Laravel Forge alternative for PHP hosting
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fortrabbit vs Laravel Forge.
fortrabbit is a Laravel Forge alternative — one integrated managed platform, not a server-management tool layered on top of a VPS.
Laravel Forge alternative at a glance
fortrabbit is a managed PaaS built exclusively for PHP. Laravel Forge is a server-management tool — software you pay for that provisions and configures servers on a VPS provider (DigitalOcean, Linode, Vultr, AWS) that you also pay for. You end up with two bills, a VPS you're ultimately responsible for, and the operational weight of an OS you maintain.
If you want one integrated managed platform instead of "VPS + management software," fortrabbit gives you a tuned PHP environment with git push deploys, integrated MySQL, atomic releases, persistent storage, SSL by default, and human support — all in a single subscription. We've been hosting Laravel apps since before Forge existed. Plans start at €2.50 per month; the trial doesn't require a credit card.
Laravel Forge vs fortrabbit — feature comparison
| Feature | Forge + VPS | fortrabbit |
|---|---|---|
| What you pay for | Forge and VPS | One subscription |
| Abstraction | Forge UI on a VPS you own | Managed PaaS |
| Underlying server | Yours | Managed |
| PHP runtime | Forge provisions, you tune | Pre-tuned, version-pinned |
| Managed MySQL | On the VPS, you maintain | Native, isolated |
| Deployment | git via Forge UI | git push |
| SSL certificates | Forge: Let's Encrypt | Automatic Let's Encrypt |
| Patching | Your VPS, your responsibility | Managed |
| Region | Depends on VPS provider | EU (Germany) |
| Support | Forge: email; VPS: separate | Human chat, one contact |
| Pricing model | $12 Forge + $5–$100+ VPS | Per-app, monthly |
| Ownership | You own the server | Platform owns runtime |
Pricing comparison
| Use case | Forge + VPS | fortrabbit |
|---|---|---|
| Small site / dev | Forge $12 + DO $6 ≈ $18 / mo + your time | €5 / mo |
| Production app | Forge $12 + DO $24 + backups ≈ $40+ / mo | €30 / mo |
| Scaled app | Forge Pro + bigger VPS + add-ons ≈ $100+ / mo | €60–€120 / mo depending on tier |
Plus your engineering hours managing the underlying VPS. See fortrabbit pricing for the current matrix.
Migrating from Laravel Forge to fortrabbit
- Provision the app on fortrabbit. Pick a region (EU) and a plan. The free trial is enough to validate the move.
- Add the MySQL component. From your Forge-managed VPS,
mysqldumpand import via fortrabbit's SSH tunnel — see MySQL import guide. - Connect your git provider. Install the fortrabbit GitHub App (or connect GitLab / Bitbucket) and link your existing repo to the new fortrabbit app — see deployment intro. Pushes to your branch trigger an automatic deploy; Composer install runs as part of it.
- Move environment variables and secrets. Read
.envfrom Forge, set the same values in the fortrabbit dashboard. - Configure queue workers and scheduled tasks. See fortrabbit's Laravel guides for queues and cron on the new platform.
- Move uploads and assets. rsync from the Forge-managed VPS into your fortrabbit app's persistent storage via SFTP / SSH.
- Cut over DNS. Add the domain in the fortrabbit dashboard, update the DNS record, and watch the certificate issue automatically via Let's Encrypt.
- Cancel Forge and the VPS. Once cutover is verified, retire both.
Why teams switch
- One bill, one contact. No "is it Forge or the VPS?" diagnosis loop.
- No server to maintain. The OS isn't your problem anymore.
- PHP-first ergonomics. Composer, OPcache, PHP version pinning, integrated MySQL.
- Human support. You talk to the engineers who run the platform.
For background on Laravel Forge itself, see our hosting guide entry.
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