GridPane vs RunCloud (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, GridPane grades higher than RunCloud: 2.4 against 2.0 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
RunCloud
Web server control panel for PHP sites on your own cloud servers
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 RunCloud if
- Fits if you rent your own servers for PHP and WordPress sites
- Works for small setups that need one server on the cheapest plan
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as there's only a 7-day trial
- Watch out: servers are billed by your cloud provider
- Tight if you need more than one server: Professional starts at 50
- Watch out: the API, zero-downtime deploys and WAF are Business and above
- Watch out: only monthly prices could be read
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAGridPaneFair | 2.0GPARunCloudFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | C$9 a month for 1 server on Essentials, $19 for 50 servers, $49 for Business, near the category middle of $11. Server rental is extra. |
| Free plan and trial | BCore is free forever, with page caching, Redis, a firewall, SSL and cloning. Server costs are on top. | DA 7-day free trial, and the page read doesn't say whether it needs a card. No free plan. |
| 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. | CUnlimited apps, caching, backups, staging, Git deploys and a firewall. A smaller job than hosting, and the API, zero-downtime deploys and WAF need Business. |
| 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 cloud provider and set up servers. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with Vultr, WordPress, WP-CLI and Git. | BWeb only, with Vultr, Linode, Hetzner, AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean and Cloudflare. |
| Best for | a control panel for many WordPress sites | managing PHP and WordPress 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 RunCloud. 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. RunCloud starts at $9 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and RunCloud starts $10 a month lower. Of the other web hosts on the chart, 6 score higher than GridPane for less, and 2 score higher than RunCloud 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.
At a glance
| GridPane | RunCloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $19 per month and up (PeakFreq) | $9 per month (Essentials, billed monthly) |
| 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. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day free trial. |
| Web | ||
| Made by | GridPane, Inc | RunCloud |
| Price read from | gridpane.com | runcloud.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.
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.
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.
RunCloud
- Server and app management
- Plans list unlimited web applications, domain management and one-click SSL certificates, with server counts from 1 to 500.
- Caching
- Server-side caching with NGINX FastCGI and Redis full-page and object cache is listed on every plan.
- Backups
- Full and incremental backups come with 2 to 100 GB of free storage by plan, with external backups to providers that widen on higher plans.
- Staging and Git deployment
- Essentials has 1 staging environment, Professional has 10 and Business is unlimited; Git deployment is on all plans.
- Security
- A 6G, 7G and 8G firewall starts on Professional, and Business adds ModSecurity with the OWASP Core Rule Set.
- Team and API
- Business adds roles, 10 team seats and the RunCloud API, at 120 requests a minute and 10,000 a month on monthly billing.
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.
RunCloud
Essentials$9
per month, billed monthly
1 server, unlimited web applications, 2 GB of backup storage, Git deployment, server-side caching and 1 staging environment.
Professional$19
per month, billed monthly
50 servers, 10 GB of backup storage, 10 staging environments, application cloning, custom NGINX configuration and 6G, 7G and 8G firewall.
Business$49
per month, billed monthly
100 servers, 30 GB of backup storage, 10 team seats, zero-downtime deployments, the RunCloud API and a WAF with the OWASP core rule set.
Enterprise$399
per month, billed monthly
500 servers, 100 GB of backup storage, up to 5 workspaces, 50 team seats and a higher API rate limit.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, GridPane or RunCloud?
As of Nov 12, 2026, RunCloud is cheaper to start with: $9 a month, against $19 a month for GridPane. GridPane starts at $19 per month and up (PeakFreq), and RunCloud starts at $9 per month (Essentials, billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, GridPane or RunCloud?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only GridPane has a free plan. RunCloud does not, though it has a free trial.
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.