DigitalOcean App Platform alternative for PHP hosting
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fortrabbit vs DO App Platform.
fortrabbit is a DigitalOcean App Platform alternative — a managed PHP PaaS with native MySQL, persistent storage, and predictable per-app pricing.
Why pick fortrabbit over DigitalOcean App Platform for PHP?
fortrabbit is a managed PaaS built exclusively for PHP. DigitalOcean App Platform sits on top of DO's Droplets and Kubernetes infrastructure, offering managed deployments for many languages and frameworks. For PHP specifically, the experience is generic — you assemble app spec files, manage container resources, and handle MySQL as a separate managed-database product with its own pricing tier.
If you want a PaaS where PHP is the default rather than one option of many, fortrabbit gives you git-push deployments, integrated MySQL, atomic releases, and PHP-tuned defaults (opcache, version pinning, Composer) — without app spec YAML or separate database billing. Hosting is in EU data centers, support is direct from the engineers running the platform, and pricing is per-app and predictable. Plans start at €2.50 per month; the trial doesn't require a credit card.
Start a free trial — no credit card# Frequently asked
Can I deploy a PHP Laravel app on fortrabbit without writing an app spec YAML?Yes
Yes - On DigitalOcean App Platform you author an app spec — declarative YAML describing services, build, run, and routes — even for a single PHP web app. fortrabbit handles those defaults for you: PHP runtime, web routing, and the managed MySQL component are configured in the dashboard rather than committed to a spec file. The code repo stays as it is.
#How does DigitalOcean App Platform's managed MySQL pricing compare to fortrabbit's?One bill, not two
One bill, not two - On DigitalOcean App Platform, the managed MySQL database is a separate product on a separate pricing tier — you pick a node size for the app and a node size for the database. On fortrabbit, the MySQL component is part of the per-app plan; there is no extra invoice line for the database. For a small PHP app that difference is typically $15-25 a month.
#How do I move my PHP app from DigitalOcean App Platform to fortrabbit?Self-service
Self-service - Most apps move in an afternoon. Point your existing repo at the new fortrabbit app for git-push deploys, transfer environment variables (the dashboard accepts bulk paste), dump and import the database via the SSH tunnel, and rsync any uploaded files into persistent storage. No spaces bucket or app spec rewrites needed.
#Why pick fortrabbit over DigitalOcean App Platform if I only run PHP?PHP-only focus
PHP-only focus - App Platform is a polyglot product on top of DigitalOcean's Droplets and Kubernetes. PHP works, but it is one supported runtime among many, and the platform defaults are not PHP-shaped. fortrabbit has only ever hosted PHP — version pinning, opcache, Composer, MySQL integration, and atomic releases are tuned for it by default. If PHP is the only thing you deploy, the PHP-first platform tends to be the smaller surprise.
#Does fortrabbit give root or SSH access to the underlying server?SSH yes, root no
SSH yes, root no - fortrabbit is a Platform as a Service, not a VPS, so there is no root access. Every plan does include full SSH and SFTP for running console commands, tunnelling into the database, and moving files. Code ships via git push and Composer handles dependencies on each deploy.
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