The Laravel-native Easypanel alternative
Easypanel and Cipi are both free, open source, and self-hosted — no SaaS subscription, no vendor lock-in. Easypanel is a Docker-based PaaS with a web dashboard for many stacks; Cipi is a CLI-first tool that runs Laravel on a native LEMP stack with Deployer, artisan, queues, and zero-downtime Git deploys built in.
Cipi vs Easypanel at a glance
| Feature | Cipi | Easypanel |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, forever | Free, forever |
| License | Open source (MIT) | Open source |
| Interface | CLI + REST API | Web GUI dashboard |
| Deployment model | Native LEMP stack | Docker containers |
| Focus | Laravel-first | Generic multi-stack PaaS |
| Laravel-native (Deployer, artisan, queues) | Yes | No |
| CLI & pipeline automation | Yes | GUI + API |
| AI / MCP server | Dual MCP | No |
| Config encryption at rest (AES-256) | Yes | Not advertised |
| Server-to-server sync & failover | Yes | No |
| Docker / container workflows | Native PHP stack | Yes |
| One-click databases & services (GUI) | Via CLI | Yes |
Why Laravel teams pick Cipi over Easypanel
Built for Laravel
Deployer, artisan shortcuts, automatic queue workers and the shared release structure are handled for you — Easypanel treats PHP as one of many generic stacks.
No Docker overhead
Cipi runs PHP-FPM directly on the host. For standard Laravel apps you get lower memory use, simpler debugging, and no container layer to maintain.
CLI-first & pipeline-ready
Every operation is a composable shell command, scriptable in CI/CD and triggerable by webhooks or GitHub Actions.
Webhook zero-downtime deploys
One-command, atomic releases for GitHub & GitLab — designed for Laravel, not bolted on.
AI-native with dual MCP
Per-app and global MCP servers for full AI-driven infrastructure management from any MCP-compatible agent.
Encryption at rest & server sync
AES-256-CBC Vault encryption for all configs, plus built-in encrypted server-to-server sync for failover replication.
Install Cipi in one command
Spin up a fresh Ubuntu VPS, then run:
That installs and configures the full production stack — Nginx, PHP, MariaDB, Redis and Supervisor. See the getting started guide.
Where Easypanel is the better choice
Easypanel is an excellent self-hosted PaaS if you want a polished web GUI, Docker-based deployments, one-click databases and services, and the flexibility to host Node.js, Python, static sites, and many other stacks on the same platform. If your workflow is container-first or you need a visual dashboard more than Laravel-specific automation, Easypanel is well worth evaluating.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cipi a good Easypanel alternative for Laravel?
Yes. Both are free, open-source and self-hosted with no SaaS dependency. Easypanel is a Docker-based PaaS with a web GUI for many stacks; Cipi is Laravel-first, CLI-driven, and runs apps on a native Nginx + PHP-FPM stack with Deployer, artisan, queues, dual MCP, and zero-downtime Git deploys built in.
What is the difference between Cipi and Easypanel?
Easypanel deploys applications as Docker containers through a web dashboard and supports many languages and services. Cipi installs and manages a traditional LEMP stack directly on Ubuntu, is operated entirely from the CLI, and is purpose-built for Laravel with Deployer integration, automatic queue workers, webhook-driven releases, AES-256 config encryption, and a dual MCP server.
Does Cipi use Docker like Easypanel?
No. Easypanel is container-first — every app runs in Docker. Cipi uses a native Nginx, PHP-FPM, MariaDB, and Supervisor stack on the host OS. For standard Laravel apps this means lower overhead, simpler debugging, and no container layer to manage.
When should I still choose Easypanel?
Choose Easypanel if you want a polished web GUI, Docker-based deployments, one-click databases and services, and the flexibility to host many different stacks on the same platform — and you do not need Laravel-specific automation or CLI-first pipeline integration.
