Head-to-head · Cloud Hosting Management Software
Cloudron vs Laravel Forge
Cloudron leads on 1 check, Laravel Forge on 0, and 6 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 7 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.
Our verdict
- Highest scoreCloudron · 8.7/10
- Free planonly Cloudron
- Most featuresCloudron · 6 of 6
Cloudron scores higher on our rubric for cloud hosting management software: 8.7 against 8.5 out of 10; our editors rank them #6 and #8.
Cloudron offers free plan; Laravel Forge doesn't.
Cloudron is the better fit for one-click self-hosted application hosting. Laravel Forge is the better fit for developers deploying Laravel and PHP applications.
- Cloudron fits best
One-click self-hosted application hosting
- Laravel Forge fits best
Developers deploying Laravel and PHP applications
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
Side by side
| Feature | Cloudron 8.7/10 Visit ↗ | Laravel Forge 8.5/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 8.7 | 8.5 |
| Ranking | #6 in Cloud Hosting Management Software | #8 in Cloud Hosting Management Software |
| Best for | One-click self-hosted application hosting | Developers deploying Laravel and PHP applications |
| Pricing model | Free plan + paid | Paid |
| Starting price | €15/mo | $120/yr |
| Free plan | ✓ (best) | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Deployment | Self-hosted | Cloud |
| Platforms | Web, Linux | Web |
| Support | Email, Community, Docs | Email, Community |
| Integrations | 9 integrations | 8 integrations |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Features Cloudron 6/6 · Laravel Forge 0/6 | ||
| Server provisioning | ✓ (best) | Not checked yet |
| Deployment automation | ✓ (best) | Not checked yet |
| Monitoring and alerts | ✓ (best) | Not checked yet |
| Automated backups | ✓ (best) | Not checked yet |
| Docker support | ✓ (best) | Not checked yet |
| Team access | ✓ (best) | Not checked yet |
| Specs | ||
| Cloud providers | AWS, DigitalOcean, Hostinger, Linode, Time4VPS, Vultr | Not checked yet |
| Our review | ||
| Pros |
|
|
| Cons |
|
|
| Our verdict | Cloudron is a self-hosted platform for installing, managing, updating, backing up, and securing web applications on infrastructure you control. It is suited to individuals, developers, small organizations, and teams that want a web… Read the review → |
Laravel Forge is a web-based server management and application deployment platform built by the Laravel team. It is designed for developers deploying Laravel and PHP applications, while also supporting vanilla PHP, WordPress, Statamic,… Read the review → |
Strengths and trade-offs
Cloudron — where it wins
- One-click app installation with automated updates and certificates
- Backups, restore, migration, DNS, and firewall management in one dashboard
- Supports multiple cloud providers, Docker, teams, and access controls
Where it doesn't
- Requires an existing server
- Free plan is limited to two apps
- Advanced features require paid Pro or Max plans
Laravel Forge — where it wins
- Zero-downtime deployments with retained releases for rollback
- Push-to-deploy support for GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket
- Provisioning, SSL, monitoring, queues, jobs, and databases in one platform
Where it doesn't
- No free plan for evaluating the service
- Hobby includes only 1 external server
- Narrower focus than broader cloud management platforms
- Cloudron8.7/10 · Free plan
A managed layer for running self-hosted apps with automated updates, backups, DNS, and security tools.
Visit CloudronFull verdict → - Laravel Forge8.5/10 · Paid
A focused deployment platform with zero-downtime releases, rollback, and monitoring from $12/month.
Visit Laravel ForgeFull verdict →
More comparisons
- Ploi vs Cloudron
- Ploi vs Laravel Forge
- RunCloud vs Cloudron
- RunCloud vs Laravel Forge
- ClusterCS vs Cloudron
- ClusterCS vs Laravel Forge
- Cleavr vs Cloudron
- Cleavr vs Laravel Forge
All cloud hosting management software comparisons → · Full ranking →
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update





