FAQ
18 questions agencies ask
Every answer below is a restatement of something getclientos.com or its documentation states, and each one names where to check it. Where the site says nothing on a subject, the answer says that instead of filling the gap.
What does self-hosted mean in practice?
ClientOS runs on a Linux server you rent and control, with its own PostgreSQL database, its own file storage and its own HTTPS certificates. Email goes out through your Resend account or your own SMTP server, and payments go straight to your gateway accounts. The only thing that leaves your server is a licence check-in twice a day, carrying your signed licence and the version you run — no client, order or invoice data.
How much does ClientOS cost?
It is a one-time licence, one per domain: Start-up $490 with 3 months of updates, Standard $990 with 12 months, Premium $1,790 with 2 years and two agency licences, and a quoted Custom package with lifetime updates. There is no monthly fee, no per-seat pricing and no cut of your payments. Your only running cost is the server, which the site puts at about $10 a month.
What happens when my updates run out?
Nothing stops. ClientOS keeps running on the version you have, and you can renew to get newer releases. Lifetime updates come with the Custom package.
What do I need to run it?
A Linux VPS with 2 to 4 GB of RAM running Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 or Debian 12, a domain you can add one A record to, your licence key, and an email account to send from — Resend or your own SMTP server. One command installs everything else, including Docker, PostgreSQL, file storage and HTTPS.
How long does installing it take?
The docs put the install at about 10 minutes — one command, then connecting your domain in the browser — and the setup page that follows at about two minutes. Allow 20 to 40 minutes in total for first run, because most of that time is spent in your email provider’s dashboard adding SPF and DKIM records.
I am not technical. Can someone set it up for me?
Yes. Installing is one command, but on the Premium and Custom packages the ClientOS team installs it on your server, connects email and payments, and hands over a working portal.
Can I move over from my current client portal?
On Start-up and Standard you bring your clients in yourself from a CSV file, with column mapping. On Premium and Custom the ClientOS team moves your data for you, or builds a migration tool for it. Their published Dot Mirror case study describes a Wayfront importer bringing over clients, orders, messages, invoices and files.
Which payment methods can my clients use?
Cards and wallets through Stripe, PayPal, crypto through NOWPayments, CoinGate or your own BTCPay Server, manual payments to your own wallets, and account credit. Money goes straight to your accounts and ClientOS takes no cut.
Is it really white-label?
It runs on your own domain with your logos, two brand colours, your client-facing words and your email templates. The ClientOS name is not shown to clients anywhere — not in the portal, not in the emails and not on the invoices.
Can the ClientOS team see my clients or their data?
No. ClientOS runs entirely on your server, and your database and files never leave it. The only thing it sends is a licence check-in twice a day: the signed licence and the version you run.
What happens if my server cannot reach the licence server?
ClientOS keeps working and your team sees a warning saying when the grace period ends, which is seven days after the last successful check-in. After that — or immediately if the key is revoked or released — the admin becomes read-only. The client portal keeps working, checkout and webhooks keep working, and nothing is deleted.
Do I get the source code? Is ClientOS open source?
No. ClientOS is delivered as ready-built, SHA-256-verified Docker images with a one-command installer, which is what keeps installing and updating to a single command. It is self-hosted but not open source. Custom work is available if you need a change.
How many clients and staff can I have?
Every package states unlimited clients, staff and orders. The licence is counted per domain, not per seat: Start-up and Standard cover one agency, Premium covers two, and each extra install is its own licence.
Who is ClientOS for?
Teams that sell defined services — design, development, marketing, SEO, content, video or consulting, one-off or on retainer. The docs describe it as built for agencies and freelancers who sell services as products: fixed packages, clear deliverables, a delivery time and a price.
What languages does the portal support?
The interface is in English. You can rename the words your clients see, such as menu labels and headings, from the settings.
Can I try it before buying?
Yes. The instant demo emails you a login to a live ClientOS with sample clients, orders and invoices — the full agency admin and the client portal. It is read-only and works for 3 days. No call, no card.
Do backups happen automatically?
No, and this is worth knowing before you go live. One command — clientos backup — writes the database, your files and your settings into a folder, but the docs are explicit that nothing runs it for you until you schedule it. They give a cron line for a daily 03:00 backup and tell you to copy the folder off the server.
Who makes ClientOS?
Vibemonk. Licence keys are issued in a vibemonk.com account under Licenses, together with the installer download.
What getclientos.com does not say
A fair FAQ has to include the questions it cannot answer. These were all looked for on 29 October 2026 and are not published anywhere on the official site — so this one does not answer them either. Ask the ClientOS team directly if any of them decide your purchase.
- What renewing updates costs. The site says ClientOS keeps running on your version and that you can renew for newer releases, but publishes no renewal price.
- Whether there is a refund policy. No refund window or guarantee is stated.
- How many agencies run it. No customer count, revenue figure, rating or review score is published. One named case study is — Dot Mirror, a link building agency — and we treat it as the vendor’s own claim rather than independent proof.
- Compliance and certification. No SOC 2, ISO 27001 or GDPR certification claim, and no data processing agreement, is published. Self-hosting changes who the data controller and processor are, which may be the point for you — but it is a question for your own counsel, not something the site answers.
- An uptime SLA. None is stated, and on a self-hosted product uptime is mostly your server’s, not the vendor’s.
- A public API reference. The API runs on your own domain at
/v1as part of the product, but no API documentation is published. - Whether there is a mobile app. None is mentioned. The docs describe the client portal working on a phone, in a browser.
Still deciding?
What it really costs
The four licence prices, plus every other line of the actual bill — server, domain, email, gateway fees — including the ones ClientOS does not charge for.
Pricing summary →What self-hosting involves
The real work, in order: server, DNS, the command, browser setup, email, payments — and the backup schedule you have to add yourself.
Install guide →How it compares
Against Wayfront, Zendo and Agency Handy, from each vendor’s own published pricing — including who should stay where they are.
Comparisons →Ask them directly
The official site’s own FAQ and contact form. A person replies within one working day, with payment details or a demo if you ask for one.
getclientos.com →See it working before you decide anything
The instant demo emails you a login to a live ClientOS — the full agency admin and client portal with sample data. Read-only, so you can click anything. Your login works for 3 days. No call, no card.