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Root access, root problems.

Vultr alternative for PHP hosting

Q: Is fortrabbit more expensive than Vultr?

On the smallest tier, yes - A small Vultr instance costs a few dollars a month. Backups add 20%, a managed database is a separate product, and the hours on the server are not on any invoice. A fortrabbit app with MySQL starts at about €5.

Q: Which PHP frameworks run on fortrabbit?

Most - Laravel, Symfony, Statamic, Craft CMS, Kirby, WordPress and plain PHP. A stack that needs root, a daemon or a Node process next to PHP belongs on a server.

Q: How does a PHP app move from Vultr?

Push and a dump - Push the repository to the new app, dump MySQL on the instance and import it through the SSH tunnel, rsync the uploads into persistent storage and switch the DNS.

Vultr rents fast servers around the world for a few dollars. Keeping PHP running on them is your job. Consider fortrabbit.

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About Vultr

Vultr is a cloud infrastructure provider founded in 2014. They offer virtual servers, bare metal and GPU instances across a large number of data centers, billed by the hour. Vultr is known for competitive pricing on raw compute. Their target audience is developers and businesses that want full control over their infrastructure.

Why not Vultr?

Vultr gives you a Linux server and root access, and that is where the managed experience ends. Everything else is on you: installing a web server, configuring PHP, certificates, hardening, OS patches and uptime monitoring. Backups cost 20% extra, and a managed database is another product on the bill.

Developers who underestimate this often end up with insecure, out-of-date servers, or spend hours on infrastructure instead of shipping features. We have seen enough PHP apps arrive from servers like that.

Why fortrabbit

fortrabbit is purpose built for PHP web developers who want to focus on code, not servers. The PHP runtime is tuned and patched by us, MySQL is a component of the app, certificates renew on their own, and a deploy is a git push with Composer in the build. There is no root, and in return the operating system stops being your problem.

fortrabbit is a small, independent company with a track record and direct, personal support, not a ticket queue.

Vultr and fortrabbit

Feature	Vultr	fortrabbit
Unit	VPS, root access	Managed app
Web stack	DIY	Managed
Patching	DIY	Managed
MySQL	DIY or paid	Component
Backups	+20%	Component
Locations	Worldwide	Ireland, US

# Different by design

Pay in arrears

Daily prorated, post-paid billing. No upfront payment, no yearly commitment.

Modular pricing

Pay per component and scale each one from xs to 2xl on its own.

No dark patterns

No vendor lock-in, no upselling, no misleading messages.

Humans in support

Eye-level developer chat over the support bubble. No sales calls.

Developer-first

Git-push deploy, SSH access, bring your own code. No 1-click bloat.

Managed platform

A hardened, service-oriented PHP stack. Deploy code, skip the server admin.

# Frequently asked

Is fortrabbit more expensive than Vultr?

On the smallest tier, yes

On the smallest tier, yes - A small Vultr instance costs a few dollars a month. Backups add 20%, a managed database is a separate product, and the hours on the server are not on any invoice. A fortrabbit app with MySQL starts at about €5.

Which PHP frameworks run on fortrabbit?

Most

Most - Laravel, Symfony, Statamic, Craft CMS, Kirby, WordPress and plain PHP. A stack that needs root, a daemon or a Node process next to PHP belongs on a server.

How does a PHP app move from Vultr?

Push and a dump

Push and a dump - Push the repository to the new app, dump MySQL on the instance and import it through the SSH tunnel, rsync the uploads into persistent storage and switch the DNS.

# What customers say

Having fortrabbit is like having a dedicated DevOps engineer on the team, taking care of the infrastructure so we can focus on writing code. We've used many PaaS providers, but none come close to fortrabbit's mix of features, reliability, predictable and fair pricing, and fast, genuinely helpful support. Their service has been rock solid, giving us the confidence that our apps are in good hands.

Len van Essen

CTO at Fitwinkel

2026 — Direct feedback

Unmatched performances and ease-of-configure. I really like what fortrabbit is doing for the modern PHP hosting ecosystem, and I'd suggest anyone to have a try with them.

Federico Magnani

CTO at glueglue