Deployer vs Ploi

Deployer is a PHP deployment tool for sending applications to servers. It switches releases through atomic symlinks, so a deployment does not expose an incomplete state, and a failed release can be reverted with one command. The command line can list releases and return to the latest good release. Tasks run concurrently across selected hosts by default, with an option to limit concurrency. Projects describe hosts and tasks in deploy.php or deploy.yaml files and may add custom build tasks. Recipes cover Laravel, Symfony, WordPress, Drupal, Magento, CakePHP, CodeIgniter, Yii, Contao, Shopware, TYPO3, and Sulu. Deployer connects over SSH, can open an interactive SSH session, and includes a recipe for provisioning Ubuntu with firewall, PHP, database, and HTTPS configuration. Installation is available through Composer, Phive, a PHAR bundle, or Docker. CI/CD guidance covers GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD, and Bitbucket Pipelines. It is free and open source, with Linux, macOS, API, and self-hosted options.

Ploi manages server provisioning, sites, deployments, monitoring, backups, and team collaboration through a dashboard. It connects to cloud providers including DigitalOcean, Hetzner, AWS, Vultr, UpCloud, Scaleway, Hostinger, and Linode, and supports bringing your own server. GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket connections can deploy automatically when code is pushed. One-click installs are listed for Laravel, WordPress, Statamic, OctoberCMS, Craft CMS, and Nextcloud. The mobile app can manage servers and sites, install websites and databases, and deliver configurable push notifications. Ploi also provides a REST API and an MCP server for AI clients; MCP is included in Pro and higher plans. A free plan permits one server, one site, and five deployments per month. Paid plans start at $10/mo, excluding server fees. A five-day Pro trial requires no credit card, after which the subscription moves to the free plan. Ploi lists Android, iOS, web, and API platforms.