ServerPilot
Server management and monitoring for PHP and WordPress apps on any cloud
About ServerPilot
ServerPilot is a cloud server management panel that configures and maintains Ubuntu servers you own at any provider, such as DigitalOcean, Google Cloud, or AWS. It sets up an Nginx and Apache stack with multiple PHP versions, MySQL, AutoSSL, a firewall, and automatic updates, then adds metrics dashboards for servers, apps, and databases. Billing is usage-based: an hourly rate per server plus a smaller rate per app.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Works with servers at any cloud provider, so you keep root access and pay provider rates directly
- Hourly usage billing per server and app, with no price increase when you add vCPUs or memory
- Secure defaults out of the box: firewall, no open management ports, automatic updates, app isolation, and AutoSSL
- Different PHP versions per app on the same server, which simplifies upgrades and rollbacks
- Simple dashboard that reviewers describe as easy to learn
Cons
- Focused on PHP, WordPress, and static sites; other runtimes need manual setup
- Per-app fees add up for agencies hosting many small sites
- Monitoring and log viewer are not included on the Economy plan
- Reviewers note it is fairly basic: tools such as phpMyAdmin and extra hardening are set up by hand
- Some users report the agent connection occasionally dropping without reconnecting
Key Features
Bring-your-own server
Connect Ubuntu servers from any cloud provider and keep root access; you pay the provider directly for the server.
Nginx + Apache stack
Public-facing Nginx handles connections and HTTP/3, while Apache runs internally so WordPress and PHP apps can use .htaccess and mod_rewrite.
Multiple PHP versions
Apps on the same server can each run a different PHP version, with PHP-FPM scaling processes based on load and new versions installed automatically.
One-click WordPress
Create WordPress sites instantly, alongside Laravel, other PHP apps, or static sites.
AutoSSL
Free Let's Encrypt certificates are issued and renewed automatically for app domains.
Security by default
Firewall enabled, no management ports exposed, automated OS and package updates, and per-app isolation with separate system users.
Server and app metrics
Charts for effective memory, OOM-killed processes, inodes, and network, plus per-app request and error rates, PHP process and memory usage, and slow requests.
MySQL metrics
Cache usage and slow query rates to spot database performance issues (First Class plan).
Log viewer
View and search server and app log files from the dashboard.
App migrations and API
Transfer sites and databases between servers, and automate server and app management through the ServerPilot API.
Pricing
- + $0.50 per app per month, billed hourly
- Server management
- Free SSL
- One-click WordPress
- Firewall and automated updates
- App isolation
- Standard email support
- + $1 per app per month, billed hourly
- Everything in Economy
- Log viewer
- Server resource metrics
- PHP process metrics
- Priority support
- + $2 per app per month, billed hourly
- Everything in Business
- App request and error metrics
- MySQL health and cache metrics
- High priority support
Best For
WordPress hosting on your own VPS
Run WordPress sites on a DigitalOcean or Google Cloud server with SSL, updates, and isolation handled for you.
Laravel and PHP app hosting
Deploy Laravel or custom PHP apps with per-app PHP versions on a tuned Nginx and Apache stack.
Freelancers managing client sites
Host several client apps across servers from one dashboard and move sites between servers when needed.
Performance troubleshooting
Use server, PHP, and MySQL metrics to find memory exhaustion, slow requests, and slow queries before they cause downtime.
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