Laravel Forge vs RunCloud: Pricing and Ratings Compared (2026)
Entry prices and free plans as read on each vendor's pricing page, and user ratings as published on review sites, for Laravel Forge and RunCloud side by side. This page compares data; it is not a hands-on review.
On the data: On the data below, RunCloud leads on lower entry price. We do not name an overall winner for this pair.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
Based on published vendor pricing and features and on public review data, here's who should pick what:
Laravel Forge
Simple server management for PHP and beyond, with one-click provisioning and zero-downtime deployments.
Best for you if:
- • You want easy server management
RunCloud
Simple yet powerful control panel for cloud servers, no Linux expertise required.
Best for you if:
- • You want server management panel
| At a Glance | Laravel Forge | RunCloud |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | From $12/mo, billed monthly Hobby plan | From $8/mo, billed monthly Essentials plan |
Category | Hosting & Deployment Server Management | Hosting & Deployment Server Management |
Rating | 2.6/5 Trustpilot 2.6 9 reviews | 3.5/5 Trustpilot 2.8 · G2 4.0 · Capterra 4.0 53 reviews |
Free plan | No | No |
Watch out for | n/a | Inactive/offline servers still count toward your server quota |
Choose Laravel Forge or RunCloud?
Choose Laravel Forge if
- You want easy server management
- You want laravel focused
Choose RunCloud if
- You want server management panel
- You want good for PHP
- Budget matters ($8/mo, billed monthly vs $12/mo, billed monthly)
In-Depth Analysis
Laravel Forge
Simple server management for PHP and beyond, with one-click provisioning and zero-downtime deployments.
Laravel Forge's pricing is quite fair and competitive, especially given the unlimited servers offered even at the entry-level.
Strengths
- Pro: Easy server management
- Pro: Laravel focused
- Pro: Good DX
- Pro: Fair pricing
- Pro: SSL automation
Weaknesses
- Con: Laravel specific
- Con: Per-server pricing
- Con: Limited features
- Con: Vendor lock-in
- Con: Better for simple setups
Key features
RunCloud
Simple yet powerful control panel for cloud servers, no Linux expertise required.
RunCloud offers solid server management at reasonable prices.
Watch out
Inactive/offline servers still count toward your server quota
Strengths
- Pro: Server management panel
- Pro: Good for PHP
- Pro: Fair pricing
- Pro: Good features
- Pro: Active development
Weaknesses
- Con: Learning curve
- Con: Less known
- Con: Limited support
- Con: Better alternatives exist
- Con: PHP focused
Key features
Plans and prices: Laravel Forge vs RunCloud
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Laravel Forge |
| forge.laravel.com/pricing read Oct 19, 2026 |
| RunCloud |
| runcloud.io/pricing read Sep 29, 2026 |
Prices as read on each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. Plans are listed per tool and are not matched against the other tool's plans: a plan name or price in one column says nothing about the same row in the other. Details on Laravel Forge pricing and RunCloud pricing.
Key Takeaways
Laravel Forge
- Choose if you want simple server management for PHP and beyond, with one-click provisioning and zero-downtime deployments
RunCloud
- Lower entry price: $8/mo, billed monthly vs $12/mo, billed monthly
What the data shows
On the data below, RunCloud leads on lower entry price. We do not name an overall winner for this pair.
- User ratings rest on too few reviews to rank (2.6/5 from 9 reviews for Laravel Forge, 3.5/5 from 53 reviews for RunCloud; we compare ratings only above 20 reviews on both sides).
- RunCloud has the lower entry price: $8/mo, billed monthly (Essentials) against $12/mo, billed monthly (Hobby) for Laravel Forge.
Criteria: user rating (only above 20 reviews on both sides, gap of 0.2 or more), entry price (only on the same billing basis), free plan. How we rate
Frequently Asked Questions
How do Laravel Forge and RunCloud compare in 2026?
On the data below, RunCloud leads on lower entry price. We do not name an overall winner for this pair. User ratings rest on too few reviews to rank (2.6/5 from 9 reviews for Laravel Forge, 3.5/5 from 53 reviews for RunCloud; we compare ratings only above 20 reviews on both sides). RunCloud has the lower entry price: $8/mo, billed monthly (Essentials) against $12/mo, billed monthly (Hobby) for Laravel Forge.
What are Laravel Forge and RunCloud used for?
Laravel Forge: Simple server management for PHP and beyond, with one-click provisioning and zero-downtime deployments. RunCloud: Simple yet powerful control panel for cloud servers, no Linux expertise required.
What does Laravel Forge cost vs RunCloud?
Laravel Forge's cheapest paid plan is Hobby at $12/mo, billed monthly. RunCloud's cheapest paid plan is Essentials at $8/mo, billed monthly. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Oct 19, 2026.
What's the main difference between Laravel Forge and RunCloud?
Laravel Forge's main strength: easy server management. RunCloud's main strength: server management panel.