Comparison
Free WHMCS alternative for Apache CloudStack
WHMCS is a general web-hosting billing platform. Selling Apache CloudStack virtual machines also needs hourly metering, VM actions in the customer area and a portal that talks to CloudStack. NexCMP is a self-hosted CloudStack billing and customer portal build that is free.
Written by NexCMP, a vendor in this comparison, so every claim about other products links to its source. Pages read on 2026-10-19.
Does WHMCS support Apache CloudStack?
The WHMCS pricing page does not mention CloudStack. The WHMCS Marketplace lists one third-party module, “Apache CloudStack Automation for WHMCS” by WHMCSModule Networks ($45.00 on 2026-10-30): it manages CloudStack instances (VM lifecycle, admin and client-area tools, cloud-init and SSH keys), is described as based on the CloudStack API 4.15 and 4.17, and was last updated on 11 December 2022. The listing does not mention hourly or usage billing.
whmcsmodule.net lists a module with the same name at €30.00 as an “automated provisioning & management module”; that listing does not mention hourly or usage billing either.
ModulesGarden’s Advanced Billing for WHMCS ($35.95) lists “Hourly Billing For Any WHMCS Module”; its page names cPanel, Proxmox VE, OpenStack, SolusVM, Virtualizor and other integrations, and does not mention CloudStack.
What are the ways to sell CloudStack VMs with billing?
What each vendor publishes, read on 2026-10-19. Prices exclude tax.
WHMCS + a third-party module
- CloudStack support
- One third-party module in the WHMCS Marketplace (API 4.15 and 4.17, last updated December 2022); a module with the same name is listed on whmcsmodule.net.
- Hourly VM billing
- Needs an add-on such as ModulesGarden's Advanced Billing, which does not name CloudStack.
- Customer portal for VMs
- WHMCS client area plus whatever the module provides.
- Published price
- WHMCS from $34.95/month; CloudStack module $45.00 on the Marketplace (€30.00 on whmcsmodule.net); Advanced Billing $35.95.
Source: whmcs.com/pricing · accessed 2026-10-30
HostBill + its CloudStack module
- CloudStack support
- A CloudStack module sold by HostBill.
- Hourly VM billing
- Yes — hourly VM usage from staff-defined sizes, or metered billing (which needs the CloudStack Usage Server).
- Customer portal for VMs
- Client area: create VMs, take snapshots, manage network and firewall.
- Published price
- Included in Enterprise ($999), Data Center ($1,599) and All-Inclusive ($5,999), one-time; no standalone module price shown on the page on 2026-10-30.
Source: hostbillapp.com — CloudStack module · accessed 2026-10-30
Ubersmith + its CloudStack module
- CloudStack support
- A CloudStack billing service module.
- Hourly VM billing
- Prices each CloudStack service; root disks per fixed size or per GB. Hourly billing is not described in the article.
- Customer portal for VMs
- Not described in the article.
- Published price
- Not published.
Source: Ubersmith docs — Configuring CloudStack Billing Service Module · accessed 2026-10-19
NexCMP
- CloudStack support
- Built for Apache CloudStack (tested against 4.23) and Proxmox VE (from 1.3.0).
- Hourly VM billing
- Yes — hourly or monthly from a prepaid wallet.
- Customer portal for VMs
- Included: deploy, power actions, resize, console, snapshots, backups, data volumes, IPv4 and firewall.
- Published price
- Free, every module and app included.
Source: nexcmp.com/pricing · accessed 2026-10-19
What runs underneath
NexCMP is a Rust binary with an embedded database; WHMCS and HostBill are PHP applications. This compares architecture only, as each vendor documents it (read on 2026-10-30).
NexCMP
- Built with
- Rust server (axum, tokio), Vue 3 portal and admin, Go node agent
- What you install and run
- One binary with the web interface embedded and an embedded SQLite database; nginx in front, set up by the installer. No PHP, no ionCube Loader, no separate database server.
WHMCS
- Built with
- PHP
- What you install and run
- PHP 8.2, 8.3 or 8.4 with the ionCube Loader (15 or newer); MySQL (MariaDB may also work); a cron job; validated on the Apache web server.
Source: docs.whmcs.com — System Requirements · accessed 2026-10-30
HostBill
- Built with
- PHP
- What you install and run
- PHP 8.1 or newer (8.3 recommended) with ionCube Loaders 14.x or later; MySQL 5.7 or later with strict mode disabled.
Source: HostBill Docs — System requirements · accessed 2026-10-30
The technology page has the full list with Blesta, Paymenter and FOSSBilling. WHMCS and HostBill have large module ecosystems that NexCMP does not.
When should you keep WHMCS?
You sell more than cloud servers
WHMCS is a web hosting automation platform with a large integration ecosystem. NexCMP sells CloudStack virtual machines and its included modules only.
Your team and customers already live in WHMCS
Moving billing is a project. If WHMCS plus a CloudStack module already does what you need, switching may not pay off.
You need several platforms in one billing system
NexCMP connects to Apache CloudStack and Proxmox VE (from 1.3.0); OpenStack is in development.
When is NexCMP the better fit?
CloudStack is your platform
Hourly VM billing, the customer portal and the CloudStack actions arrive in one build, instead of a billing system plus a module plus a portal.
You want a fixed, predictable price
Free, against a WHMCS monthly plan that rises with your number of active clients.
You resell through partners
White-label resellers with their own domain, brand and wholesale wallet are included, with unlimited reseller domains.
Can NexCMP run alongside WHMCS?
NexCMP is a standalone system with its own customer accounts, wallet and invoices. It is not a WHMCS module, and this site does not describe a WHMCS integration.
You can keep WHMCS for your other products and run NexCMP for CloudStack servers on its own domain; customers would then have separate accounts in each system.
WHMCS and CloudStack — frequently asked questions
Is there a WHMCS module for Apache CloudStack?
Can WHMCS bill CloudStack VMs by the hour?
Is HostBill a better fit than WHMCS for CloudStack?
How does NexCMP's price compare with WHMCS?
Does NexCMP replace WHMCS completely?
Sources and notes
WHMCS, HostBill, Ubersmith and ModulesGarden are trademarks of their owners; NexCMP is not affiliated with or endorsed by them. Information was read from the public pages below on 2026-10-19. Pages change, so check the vendor before deciding. To report an error write to [email protected].
- whmcs.com/pricing
- WHMCS Marketplace — Apache CloudStack Automation for WHMCS
- whmcsmodule.net — services
- WHMCS Marketplace — Advanced Billing for WHMCS
- hostbillapp.com — CloudStack module
- hostbillapp.com/pricing
- HostBill docs — metered billing for CloudStack
- Ubersmith docs — Configuring CloudStack Billing Service Module
- docs.whmcs.com — System Requirements
- HostBill Docs — System requirements
Sell CloudStack servers with NexCMP
Free, every module and app included. Look at the customer portal first, or install it on your server today.
Last updated: