Overview
Monica sign-in
The Monica sign-in page, served on first boot with a per-instance administrator login and no manual setup wizard.
Monica sign-in
Monica dashboard
Contact profile
This is a repackaged open source software product wherein additional charges apply for cloudimg support services.
Overview
Monica is the open source personal relationship manager - a self-hosted CRM for your personal life. Keep track of the people who matter to you: record how and when you interacted with them, set reminders for birthdays and important dates, log gifts, notes, debts, tasks, activities, journal entries and relationships between contacts.
This AMI delivers Monica4.1 fully installed and configured so a complete personal CRM is running within minutes of launch - no manual setup wizard, no schema migration, and no scheduler configuration required.
Why This AMI Instead of a DIY Deployment
Deploying Monica manually means configuring nginx, PHP-FPM with OPcache, MariaDB, Laravel's task scheduler via cron or systemd, volume layout for uploads and database, credential generation, and application-key rotation. This image eliminates all of that:
- Zero-touch deployment - Launch the instance, browse to its address, and sign in. The schema, reference data, web server, and scheduler are pre-configured.
- Dedicated resizable volumes - Application files, uploads, and the database each reside on independent EBS volumes you can resize without rebuilding.
- Disabled signups - Only the per-instance administrator account exists, so there is no exposure window from open registration.
- Automatic credential generation - A first-boot service creates a unique Laravel application key, MariaDB password, and admin password, then stores the admin login in a root-only file. No shared or default credentials ever ship in the image.
Compared to generic Docker Compose deployments or community images, this AMI provides a hardened, production-ready stack with professional support included.
Application Stack
Monica is a Laravel application running on PHP 8.3 with OPcache, served by nginx with php-fpm. MariaDB provides the database backend. The Laravel task scheduler runs every minute through a systemd timer to process reminders and queued jobs.
Secure By Default
On first boot a one-shot systemd service generates a fresh Laravel application key, a fresh MariaDB password, and a fresh administrator account password - all unique to that instance. The instance's own address is set as the application URL automatically. The database is created empty at image build time, so no personal data ships in the image.
Example Use Case
A solo consultant managing200+ client relationships launches this AMI in a private VPC. After signing in, they import contacts via CardDAV sync from their phone, set birthday and follow-up reminders, and log meeting notes after each call. All data stays within their AWS account - no third-party SaaS involved. The dedicated storage volumes let them scale the database independently as their contact list grows.
Additional Scenarios
- A family office tracking relationship notes and important dates across generations with full data residency in a chosen AWS Region.
- A healthcare professional logging patient interaction notes under strict privacy requirements, keeping data out of multi-tenant platforms.
- Anyone who wants a private alternative to commercial contact managers while retaining full control over backups and exports.
cloudimg Support
24/7 technical support by email and live chat. Our engineers help with Monica deployment, upgrades, performance tuning, email relay configuration, CardDAV and CalDAV sync, two-factor authentication setup, and database administration. Critical issues receive a one-hour average response.
Getting Started
- Launch the AMI with a recommended instance type (t3.small or larger).
- Ensure your security group allows inbound traffic on ports 80 and 443.
- SSH into the instance and retrieve the generated admin credentials from the root-only file.
- Browse to the instance's public IP or DNS address.
- Sign in with the admin credentials and begin adding contacts, reminders, and notes.
All product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.
Highlights
- Deploy a complete personal CRM in minutes instead of hours: Monica 4.1 ships pre-configured with nginx, PHP 8.3, OPcache, MariaDB, and the Laravel task scheduler - no manual setup wizard, no schema migration, and no cron configuration. Application files, uploads, and the database reside on dedicated EBS volumes you can resize independently. Signups are disabled so only your administrator account exists. This eliminates the deployment headaches of DIY installs and unsupported community images.
- Security without shared credentials: Unlike many AMIs that ship default passwords, every instance generates its own unique Laravel application key, MariaDB password, and administrator password on first boot via a one-shot systemd service. Credentials are stored in a root-only file - never exposed in logs or metadata. No personal data ships in the image, and the application URL is set automatically. This closes the security gap that exists with generic Docker or manual deployments.
- 24/7 expert support that goes beyond break-fix: cloudimg engineers assist with CardDAV and CalDAV sync configuration, two-factor authentication setup, email relay integration, performance tuning, upgrades, and database administration - areas where unsupported community images leave you on your own. Critical issues receive a one-hour average response by email or live chat, so you have professional backing for a production personal CRM.
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Pricing
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Dimension | Description | Cost/hour |
|---|---|---|
m5.large Recommended | m5.large | $0.08 |
t3.micro | t3.micro instance type | $0.04 |
t2.micro | t2.micro instance type | $0.04 |
c6a.24xlarge | c6a.24xlarge instance type | $0.24 |
m6a.large | m6a.large instance type | $0.08 |
c5n.4xlarge | c5n.4xlarge instance type | $0.24 |
r5a.2xlarge | r5a.2xlarge instance type | $0.24 |
d3en.8xlarge | d3en.8xlarge instance type | $0.24 |
c7a.12xlarge | c7a.12xlarge instance type | $0.24 |
c8id.48xlarge | c8id.48xlarge instance type | $0.24 |
Vendor refund policy
Refunds available on request.
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Delivery details
64-bit (x86) Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
An AMI is a virtual image that provides the information required to launch an instance. Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) instances are virtual servers on which you can run your applications and workloads, offering varying combinations of CPU, memory, storage, and networking resources. You can launch as many instances from as many different AMIs as you need.
Version release notes
Initial release of Monica 4.1 self-hosted personal CRM.
Additional details
Usage instructions
Connect via SSH on port 22 as the default login user for your operating system variant (the user guide lists it per variant; on Ubuntu it is 'ubuntu'). Monica is served on port 80. Retrieve the generated administrator login with: sudo cat /root/monica-credentials.txt. Browse to http://<instance-public-ip>/ and sign in with the admin email and that password (the instance's address is set as APP_URL on first boot). Services are managed with systemctl (nginx, php8.3-fpm, mariadb); admin CLI tasks use 'sudo -u www-data php /var/www/monica/artisan ...'. To enable HTTPS, follow the Let's Encrypt section of the user guide.
Resources
Vendor resources
Support
Vendor support
cloudimg Support
cloudimg provides 24/7 technical support for this Monica AMI product by email and live chat.
Scope of Support
Our engineers assist with:
- Initial deployment and first-boot credential retrieval
- Monica upgrades and patch application
- Email relay and SMTP configuration
- CardDAV and CalDAV sync setup
- Two-factor authentication enablement
- Performance tuning and PHP/OPcache optimization
- MariaDB database administration and backups
- EBS volume resizing and storage management
- Troubleshooting application errors and connectivity issues
Response Times
Critical issues receive a one-hour average response. All inquiries are handled by engineers familiar with the Monica application stack and the underlying AWS infrastructure.
How to Get Help
Email: support@cloudimg.co.uk Live chat: Available 24/7
For refund requests or billing inquiries, contact us via the same channels and we will assist promptly.
Recommended Instance Sizing
For personal use with up to a few hundred contacts, a t3.small instance provides adequate compute. For heavier workloads or faster page loads, consider t3.medium or larger. Storage volumes can be resized independently as your data grows.
AWS infrastructure support
AWS Support is a one-on-one, fast-response support channel that is staffed 24x7x365 with experienced and technical support engineers. The service helps customers of all sizes and technical abilities to successfully utilize the products and features provided by Amazon Web Services.