ArduMaker vs RunCloud

Verdict

13–8

ArduMaker wins

Criteria won: ArduMaker 5, RunCloud 0. Tied on 8.

Only criteria that resolve to yes, partial or no are counted. Price has no single winner: it depends on each case.

Comparison table

Quick summary

ArduMaker

• Who it is for: Developers and agencies who don't want to buy the server in one place and the panel in another, and who deploy APIs, workers, n8n or PostgreSQL alongside WordPress.
• Biggest strength: One plan with server, panel, email on your domain and an OAuth MCP server so your AI agent can operate the VPS.

RunCloud

• Who it is for: Teams that already run servers on DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode or another provider, or want to pick them, and manage many PHP and WordPress sites from one panel.
• Biggest strength: Provider freedom: one panel for up to 50 servers on Professional, with staging, app cloning and incremental backups.

The main difference: RunCloud manages servers you rent elsewhere and only charges for the panel. ArduMaker is server and panel in one product, built for apps, automations and agents as well as WordPress.

Key differences

Two vendors or one

With RunCloud you pay for the panel and, separately, for the server at DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode or another provider. You get to choose hardware, region and price, but you also juggle two accounts, two invoices and two support desks. On ArduMaker the VPS and the panel come in the same plan, backed by the same team.

PHP-first versus any kind of app

RunCloud positions itself as a panel for PHP servers and shines with WordPress, Laravel and PHP apps. For Node.js, n8n or other containers it offers Docker Stacks, still in beta and limited to Business and Enterprise. ArduMaker ships Docker with Compose, n8n with workers, PostgreSQL and Redis on any VPS, plus GitHub deploys for APIs and workers.

Features gated by plan

On RunCloud several pieces sit behind the $49/month Business plan: teams with roles, the API, atomic deploys, AutoSSL and Docker Stacks. On ArduMaker the MCP server is free and members with per-project roles are managed in the company; what changes between plans is the VPS resources.

AI that watches versus AI that acts

RunCloud offers AI Monitoring, a read-only agent that watches the server and suggests fixes you run yourself. I found no official MCP server; there are third-party projects built on its API. ArduMaker publishes a remote MCP server with OAuth and human approval so Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor can operate deploys, databases, domains, email and WordPress.

Pricing and costs

RunCloud's cost has two parts: the panel subscription, which grows with the number of servers and the features you need, and the price of each server at the provider you choose, plus its bandwidth and its own backups if you use them. If you need teams, the API or Docker Stacks, the starting point is Business. Add the time spent sizing and watching the provider's servers. On ArduMaker the VPS, the panel and weekly backups come in one plan; mailboxes are billed separately, per mailbox.

Assumptions: RunCloud prices in US dollars, monthly billing, excluding taxes, taken from RunCloud's official publications on October 17, 2026; confirm them at runcloud.io/pricing before deciding. The server price depends on the provider and is not included. Essentials is compared with ArduMaker's entry plan.

Real-world scenarios

Agency with 30 WordPress sites across servers

On ArduMaker: Each site is a native app with its own PHP-FPM pool and database, with staging, backups and editing over MCP. Several sites share a VPS; as they grow, you change plan or open another VPS in the same company.

On RunCloud: On Professional you connect up to 50 servers from any provider, clone sites and use up to 10 staging environments. Each server is bought and billed at its provider.

Laravel deployed on every push

On ArduMaker: Pick the GitHub repo and branch in the panel: every push deploys with a domain and SSL, and workers run as VPS services.

On RunCloud: Enable Git on the app, paste RunCloud's webhook into GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket and add the deploy key. Business adds atomic deploys and deployment scripts.

n8n and a Node.js API next to WordPress

On ArduMaker: Install n8n in one click with workers, PostgreSQL and Redis, and deploy the API from GitHub on the same VPS as WordPress.

On RunCloud: On Business or Enterprise you use Docker Stacks (beta), whose catalog includes n8n. On lower plans, RunCloud's guide runs n8n in Docker by hand behind an NGINX app used as a proxy.

An AI agent that reviews the server

On ArduMaker: Connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor to the MCP server over OAuth; the agent reads logs, restarts services or updates plugins, and sensitive actions wait for your approval.

On RunCloud: AI Monitoring watches the server read-only and proposes fixes you apply. For an agent to act, you need a third-party MCP with an API key.

When RunCloud is the better fit

• You want to choose the provider, region and server size, and switch providers without switching panels.
• You already run servers on DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode or others and want to manage them together.
• You manage many PHP servers: Professional covers up to 50 for a flat panel fee.
• You need zero-downtime atomic deploys for Laravel or PHP.
• You want incremental backups and external targets such as S3, Backblaze B2 or Google Drive.

When ArduMaker is the better fit

• You prefer a single plan with server and panel, without accounts at two vendors.
• You need PostgreSQL, Docker with Compose or n8n with workers without a Business plan or a beta feature.
• You want email on your domain in the same panel as your apps.
• Your AI agent should operate the server over MCP with OAuth and human approval, not just watch it.
• You work as a team and want per-project roles from your first VPS.

How to migrate from RunCloud to ArduMaker

Moving from RunCloud to ArduMaker means moving each web app to a new VPS and switching DNS at the end. Keep the provider's server running until everything checks out, then disconnect it from RunCloud.

1. Inventory: List each server's web apps, PHP versions, NGINX tweaks, databases, cron jobs, background processes, Git repos and domains with their SSL.
2. Safety backup: Run a backup of every app and database in RunCloud, or download them, so you have a way back before touching anything.
3. Create the VPS: Choose a plan with enough RAM and disk for everything you're moving. If you had several servers on RunCloud, decide whether to consolidate them or open several VPSs.
4. Move WordPress sites: Create a backup with All-in-One, Duplicator or UpdraftPlus and create the site on ArduMaker from it. Check caching plugins tied to RunCloud Hub and replace them if needed.
5. Git apps and databases: Connect each repo to GitHub deploys and load its environment variables. Export databases with mysqldump and import them into the VPS's MySQL or MariaDB.
6. DNS and SSL: Lower the TTL a few days ahead, point the records at the VPS or delegate the zone to ArduMaker, and publish each domain so its certificate is issued.
7. Verify and shut down: Test forms, cron, queues and outgoing email. Once everything works, disconnect the server from RunCloud, cancel the subscription and delete the server at its provider.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

RunCloud data checked on 2026-10-17 on its official pages. Prices change: confirm them before deciding. Logos belong to their owners and are shown only to identify each service.

• RunCloud Pricing
• RunCloud: An Introduction To Git & Atomic Deployment
• RunCloud Community: Introducing Docker Stacks (Beta)
• RunCloud: How To Create and Manage Roles in Your Workspace
• RunCloud: How To Create Web App and Database Backups
• RunCloud: WordPress Staging Environments
• RunCloud: SSL/TLS Certificate
• RunCloud: Getting Started with RunCloud AI Monitoring

Keep reading

• GitHub deploy
• WordPress
• Docker
• PostgreSQL
• MCP server

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