The Laravel-native Cleavr alternative
Comparison last updated: · reflects Cipi 5 and current Cleavr pricing/features
Cleavr and Cipi both target Laravel teams with zero-downtime Git deploys — similar to Ploi or Laravel Forge. Cleavr is a SaaS panel with a polished GUI from around $8/month per server; Cipi is free, open source, self-hosted, and CLI-first with Deployer, dual MCP, encryption at rest, and server sync.
Cipi vs Cleavr at a glance
| Feature | Cipi | Cleavr |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, forever | From ~$8/mo per server |
| License | Open source (MIT) | Proprietary SaaS |
| Interface | CLI + REST API + optional GUI | Web GUI (SaaS) |
| Runs entirely on your VPS | Yes | No — SaaS |
| Zero-downtime Git deploys | Yes | Yes |
| Laravel-native (Deployer, artisan, queues) | Yes | Laravel-friendly |
| Laravel Octane (FrankenPHP) | Yes — CLI native | Partial |
| AI / MCP server | Dual MCP | No |
| Config encryption at rest (AES-256) | Yes | No |
| Server-to-server sync & failover | Yes | No |
| Built-in GUI & monitoring | Optional GUI | Yes |
| PostgreSQL support | Optional | Yes |
Why Laravel teams pick Cipi over Cleavr
No monthly fee
Cleavr bills from around $8/month per server. Cipi is free for every server, forever — no plan tiers, no upgrades.
No SaaS dependency
Cleavr controls your servers from its SaaS panel. Cipi lives on your VPS and keeps working even without panel access — and its own web panel is optional and self-hosted.
Open source & auditable
MIT-licensed — read, audit, fork and modify. Cleavr is a closed-source SaaS.
CLI-first & pipeline-ready
Every operation is a composable shell command, scriptable in CI/CD and triggerable by webhooks or GitHub Actions.
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.
Laravel Octane (FrankenPHP)
Create or convert apps with cipi app create --octane / cipi app convert --to=octane. Run Octane beside classic FPM apps, plus first-class Horizon and Reverb — no SaaS panel required.
Optional PostgreSQL
MariaDB by default; install PostgreSQL with one command and pick an engine per app (cipi db install pgsql).
Install Cipi in one command
Spin up a fresh Ubuntu VPS, then run:
That installs and configures the full production stack — Nginx, PHP-FPM / Laravel Octane, MariaDB, optional PostgreSQL, Redis and Supervisor. See the getting started guide.
Where Cleavr is the better choice
Cleavr is a strong option if you want a polished web GUI, built-in monitoring, and a quick start for non-CLI teams — similar to Ploi or Laravel Forge at a lower price point. If your team prefers clicking over typing and you are comfortable with a monthly SaaS subscription per server, Cleavr is well worth evaluating.
How to migrate from Cleavr to Cipi
Moving from Cleavr to Cipi is a clean cutover rather than an in-place conversion: you stand up a fresh server next to your current setup, deploy from the same Git repository, and switch DNS when everything checks out. Your Laravel codebase does not need to change.
- Take inventory in Cleavr. List the projects, workers and scheduled tasks configured in Cleavr, and dump each production database you need to move.
- Provision a fresh Ubuntu VPS and install Cipi. Any provider works (Hetzner, DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS). On Ubuntu 24.04/26.04 run
wget -O - https://cipi.sh/setup.sh | bashand the full production stack — Nginx, PHP, MariaDB, Valkey, Supervisor — is configured in minutes. - Recreate each app and connect Git.
cipi app createprovisions an isolated app with its own system user, database, PHP pool and Nginx vhost (add--octanefor Laravel Octane). Connecting GitHub or GitLab configures deploy keys and webhooks automatically for zero-downtime deploys. - Move data and cut over. Import your database dump, copy your
.envvalues, issue HTTPS certificates withcipi ssl install, then point DNS at the new server and retire the old setup.
Cipi uses standard Nginx, PHP-FPM / Laravel Octane and Deployer conventions, so there is no vendor-specific configuration to unwind later. Full details in the getting started guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cipi a good Cleavr alternative for Laravel?
Yes. Both support Laravel with zero-downtime Git deploys. Cleavr is a SaaS panel with a polished GUI starting around $8/month per server; Cipi is free, open-source, self-hosted, CLI-first, and adds dual MCP, AES-256 config encryption, and server sync.
What is the difference between Cipi and Cleavr?
Cleavr is a SaaS server-management panel with a web GUI, monitoring, and Laravel-friendly workflows — billed per server. Cipi is a free, open-source CLI that runs entirely on your VPS, is purpose-built for Laravel with Deployer integration, and adds a REST API, dual MCP server, encryption at rest, and server-to-server sync.
Is Cipi free compared to Cleavr?
Yes. Cleavr starts at around $8/month per server. Cipi is free and open source (MIT) with no per-server fee, no deploy limits, and no SaaS dependency — it runs entirely on your own Ubuntu VPS.
When should I still choose Cleavr?
Choose Cleavr if you want a polished web GUI, built-in monitoring, and a quick start for non-CLI teams — similar to Ploi or Laravel Forge — and you are comfortable with a monthly SaaS subscription per server.
Can I migrate from Cleavr to Cipi?
Yes. Provision a fresh Ubuntu VPS, install Cipi with one command, recreate each project with cipi app create, connect your GitHub or GitLab repository for zero-downtime deploys, import your database dump, then point DNS at the new server. Your Laravel codebase itself needs no changes.
Does Cipi have a web dashboard like Cleavr?
Yes, optionally. Running cipi gui yourdomain.com installs a free, self-hosted web control panel that manages one or more Cipi servers from the browser — apps, databases, SSL, deploys and logs. Unlike Cleavr, the dashboard is opt-in and runs on your own infrastructure; Cipi remains fully usable from the CLI alone.
