Arcustech alternative for PHP hosting
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Reviewedbyfl
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VPS from US for Craft CMS.
fortrabbit is an Arcustech alternative for Craft CMS and PHP teams who want a platform rather than a server per project.
About Arcustech
Arcustech is a smaller, independent VPS hosting company based in Minneapolis. Founded in 2013, it continues a hosting lineage that goes back to EngineHosting in the late 1990s. Two lines are sold on the same NVMe SSD virtual servers: a managed one, where Arcustech administers the operating system, and a self-managed one, where that work belongs to the customer. The stacks it names are Craft CMS, Statamic, WordPress, Laravel, ExpressionEngine and other PHP and MySQL applications. Data centers span North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, and green hosting initiatives are documented on the site.
We like Arcustech for being independent. They have a good reputation among developers and are especially known for their deep involvement with the Craft CMS community, which they sponsor and take part in — founder Nelvin is a long-standing presence there. You get more horsepower for the penny. If you really want to host on a VPS, and we think you should not, consider Arcustech.
Should you swap Arcustech for fortrabbit?
The unit is the difference. Arcustech sells a server. On the managed line the operating system is looked after, which is genuinely useful, but the machine is still the thing that exists — one per project, sized in advance, with the deploy story left open.
fortrabbit is built around apps, not servers: git-push deploys with a Composer build, an integrated MySQL component, persistent storage, staging environments beside production, and components that scale one at a time. It is more opinionated, which is the point — the streamlined path exists because the alternatives were removed. Established in 2012, run independently from Berlin. Plans start at €2.50 per month and the trial does not require a credit card.
Start a free trial — no credit cardHow does fortrabbit compare to Arcustech?
| Feature | Arcustech | fortrabbit |
|---|---|---|
| Unit | A virtual server | An app |
| Abstraction | VPS, managed or self-managed | Managed PaaS |
| OS administration | Managed line yes, self-managed no | Always ours |
| PHP runtime | Installed on the server | Pre-tuned, version-pinned |
| Deployment | SSH, own scripts | git push with a Composer build |
| Releases | Files replaced in place | Atomic, with a rollback |
| Staging | A second server | An environment beside the app |
| Database | On the same machine | A component, sized on its own |
| Scaling | Resize the machine | Per component, effective at once |
| Regions | North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific | EU (Dublin), US (N. Virginia) |
| Second project | Usually a second server | A second app, same account |
Pricing comparison
| Use case | Arcustech | fortrabbit |
|---|---|---|
| One small Craft site | A small VPS, managed or not | €5 / mo with a database |
| Production site | A larger VPS plus your time on it | €30 / mo |
| Three client sites | Three servers, or one to partition | Three apps, components each |
Per gigabyte and per core, the VPS wins and we are not going to pretend otherwise. What it does not include is the deploy pipeline, the staging environment or the hours. See fortrabbit pricing for the current matrix.
Migrating from Arcustech to fortrabbit
- Create the app on fortrabbit and add a MySQL component. The free trial is enough to validate the move.
- Move the database with
mysqldumpover SSH and an import through the tunnel — see MySQL import guide. - Connect the repository and push; Composer runs in the build — see deployment intro.
- Move configuration out of the server environment into environment variables in the dashboard.
- rsync uploads and assets into the app's persistent storage.
- Recreate cron jobs and workers as jobs in the dashboard.
- Cut over DNS, watch the certificate issue, then retire the server.
Why teams switch
- A second project does not mean a second server.
- The deploy comes with the platform — build, release, roll back.
- Components scale on their own, so storage grows without buying more CPU.
- No stack to maintain after the move, managed line or not.
# Frequently asked
Why use fortrabbit instead of an Arcustech VPS?No server per project
No server per project - Arcustech sells a virtual server, managed or self-managed. Either way the unit is a machine, and a second project usually means a second one. fortrabbit sells the app: the runtime, the database component and the infrastructure come together, and a second project is a second app on the same account.
#Is the managed line not already managed?The OS is
The OS is - On the managed line Arcustech administers the operating system, which is real work taken off the table and the reason the line exists. What it does not do is turn the server into a deploy pipeline. Build steps, atomic releases, staging environments and per-component scaling are still yours to assemble.
#Does fortrabbit host in the US too?Yes
Yes - Apps run in EU (Dublin) or US (North Virginia). Arcustech spans North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, which is wider — if the requirement is a data center in Asia-Pacific, they have it and we do not.
#Is fortrabbit cheaper than Arcustech?Not per unit
Not per unit - A VPS gives more raw horsepower for the money, and Arcustech is good value on that measure. The comparison changes when the hours spent on deploys, stack maintenance and the second server are counted, and when a small project only needs a small component rather than a whole machine.
#Does Craft CMS run as well here?Yes
Yes - fortrabbit has hosted Craft CMS since the early days of the CMS: git-push deploys with Composer in the build, a free Craft plugin for setup checks and database syncs, and assets in persistent storage that survives deploys.
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