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Head-to-head · Preview Environment Software

Slipway vs Shipyard

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score Slipway #1 in Preview Environment Software 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Slipway
Shipyard #12 in Preview Environment Software 7.4/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Shipyard

Slipway leads on 2 checks, Shipyard on 0, and 3 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreSlipway · 9.4/10
  • Lowest starting priceSlipway · $5/mo
  • Free planonly Slipway
  • Free trialonly Shipyard

Slipway scores higher on our rubric for preview environment software: 9.4 against 7.4 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #12.

Slipway offers free plan; Shipyard doesn't. Slipway is cheaper to start at $5/mo against $500/mo. On preview lifecycle, Shipyard gives you Both where Slipway offers Automatic.

Slipway is the better fit for affordable managed preview environments. Shipyard is the better fit for enterprise-grade managed previews.

  • Slipway fits best

    Affordable managed preview environments

  • Shipyard fits best

    Enterprise-grade managed previews

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 Slipway 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Shipyard 7.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 7.4
Ranking #1 in Preview Environment Software #12 in Preview Environment Software
Best for Affordable managed preview environments Enterprise-grade managed previews
Pricing model Free plan + paid Paid
Starting price $5/mo (best) $500/mo
Free plan ✓ (best) —
Free trial — 30 days
Deployment Cloud, Self-hosted, Browser extension Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms Web Web
Support Docs Email, Live chat, Community, Docs
Integrations 3 integrations 18 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Slipway 3/3 · Shipyard 3/3
Pull request previews ✓ ✓
Custom domains ✓ ✓
Database previews ✓ ✓
Specs
Preview lifecycle Automatic Both
Git providers GitHub, GitLab GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket
Preview expiry controls Configurable Configurable
Our review
Pros
  • Automatic HTTPS previews for GitHub and GitLab pull requests
  • Multi-repository stacks with preview databases and snapshot-backed volumes
  • Free plan plus Docker Compose, logs, and shell access
  • Full-stack Docker Compose environments with automatic teardown
  • GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket support with CI/CD integrations
  • SSO, audit logs, APIs, CLI, and MCP environment management
Cons
  • Usage charges apply for CPU, memory, storage, and egress
  • The Free plan limits each service to 1 vCPU and 1 GiB
  • Advanced controls and dedicated infrastructure require higher tiers
  • Startup starts at $500 per month
  • Business and Enterprise plans use custom pricing
  • Advanced enterprise features are reserved for higher tiers
Our verdict

Slipway deploys applications and connected services from GitHub or GitLab repositories onto managed infrastructure. It is designed for teams that need isolated, shareable live environments for pull requests, as well as production…

Read the review →

Shipyard creates isolated, full-stack ephemeral environments from Docker Compose configurations. It is designed for development, QA, product, demo, and DevOps teams that need shareable environments for pull-request review and CI/CD…

Read the review →
  1. SlipwayPreview Environment Software 9.4Free plan
  2. ShipyardPreview Environment Software 7.430-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Slipway — where it wins

    • Automatic HTTPS previews for GitHub and GitLab pull requests
    • Multi-repository stacks with preview databases and snapshot-backed volumes
    • Free plan plus Docker Compose, logs, and shell access

    Where it doesn't

    • Usage charges apply for CPU, memory, storage, and egress
    • The Free plan limits each service to 1 vCPU and 1 GiB
    • Advanced controls and dedicated infrastructure require higher tiers

  • Shipyard — where it wins

    • Full-stack Docker Compose environments with automatic teardown
    • GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket support with CI/CD integrations
    • SSO, audit logs, APIs, CLI, and MCP environment management

    Where it doesn't

    • Startup starts at $500 per month
    • Business and Enterprise plans use custom pricing
    • Advanced enterprise features are reserved for higher tiers

More comparisons

All preview environment software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update