RunCloud vs ServerPilot vs Forge Cloud Service Providers Comparison

Before we dig deep into our RunCloud vs ServerPilot vs Forge comparison, let us first understand the real business case to move to the cloud service providers.

Cloud has been the in thing these days. Whether hosting, productivity solutions or for that matter anything related to IT – we find the importance of cloud being all pervasive. Looking at the development that is taking place in the realm of cloud computing, one thing is for sure – cloud is replacing all the in-house IT tasks. We would see it to be the future of the IT industry.

What Is the Real Cause for the Shift towards Cloud Computing?

Well, it has everything to do with the cost-effectiveness that cloud computing offers you. You would need to spend enormous capital cost for the hardware and then on their maintenance. Of course, outsourcing your requirements may be one of the right options, but eventually migrating to the cloud would indeed be the best you can go with.

Shared hosting can be one of the options that can compensate for the cost, but what if your website outgrows the limitations of the shared hosting capabilities? When that happens, you have no other option than moving to cloud or VPS.

Another option that can be helpful in these circumstances is the SaaS tools that can be helpful in deploying your sites on any VPS and cloud-based platforms. You can use them for configuring, monitoring and managing your sites on cloud hosting services. Prime among a host of services available is RunCloud, ServerPilot, and Forge. Let us compare the functionalities of these three tools in more exquisite detail.

RunCloud vs ServerPilot vs Forge – A Complete Comparison

How do these three competitors fare against each other? We will analyze each of these players for a clear understanding of the features and functionality that they offer.

RunCloud – The New Entrant

RunCloud has been one of the capable web management application that has its origins in Malaysia. It has been one of the upcoming players in the realm of cloud management applications and has gained a name for itself in PHP and web hosting management.

With over 4500 servers globally, it hosts more than 10000 databases and 23500 domains across the world. What makes it one of the best options is the ease of functionality that you can work with it. It is quite familiar and offers you the similar appearance like the older cPanel for your shared hosting accounts. Moreover, it has been one of the cheapest options you can go with.

ServerPilot – An Old Horse

Serverpilot Alternatives

ServerPilot is probably one of the oldest options for VPS and web site management tools. However, we would consider them a little slower regarding development and opting for the newest improvements or updates.

Their Admin panel has remained the same over the years. However, they have recently tied up with Lets Encrypt, and that could be one of the excellent options. The interface is quite quick, easy and straightforward to navigate. Setting up WordPress should be one of the most straightforward options with ServerPilot.

Forge – Can it Beat the Competition?

Well, not to be left behind – the Laravel Forge is one of the capable web management application in its own right. The strongest point that goes in their favor is the server performance. Among the three competing platforms we are reviewing today, Forge offers you the server performance far better than the rest two.

The service works with the API integration, and Forge offers you a high degree of API integration. The panel and other features can be a little difficult and not accurately at par with the ones observed on RunCloud. However, we found it better than the options on ServerPilot.

The Actual Comparison

We will compare the services based on a few key parameters. This will help us understand the functions in a better manner.

Connecting with the Tool

Well, RunCloud simplifies the task altogether. You can register quite easily. You do not need to share your credit or debit card details while registering. You can sign up with your Facebook, Google or any other social profiles. If you not keen on them, go with your email address as usual.

ServerPilot has been one of the long-standing web management tools. What makes it such a good option is the fact that it offers you a free account to start getting hands-on experience. No, we are not talking about the trial account, but a full-fledged free hosting account which would be available as long as you wish to use it.

Connecting with the server is similar across both ServerPilot and RunCloud. You will need to install an Ubuntu 16.04 VPS server from the start. Server deployment on both of them is simple and easy to work with.

Forge, the third option we are discussing here does not offer you a free or trial account, to begin with. Connectivity is in sharp contrast to RunCloud and ServerPilot is it works through the means of API integration. You need not deploy the server in your cloud hosting provider before connecting to it. Forge will do it for you and currently supports DigitalOcean, AWS, and Linode.

Server Management

Creating and working with your RunCloud application should be ideally quite simple. The interface is quite easy to follow and simple to operate with. It offers you script installers for WordPress, Joomla, Concrete5, PHPMyAdmin and a few other PHP options. If you are aware of PHP development and want to use Git, RunCloud lets you deploy your script using GitHub, Bitbucket, and Gitlab efficiently.

Server Management is one of the best on ServerPilot when compared to RunCloud. However, it does support WordPress alone. There is no support for other tools like Joomla. You do not have access to GitHub as well. Of course, even when you have GitHub and looking to install it, you will need to do it through SSH.

Managing your server is a most simple task in Forge when compared to RunCloud and ServerPilot. You can make use of WordPress. Being developed by a PHP developer makes it one of the best options for installing your applications through GitHub. When setting up your site, you can configure domain name in addition to the wildcard subdomain as well.

Our Thoughts On Comparison

When it comes to the features, we will treat RunCloud to be one of the best options. It has the best in class web panel that is comparable to the old cPanel and thus quite simple and easy to work with. It offers you a great deal of information across different genres. Some of the worthy inclusions include Git implementation, information on server health, virtual host, database management, file manager and multiple domains.

It can also be quite cost-effective in more ways than one. You spend just $ 10 per month for unlimited server deployments. One of the missing options is the team management. Even regarding the overall performance, it leaves a little to be desired.

ServerPilot disappoints when compared to RunCloud regarding performance. Lack of features in the web panel interface is yet another issue you may be disappointed with. You would not find many features available. There is no support for many PHP tools except for WordPress.

Pricing can be a huge concern for ServerPilot. You are charged at $ 10 per server deployment. If you are opting for multiple server deployments, it can be quite expensive. Imagine spending $ 100 for ten servers. This is in sharp contrast to $ 10 per month pricing for multiple servers deployment.

If server performance is your sole deciding factor, Forge should ideally be the best you can go with. They beat both ServerPilot and RunCloud regarding performing your server to the fullest of your capabilities. The API integration is one of the excellent features for installing server. It helps you work with ease as almost all the tasks are completed without you having to do anything as such. As long as you have been trying to install your servers on AWS, DigitalOcean or Linode, the service will help you set it up quickly without any issues.

If you are looking for the features, they can be quite basic – but way better than what you are getting with ServerPilot. There is an option for Git deployment and scheduling as well. However, if you are looking for server health information, you may be at a loss.

The Parting Thoughts

That was a complete comparison between the three capable options for web management applications. Of course, ServerPilot is one of the long-standing services, but RunCloud and Forge are competent enough. They offer Serverpilot a more robust competition.

Check out the features of each of these services and choose the one that best meets your exact requirements. If you are using any of them, share your thoughts, experiences, and opinions with us.

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