports for you. If you turn it on, traffic must be allowed by both the ctrl firewall and the firewall on the server itself, such as UFW. That gives you two layers, but also two places to check when something does not connect.

If firewall rules ever cut you off, the browser console in ctrl still works, so you can log in and fix them.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
Install seems stuck	Setup is still running	Wait, then check ctrl. Use the console to see what the server is doing
App page does not load	Firewall blocks its port, or the ctrl firewall is on	Check sudo ufw status and the ctrl firewall rules
App page loads for everyone, not just you	Admin port open to the internet	Restrict it as in step 5, and check Docker ports with ss
Lost the login details	Not saved after install	Check ctrl, or reset the password with the app's own documented method
Server slow or apps crashing	Plan below what the app really needs	Check free -h and step up a size
Earlier files are gone	One-click install erased the server	Restore from your off-server backup

Limits

• One-click erases the server. There is no undo.
• Still unmanaged. RackNerd installs the app, but updating and securing it afterwards is your job, and support usually cannot help with the app itself.
• The list will change. RackNerd says more apps are planned, and minimum sizes may be revised. Check ctrl for the current list.
• Licences apply. Some apps, such as AdminBolt, are commercial. Check each app's licence and any trial terms.
• Minimums are minimums. Plan for more memory once real data and users arrive. Swap is a safety net, not extra RAM.
• Rules still apply. Unmetered does not mean unlimited, and RackNerd's acceptable use policy covers what each app does.

When to step up

Choose the plan from the app's real needs, not just the listed minimum. A website panel with several busy sites is happier on 4 GB. Docker platforms with several apps, and most AI apps, are happier on 4 GB to 8 GB. OpenClaw needs 8 GB to start with. How to read VPS specs helps you compare plans.

To compare what is available now, start with the cheapest RackNerd VPS guide and check the sales page.