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Having a WordPress site requires a great server such as DigitalOcean, Vultr, and Linode. It’s also essential that when you Install WordPress, it should be utilizing the resources properly. In most hosting servers they include an option to install WordPress at the time of Droplet creation (DigitalOcean). But sometimes default configuration results site timeout, error establishing a data connection, and headaches. That’s why there are some great services which you can use to install WordPress on your server and manage easily.
Serverpilot and Runcloud both provide a graphical User interface to manage a server. In this article let’s found out which is best for if you don’t want to pay.
Serverpilot free plan.
Update: They have closed free plan, with the exception of old connected servers.
Serverpilot makes it faster to install WordPress on your server. You can install multiple WordPress instances (called app) to host many sites on a single server. [Update: The free plan is not more] The free plan is limited, you only can add unlimited servers and app, Assign domain names, Set an app as default to answer Droplet IP address. Other features are Automatic security updates, Firewall, Deny requests for unknown domains.
The other features in the free plan are, you can change the PHP version with a mouse click for your app, (you can have the latest PHP 7.2). If your app breaks you can go back and set an older version of PHP, it’s simple as that.
Installation
You need a fresh Ubuntu 16.04/18.04 based server to add in Serverpilot; this requires the IP address of your server and Root password. You need to enter the server IP address and root password to let serverpilot install its framework to your server so that it can manage the server. The free plan is pretty much straightforward and allows you add unlimited server and make multiple apps on it.
Creating an app.
In serverpilot, they are so focused on installing WordPress on your server; it’s understandable because the majority of blog and site owner want a simple CMS solution.
Cons
- No free plan.
Runcloud free plan.
In the free plan, the dashboard won’t show you server information including CPU, RAM, and other logs. Although it will look anything but better than Serverpilot. The sidebar provides many different options to help you set and manage your server.
But it has functions that you won’t find in Serverpilot, and that is changing IP address when you change your VPS/droplet IP address. So when you add a server to Runcloud, and if you restore a snapshot into the different server with another IP, you can add the new IP address inside the old server added in runcloud. This will make the old added server accessible from runcloud.
The free plan also can create unlimited apps, insider, a server with native nginx (ngnix-RC) using it your cms (i.e. WordPress) will run faster, the only drawback is you won’t be able to use htaccess.
If you intend not to use an SSL (HTTPS) on your website you should use Runcloud. Because deploying free SSL (let’s encrypt) requires a premium plan. However, we have a guide that you can use with Serverpilot to install Free SSL in the free plan.
Install Let’s Encrypt SSL on Runcloud Free Plan
Wrapping it up.
Free SSL – Runcloud
Runcloud started offering the service in 2017 compared to serverpilot who has been in the industry for many years. This post doesn’t distinguish them performance wise. Because it all about your server location and resources. Serverpilot is for those who want to run multiple WordPress sites inside the same server and with free let’s encrypt SSL. There are many guides for adding let’s encrypt to your Serverpilot’s WordPress app. However, there might be similar instructions for adding SSL in Runcloud free plan. Because practically its just bunch of files needs to be modified in order to enable SSL on your website and that should not be hard.
So sad. Now, there is no free plan available on serverpilot.
It is offering 15 days of the trail, but I want to know what will happen after 15 days. This this is not mentioned on their website.
Update: use Runcloud, in the free plan you can install Free SSL (follow this guide) https://quickfever.com/letsencrypt-runcloud/
Runcloud provides SSLs as well, but only on their paid plan like ServerPilot.
Yes but there are tut over the internet to install SSL (free) using Serverpilot free plan, same can be done with uncloud if someone make a script like that.