GridPane vs Ploi (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, GridPane grades higher than Ploi: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
GridPane grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
GridPane
WordPress server control panel with a free core plan
Ploi
Server and site management panel for PHP and Laravel apps
Which one is for you
Pick GridPane if
- Fits if you run many WordPress sites on servers you control
- Works for developers who want Git, WP-CLI and staging tools
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want hosting in one price, since you pay a server provider too
- Not for you if you host anything other than WordPress
- Tight if you're on Core: tickets, monitoring and backups need PeakFreq
- Watch out: the Panel and Developer Plus plans are closed to new sign-ups
Pick Ploi if
- Fits if you run Laravel or PHP apps on your own servers
- Works for freelancers who need one free server and site
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: 1 server, 1 site and 5 deployments a month
- Watch out: servers are billed separately
- Not for you if you need 24/7 support, as the FAQ says there isn't any
- Watch out: euro prices are converted to dollars at a rate that can move
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAGridPaneFair | 2.2GPAPloiFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CCore is $0 for up to 25 sites, but you also pay a server provider, so it's free only if you bring a server. PeakFreq managed servers start at $19 a month. | CBasic is $10 a month for 5 servers, Pro $16 and Unlimited $36, with server costs paid to your provider. Prices are set in euros and converted. |
| Free plan and trial | BCore is free forever, with page caching, Redis, a firewall, SSL and cloning. Server costs are on top. | CFree for 1 server, 1 site and 5 deployments a month, plus a 5-day Pro trial with no card. 5 deployments is a cap you'll hit. |
| Features | CCaching, firewall, staging, cloning, Git and WP-CLI. It does the WordPress server job fully, but WordPress is all it does, and support tickets, monitoring and backups are paid. | CProvisioning, Laravel-aware sites, queues, cron jobs, load balancing, an API and an MCP server. It does the server-panel job fully, but that's a smaller job than hosting. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You connect a server provider and set up servers before sites go live. | CNo store rating on record. You connect a provider and set up servers and sites. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with Vultr, WordPress, WP-CLI and Git. | BWeb only, with a mobile app listed, plus DigitalOcean, Hetzner, Vultr and AWS EC2. |
| Best for | a control panel for many WordPress sites | managing PHP and Laravel servers |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: GridPane and Ploi. How we grade
Price against what you get
GridPane starts at $19 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Ploi starts at $10 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Ploi starts $9 a month lower. Of the other web hosts on the chart, 6 score higher than GridPane for less, and 3 score higher than Ploi for less.
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
Where they differ
- GridPane also covers managed WordPress and page speed.
At a glance
| GridPane | Ploi | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $19 per month and up (PeakFreq) | $10 per month (Basic, up to 5 servers) |
| Free plan | Core plan: free forever, up to 25 websites on your own Vultr server or a managed PeakFreq server, with server page caching, Redis object caching, a 7G firewall, SSL certificates and cloning. | 1 server, 1 site and 5 deployments per month. |
| Free trial | None listed | 5-day trial of the Pro plan, no credit card required; it then drops to the free plan. |
| Web | ||
| Made by | GridPane, Inc | Ploi |
| Price read from | gridpane.com | ploi.io |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
GridPane
- The free Core plan does not include server costs; you pay your provider, and Vultr is the one the plans page names.
- The Panel and Developer Plus plans are no longer open for sign-up, according to the plans page FAQ.
- Support ticket access, server monitoring and backups are listed under the paid PeakFreq plan, not Core.
- It is built for WordPress; no other platforms are advertised.
Ploi
- Ploi does not include server fees; you pay your server provider separately.
- The pricing page prices in euros and shows dollar figures converted at an exchange rate that can vary.
- There is no 24/7 support, according to the pricing page FAQ.
- Team management, backups, monitoring and other features are listed by plan in a comparison table; the free plan stops at 1 server and 5 deployments a month.
Key features
GridPane
- Caching and firewall
- The Core plan lists server page caching, Redis object caching, a 7G firewall and A+ grade SSL certificates.
- Staging and cloning
- The site lists cloning tools and advanced staging, with Git, GP-CLI and WP-CLI for developers.
- Backups
- Local and remote backups are listed among the management features, and PeakFreq includes them.
- Snapshot Failover
- A Snapshot Failover feature is listed under management, along with full log access and one-click phpMyAdmin.
- Managed servers
- PeakFreq servers are run by GridPane on Vultr; the page also describes a service of fully managed single-site hosting.
- Multitenancy
- The site describes converting a site network into a software-as-a-service setup that manages thousands of sites from one codebase.
Ploi
- Server installation
- Servers are provisioned with NGINX, PHP and Redis/Valkey by default, on providers including DigitalOcean, Hetzner, Vultr and AWS EC2.
- Laravel-aware site management
- The panel detects Laravel apps, and also lists WordPress support, deployments, queues, cron jobs and multiple PHP versions.
- Load balancing and status pages
- Traffic can be spread over several servers, and custom status pages keep customers informed.
- Teams and access
- Servers can be shared with co-workers, and the pricing table lists team management, domain aliases and tenants.
- API and MCP server
- An API and an MCP server let AI assistants such as Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor manage servers.
- Mobile app
- The features menu lists an app for managing sites and servers on the go.
Plans
GridPane
Core$0
Up to 25 websites. You pay your server provider separately, or use a PeakFreq managed server.
PeakFreq$19
per month and up
Fully managed high-frequency servers built with Vultr. Adds support ticket access, server monitoring, staging features and local and remote backups.
Bespoke Hosting$2000
per year and up
Fully managed, tailor-made hosting for WordPress with pre-emptive support, done-for-you security, agency partnerships and top-tier SLAs.
Ploi
Free$0
Up to 1 server and 1 site, with 5 deployments a month.
Basic$10
per month, billed monthly
Up to 5 servers, unlimited sites and deployments, and 60 API requests a minute.
Pro$16
per month, billed monthly
Up to 10 servers, unlimited sites and deployments, and 120 API requests a minute.
Unlimited$36
per month, billed monthly
Unlimited servers and sites, and 240 API requests a minute.
Ways to pay less
GridPane
No public discounts listed.
Ploi
- Annual discount
10% off with yearly billing
The pricing page says yearly pricing saves 10%: Basic is $108 a year, Pro $172.80 and Unlimited $388.80 in dollars as displayed.
- Education
Student discount
The FAQ says Ploi offers student discounts and points to a requirements page.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, GridPane or Ploi?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Ploi is cheaper to start with: $10 a month, against $19 a month for GridPane. GridPane starts at $19 per month and up (PeakFreq), and Ploi starts at $10 per month (Basic, up to 5 servers).
Which has a free plan, GridPane or Ploi?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both GridPane and Ploi have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.