Alternatives · Web Hosting
RunCloud alternatives
As of Nov 12, 2026, the highest-graded RunCloud alternative is GridPane (2.4 GPA). It's also the best free one.
RunCloud compared with 5 alternatives: GridPane, SpinupWP, Ploi, Laravel Forge and Cloudways.
RunCloud is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $9 per month (Essentials, billed monthly). 2 of the 5 alternatives are free or have a free plan. 2 more offer a free trial.
Listings checked up to Nov 12, 2026 · Where the facts come from
Black Friday: is there a RunCloud sale?
At a glance
Price against what you get
RunCloud starts at $9 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. None of the 5 alternatives on this chart both scores higher and starts lower.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
How each one differs from RunCloud
GridPane
WordPress server control panel with a free core plan
- GridPane starts at $19 per month and up (PeakFreq).
- GridPane has a free plan, which RunCloud lacks.
- GridPane also covers managed WordPress.
Suits: Agencies hosting many WordPress sites on servers they control
SpinupWP
WordPress server management for servers you rent yourself
- SpinupWP starts at $12 per month (Essentials, 1 server).
Suits: Developers and agencies who rent their own servers for WordPress
Ploi
Server and site management panel for PHP and Laravel apps
- Ploi starts at $10 per month (Basic, up to 5 servers).
- Ploi has a free plan, which RunCloud lacks.
- Ploi does not cover page speed, which RunCloud does.
Suits: Laravel and PHP developers running their own servers
Laravel Forge
Server management and deploys for Laravel, PHP and Node apps
- Laravel Forge starts at $12 per month (Hobby, monthly billing).
- Laravel Forge also covers workflow automation.
- Laravel Forge does not cover page speed, which RunCloud does.
Suits: Laravel developers who want flat-rate server management
Cloudways
Managed cloud hosting on DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS or Google
- Cloudways starts at $11 per month for a 1 GB DigitalOcean server, billed hourly.
- Cloudways also covers malware protection.
- Cloudways does not cover page speed, which RunCloud does.
Suits: Sites that have outgrown shared hosting but do not want to run a server
Limits worth knowing in RunCloud
- Servers are paid separately to your cloud provider.
- Essentials covers a single server; Professional starts at 50 servers.
- The RunCloud API, zero-downtime deployments and the web application firewall are limited to Business and above.
- The pricing page has a Monthly and an Annually toggle; only monthly figures could be read. It states a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to RunCloud?
The alternatives to RunCloud in this directory are GridPane, SpinupWP, Ploi, Laravel Forge and Cloudways. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with RunCloud.
Is there a free alternative to RunCloud?
Yes. GridPane and Ploi have a free plan alongside paid ones.
When were these prices checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 17, 2026 to Nov 12, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.