This comparison is for informational purposes only. StackPilot App is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Laravel Forge or Ploi.
Two ideas separate StackPilot App from every cloud-based alternative.
Forge and Ploi route your deployments through their cloud infrastructure. StackPilot App runs as a desktop application. SSH connections go directly from your machine to your server. No middle-man servers. No third-party holding your SSH keys. If their service goes down, your deployments don't.
Forge runs $19 to $59/month. Ploi starts around $8/month. Both scale up as you grow. StackPilot App is a one-time purchase. After year one, most Pro users have already broken even. Every month after that is money back in your pocket.
Where we stand today: no embellishments.
| Feature | StackPilot App | Laravel Forge | Ploi.io |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | One-time payment | $19 to $59/month | $8 to $25/month |
| Platform | Desktop app (macOS, Windows) | Browser-based SaaS | Browser-based SaaS |
| Execution | Local: direct SSH from your machine | Remote: routed via Forge servers | Remote: routed via Ploi servers |
| Credential Storage | Local only: never leaves your disk | Stored on Forge cloud | Stored on Ploi cloud |
| Server Limit | Up to 50 per license (tiered)Need more? Contact us. | Unlimited (billed by server tier) | Tier-based limits |
| Offline Support | Partial: view cached data onlySSH to your server still needs a network connection. | No: browser required | No: browser required |
| Zero-Downtime Deploys | Yes: symlink-based atomic releases | Yes | Yes |
| Cloud Server Provisioning | Coming Q2 2026 †DigitalOcean + AWS EC2 | Yes | Yes |
| Simultaneous Multi-Server Tabs | Coming Q2 2026 †Switch-based today | Yes (browser tabs) | Yes (browser tabs) |
| Git Webhooks (Auto-Deploy) | Yes: GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket | Yes | Yes |
| Integrated Terminal | Yes: per-server and per-site shells | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Device Sync | Coming Q3 2026 | Yes (web: works on any device) | Yes (web: works on any device) |
† Coming Q2 2026 · Competitor pricing is approximate and subject to change.
Laravel® is a registered trademark of its respective owner. StackPilot App is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by the owners of the Laravel or Laravel Forge trademarks.
We'd rather be honest about our roadmap than oversell features that aren't here yet.
All upcoming features are paid add-ons. They are not included in your current license for free. Your one-time payment covers the features shipped at the time of purchase. See licensing terms
StackPilot App connects to any server over SSH. Your existing server setup is fully compatible.
Since StackPilot App runs locally and talks directly to your servers, you can run both tools side-by-side during migration. No DNS changes. No server downtime. Switch at your own pace.
Install the desktop app, click "Add Server", and enter your existing server's IP address and SSH credentials. StackPilot App connects directly. No DNS changes or server-side agent required to start.
Create the same sites in StackPilot App pointing to the same directories. Run a test deployment to confirm everything works. Both tools can run in parallel during this phase.
In your site's Deploy Recipe settings, StackPilot App generates a unique webhook URL. Replace the Forge/Ploi webhook in your GitHub/GitLab/Bitbucket repo settings. Auto-deploys now go through StackPilot App.
Once you've confirmed a few successful deployments end-to-end, cancel your Forge or Ploi subscription. Most users finish the migration in a single afternoon.
Note on server limits: Each StackPilot App license supports up to a set number of servers (tiered by plan, up to 50). If your current setup requires more, reach out to us. We'll sort it out.
We'd rather lose a sale than oversell.
Forge and Ploi can spin up new cloud servers from their UI right now. StackPilot App's DigitalOcean and AWS provisioning is coming in Q2 2026. Until then, you'll add servers manually.
Being browser-based, Forge and Ploi naturally support multiple open tabs across servers. StackPilot App's tab-based multi-server view is on the Q2 2026 roadmap.
StackPilot App is a desktop app installed per machine. If you need a shared web interface accessible from any browser, Forge and Ploi naturally have that advantage.
Current licenses cover up to 50 servers. If you're managing larger fleets, contact us before buying. We'll work something out rather than have you hit an unexpected limit.
Pay once, run locally, keep your credentials on your own machine.
