The free, open-source Laravel Forge alternative
Comparison last updated: · reflects Cipi 5 and current Laravel Forge pricing/features
Cipi gives you the same one-command Laravel deployment workflow as Laravel Forge — zero-downtime Git deploys, Laravel Octane (FrankenPHP), Horizon, Reverb, queues, SSL, databases — but it's 100% free, open source (MIT), and runs entirely on your own Ubuntu VPS. No subscription, no SaaS dependency, no per-server fee.
Cipi vs Laravel Forge at a glance
| Feature | Cipi | Laravel Forge |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, forever | From $12/mo per server |
| License | Open source (MIT) | Proprietary |
| Interface | CLI + REST API + optional GUI | Web GUI (SaaS) |
| Runs entirely on your VPS | Yes | No — requires forge.laravel.com |
| Laravel-native (Deployer, artisan, queues) | Yes | Yes |
| Laravel Octane (FrankenPHP) | Yes — CLI native | Yes |
| Zero-downtime Git deploys | Yes | Yes |
| AI / MCP server | Dual MCP | No |
| Config encryption at rest (AES-256) | Yes | No |
| Server-to-server sync & failover | Yes | No |
| Data sovereignty (no third-party processor) | Yes | US-based SaaS |
| Visual dashboard, monitoring, teams | Optional GUI | Yes |
| PostgreSQL support | Optional | Yes |
Why developers switch from Forge to Cipi
$0 instead of $12+/mo per server
Forge bills per server, every month. Cipi is free for every server you run, for life — the savings scale with your fleet.
No SaaS dependency
Forge manages your servers from forge.laravel.com. If you cancel or it has downtime, you lose the interface. Cipi lives on your VPS and works independently.
CLI & pipeline automation
Every operation is a composable shell command — scriptable, chainable, and runnable from a webhook or GitHub Action. Forge automation is GUI-first.
Open source & auditable
Cipi is MIT-licensed. Read, audit, fork, and modify every line. Forge is proprietary.
AI-native with dual MCP
Per-app and global MCP servers let any MCP-compatible IDE or agent create, deploy, and manage apps and SSL across the whole server.
Encryption at rest + data sovereignty
All configs, tokens and keys are encrypted with AES-256-CBC on your VPS. No infrastructure metadata leaves your server — GDPR-friendly by design.
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 — ready to deploy your first Laravel app. See the getting started guide.
Where Laravel Forge is still the better choice
Forge wins on its polished GUI, multi-cloud provisioning across multiple accounts, team management, built-in monitoring dashboards, heartbeats and health checks, and years of production hardening at scale. If your team isn't comfortable with SSH or you need a visual interface, Forge is worth its price.
How to migrate from Laravel Forge to Cipi
Moving from Laravel Forge 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 Forge. List the sites, databases, queue workers, scheduled jobs and SSL certificates you need to recreate. Keep your Forge subscription active until the cutover is complete.
- 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 there a free alternative to Laravel Forge?
Yes. Cipi is a free, open-source (MIT) and self-hosted alternative to Laravel Forge. It installs and manages a complete production stack on any Ubuntu VPS with no monthly subscription and no per-server fee.
What is the difference between Cipi and Laravel Forge?
Forge is a proprietary SaaS with a GUI that starts at $12/month per server and manages your servers from forge.laravel.com. Cipi is a free, open-source CLI that lives entirely on your VPS, works without any external service, and exposes a REST API and MCP server for automation and AI agents.
Does Cipi support zero-downtime Laravel deployments?
Yes. Cipi provides webhook-driven, zero-downtime Git deployments for both GitHub and GitLab, configured in a single command, with automatic Supervisor queue workers and artisan integration.
When should I still choose Laravel Forge?
Choose Forge if your team prefers a polished visual dashboard, needs multi-cloud provisioning, team management, and built-in monitoring/heartbeats, and is not comfortable working over SSH.
Can I migrate from Laravel Forge to Cipi?
Yes. Provision a fresh Ubuntu VPS, install Cipi with one command, recreate each site 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 Laravel Forge?
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 Forge, the dashboard is opt-in and runs on your own infrastructure; Cipi remains fully usable from the CLI alone.
