Self-hosted vs cloud trackers
An affiliate tracker can run on your own server (self-hosted) or as vendor-hosted SaaS. The choice affects cost at scale, data control, and migration — not the basic click → postback → report loop.
Self-hosted (ATracker on your VPS)
- Click and conversion data on infrastructure you control.
- License model instead of per-event SaaS fees — often better at high volume (exact totals depend on plan and server).
- Requires basic Linux, DNS, and SSL for tracking domains.
- Migration from Keitaro/Binom via Tracker Import.
Cloud SaaS (Voluum, RedTrack, BeMob, etc.)
- Fast start without your own server; vendor handles scaling and updates.
- Typical billing — subscription and/or event tiers; check each vendor's official pricing page for current plans.
- Data stored with the provider; export and retention follow their terms.
When teams pick which
| Situation | Often |
|---|---|
| Testing a vertical, low volume | Cloud trial or self-hosted trial |
| High click volume, strict data control | Self-hosted |
| Existing VPS for landings | Self-hosted on same or adjacent server |
| Brand-by-brand comparison | /compare, how to choose a tracker |
Network and container restarts
On every container start the tracker fetches a decryption key from the license server (license.atracker.io / your gateway). A short outage while the process is already running is usually covered by heartbeat grace. A restart or OTA while the gateway is unreachable is downtime: the key is not cached on disk, so the container will not start until the gateway is back. Do not isolate the host from the license gateway during reboot, maintenance, or OTA. Moving to a new VPS: use «Change server» in the client cabinet, then pass SERVER_MOVE_TOKEN to install-atracker.sh.
ATracker is self-hosted; managed cloud is available on request. Start with admin overview and first campaign guide.