Cleavr review (2026): is it worth $5.5 a month, billed yearly?
Server and deployment manager for PHP and Node.js apps on your own VPS
Black Friday: is there a Cleavr sale?
Cleavr report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for setting up PHP and Node.js apps on your own VPS
Cleavr sets up and deploys PHP and Node.js apps on a VPS you rent elsewhere. The server bill is separate, Lite covers one server only, and backups, monitoring and the API all sit on dearer plans.
Who Cleavr is for
- Fits if you run a handful of PHP or Node.js sites on a VPS and want a dashboard instead of SSH
- Works for freelancers who already pay a VPS provider and only need the deployment layer
Who Cleavr is not for
- Skip it if you want hosting included, because every server is billed separately by your provider
- Tight if you need more than one server, as Lite is capped at one
- Pricey if you need backups, which start at Pro at $15 a month
- Watch out: team members and API access need Business at $30 a month, and the trial is 5 days
- Not for you if you need to see monthly-billing prices, which the pricing page doesn't list
Why Cleavr gets a 2.2
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyLite is $5.50 a month billed yearly, just above the $5.00 cheaper-quarter line for web hosting, and that covers one server. Backups and monitoring start at Pro, $15 a month, and your VPS is billed on top.
- CFree plan and trialA 5-day trial with Pro and API access and no card until you subscribe. No free plan, and five days is short.
- CFeaturesProvisioning, Git deploys, SSL, databases and monitoring for PHP and Node apps. Backups and server monitoring need Pro, team members and the API need Business, and Lite stops at one server.
- CEase of useNo store rating on record. You connect a provider account or a custom server and set up each app yourself, so there is a learning curve.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb only, but it connects to Hetzner, DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS, GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket and Slack, and has an API on Business.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Cleavr's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/cleavr#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/cleavr.svg" alt="Cleavr: 2.2 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Cleavr stands among web hosts
Cleavr's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 74 of the 122 other web hosts we grade, and level with 24.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 57 of 122) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $5.50 a month, against a middle price of $9.69 for the category: 42 of the 107 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 123 web hosts we grade, cut by the letter each got. Cleavr’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 13 of 122, level with 65
- CFree plan and trialAbove 74 of 122, level with 24
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 122, level with 85
- CEase of useAbove 40 of 122, level with 82
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 57 of 122, level with 65
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 111 web hosts. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Cleavr, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Cleavr you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $66 a year.
What you could not
- Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
- Databases with views, filters and links between them.
What this rests on. Cleavr’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Cleavr?
Cleavr connects to a VPS you rent from a provider such as DigitalOcean, Hetzner, Vultr, Linode, UpCloud or AWS, or to a custom server, and sets it up for PHP and Node.js apps. It handles provisioning, deployments from Git, SSL, databases, backups and monitoring. The servers themselves are not included in its price.
Worth knowing
- Servers are not included: you pay your VPS provider separately.
- Lite is limited to one server, and backups and server monitoring start at Pro.
- Team members and API access need Business, which is $30 a month billed yearly.
- The pricing page shows yearly-billed figures; the monthly-billing prices are not listed in the page text.
Key features
- Server provisioning
- Servers are created at Vultr, DigitalOcean, AWS, UpCloud, Linode or Hetzner, or a custom VPS is connected.
- App types
- AdonisJS, NuxtJS, NextJS, Laravel, Strapi, NodeJS, WordPress, PHP and static HTML apps can be installed from the dashboard.
- Zero-downtime deploys
- Deployments run with one click or by push-to-deploy from GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket, to one server or several behind a load balancer.
- Databases and backups
- MySQL, PostgreSQL and MariaDB servers are managed, and backups can go to AWS S3, Wasabi, Backblaze, DO Spaces, SFTP or local storage.
- Security
- Free Let's Encrypt SSL, Fail2Ban, UFW configuration, SSH key handling and site isolation are listed.
- Monitoring and API
- Server health monitoring and notifications to Slack, Discord, Telegram or email are available; the API needs the Business plan or an active trial.
Cleavr pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, Cleavr is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $5.5 per month, billed yearly ($66 a year).
- Starts at
- $5.5 per month, billed yearly ($66 a year)
- Free plan
- None
- Free trial
- 5-day free trial with Pro access and API access; no credit card required until you subscribe.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Lite | $5.5per month, billed yearly ($66 a year) | One server, unlimited apps, cron jobs and process monitors. |
| Pro | $15per month, billed yearly ($180 a year) | Everything in Lite plus unlimited servers, server monitoring and log reports, database and filesystem backups, and quick scripts. |
| Business | $30per month, billed yearly ($360 a year) | Everything in Pro plus team members and team management, resource management and Cleavr API access. |
Read from cleavr.io on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Cleavr before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountYearly billing savings
The pricing page states yearly billing saves $30 a year on Lite, $36 on Pro and $72 on Business.
Stated on cleavr.io - Education50% off yearly plans for students
Students, non-profits and individuals from low-income regions can ask for 50% off yearly plans by emailing proof of status.
Stated on cleavr.io - StartupsFree for open-source projects
Open-source projects can ask to be sponsored with Cleavr at no cost in return for a README credit and link.
Stated on cleavr.io
Works with
Cleavr alternatives
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- Cleavr vs Ploi
Free plan · from $10/mo
- Cleavr vs ServerPilot
Free trial · from $5
- Cleavr vs Hatchbox
Free trial · from $15/mo
Common questions
Does Cleavr have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Cleavr is listed for Web.
Does Cleavr have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Cleavr is listed for Web.
Is Cleavr open source?
Cleavr is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Does Cleavr have an API?
Yes. Cleavr offers a public API, according to its own site.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.