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Two questions decide it
Whose server does your app run on, and who keeps that server current after it's set up? Most of the difference between these tools is the answer to those two.
Forge and Ploi set up and deploy to a server you own, and leave most of the ongoing upkeep with you. Laravel Cloud runs your app on its own infrastructure and manages it. strackt sits in between: your server, kept current by us. If what you want to run is packaged software someone else wrote, none of these four is the right tool; Coolify is.
- Forge, Ploi
- your server · you maintain
- Laravel Cloud
- their infrastructure · they maintain
- strackt
- your server · we maintain
- Coolify
- your server · you run the platform
Coolify is for self-hosting packaged software (Nextcloud, Immich and the like); strackt, Forge, Ploi and Laravel Cloud deploy code you build.
Laravel Forge
Pick Forge if…
You want Laravel's own server panel on servers you own, at a flat price per account: Hobby $12, Growth $19, Business $39 a month (pricing, as of 3 October 2026).
You want zero-downtime push deploys on every plan, without a separate Envoyer subscription (Forge docs).
You're fine doing the rest of the upkeep yourself. Forge applies Ubuntu security updates automatically every week, but it doesn't reboot servers for you or upgrade PHP and MySQL, and for a new OS release it recommends provisioning a new server and moving your sites (security, OS upgrades).
You run WordPress, Statamic, Node, Nuxt or Next.js next to Laravel (Forge pricing FAQ).
You want database backups and server monitoring and will pay for Business at $39 (backups).
Ploi
Pick Ploi if…
You want the cheapest per-server panel. Free for one server, Basic €8 for up to five, Pro €13 for ten, Unlimited €30 a month (pricing, as of 3 October 2026). Zero-downtime deploys, automatic backups and server monitoring start at Pro.
You want uptime monitoring and status pages built in; those are on Unlimited (pricing).
You want Debian as well as Ubuntu (Ploi news).
You're leaving Forge and don't want to rebuild: Ploi can import an existing Forge or ServerPilot server in place, same machine and IP (Ploi news, September 2026).
You're fine with the same split of upkeep as Forge. Ploi sets servers up to install security updates automatically; other package updates, kernel updates and reboots are yours, and for a new OS release it recommends a fresh server (Ploi docs).
Laravel Cloud
Pick Laravel Cloud if…
You don't want a server at all. Cloud runs your app on AWS infrastructure that Laravel operates and maintains (pricing FAQ).
You need autoscaling (up to 10× on Growth, unlimited on Business), or scale-to-zero for apps that sit idle (pricing).
You want a preview environment for every pull request on any plan, unlimited from Growth (Cloud docs).
You deploy Node, Go, Python or Ruby next to Laravel (runtimes).
A usage-based bill suits you. Starter $5, Growth $20, Business $200 a month, plus compute, bandwidth and databases by usage, with $5 of credits included; spending limits pause compute rather than surprise you (pricing, as of 3 October 2026).
strackt
Pick strackt if…
You want the platform workflow on a VPS you own. Push a commit and we build, migrate and release with zero downtime; one-click rollback on every release; an environment for every pull request on GitHub.
You want the upkeep done after setup. Security fixes matched to your servers and rolled out for you within 24 hours, routine restarts in a maintenance window you pick with seven days notice (within 24 hours for an actively exploited flaw), and kernel and full OS release upgrades done in place rather than by moving servers.
A flat, per-application price works for you: the first application is free, then €5 per application a month excl. VAT, and your VPS costs whatever your provider charges.
Your stack is on the list: Laravel, plus WordPress, plain PHP, Symfony, Node.js, Next.js and Nuxt in beta. Supported stacks and current limits.
And don't pick strackt if…
You run many small apps on one server. A panel priced per account or per server gets cheaper than per-application pricing from about the third or fourth app.
You don't want a server, or you need autoscaling. That's Laravel Cloud.
You want an SLA today. strackt is in public beta until the full launch in Q4 2026, built by one person.
Forge vs Ploi
Forge or Ploi, specifically
The two panels are closer to each other than either is to Laravel Cloud. Where they differ:
How you pay. Forge charges per account in three tiers (Hobby limits you to one external server; Growth and Business are unlimited). Ploi's tiers are by number of servers (Forge, Ploi).
What's included lower down. Zero-downtime deploys are on every Forge plan and on Ploi from Pro. Database backups are on Forge Business and on Ploi from Pro.
Who's behind it. Forge is built by the Laravel team. Ploi is independent, and can take over an existing Forge server in place.
Operating systems. Forge provisions Ubuntu; Ploi offers Ubuntu and Debian.
Side by side
From each product's own pricing pages and documentation, as of 3 October 2026. Prices per month, excluding VAT and sales tax.
| Compared | Laravel Forge | Ploi | Laravel Cloud | strackt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where your app runs | Your server, or Laravel VPS | Your server | Laravel's AWS infrastructure | Your server |
| Price | $12 / $19 / $39 (source) | Free, €8 / €13 / €30 (source) | $5 / $20 / $200 plus usage (source) | First app free, then €5 per app |
| OS security updates | Automatic, weekly | Automatic | Managed by Laravel | Rolled out for you within 24 hours |
| Reboots for kernel fixes | Yours | Yours | Managed by Laravel | Routine ones in your maintenance window; actively exploited within 24 hours, with notice |
| New OS release | New server recommended | New server recommended | Managed by Laravel | Upgraded in place for you |
| Zero-downtime deploys | All plans | Pro and up | Yes | Yes |
| Preview per pull request | Not documented | Staging sites | All plans | Yes, on GitHub |
| Stacks | PHP, Laravel, WordPress, Statamic, Node, Nuxt, Next.js | PHP, Laravel, Node, Docker; WordPress, Statamic and Craft installs | PHP, Node, Bun, Deno, Go, Python, Ruby | Laravel; WordPress, PHP, Symfony, Node, Next.js, Nuxt in beta |
Facts about other products come from their own pages, linked above, as of 3 October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us at [email protected] and we'll correct it. The detailed comparisons below go deeper on each one.