Compare / Laravel Cloud vs Netcup VPS / Root Server
Laravel Cloud vs Netcup VPS / Root Server
Pre-calculated from hand-checked data — Laravel Cloud checked 2026-10-01, Netcup checked 2026-10-01.
The short version
Laravel Cloud wins more of our comparison points, but Netcup VPS / Root Server still fits if european projects that want strong specs per euro and can live with German contract formalities describes you.
Price Tie
Laravel Cloud costs less while you're starting out, but Netcup VPS / Root Server works out cheaper once traffic grows.
Ease Laravel Cloud
Laravel Cloud is easier to get running: connect a Git repository or run cloud ship; Laravel Cloud builds the supported runtime and deploys every push with zero downtime.
Control Netcup VPS / Root Server
Netcup VPS / Root Server gives you more control over the stack — the flip side of the convenience trade.
Free tier Laravel Cloud
Laravel Cloud has a free tier; Netcup VPS / Root Server doesn't.
Features Laravel Cloud
Laravel Cloud comes out ahead on 7 of the 15 features we track, versus 2.
What developers say about this matchup
We couldn't find a substantive first-person discussion comparing this exact pair. We leave the section empty instead of filling it with vendor marketing or generic SEO comparisons.
At a glance
| Laravel Cloud | Netcup VPS / Root Server | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Laravel teams that want the framework, database, queues, scheduler, cache, and deploy workflow managed as one platform. | European projects that want strong specs per euro and can live with German contract formalities. |
| How deploys work | Connect a Git repository or run cloud ship; Laravel Cloud builds the supported runtime and deploys every push with zero downtime. | You get root on a bare server: bring your own setup; the Server Control Panel handles images, snapshots, and a remote console. |
| The tradeoff | The excellent Laravel experience comes from an opinionated runtime, so arbitrary containers and server-level access are out. | Strong specs per euro, but fixed terms, strict signup checks, and an unforgiving abuse process. |
| Free tier | New Starter subscriptions get their first month free; after that, Starter costs $5/month and includes $5 in monthly usage credit. | None |
What you'd realistically pay
Laravel Cloud Netcup VPS / Root Server
| Project stage | Laravel Cloud | Netcup VPS / Root Server | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Just starting | ≈$5/mo Starter — The $5 subscription includes $5 of monthly usage credit; a small app and database that scale to zero can stay inside it. | ≈€8.26/mo VPS 500 G12.5 — Incl. 19% VAT. 2 shared vCores, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB SSD, traffic included. 12-month term (1-month is €9.50). | Laravel Cloud |
| Steady traffic | ≈$12/mo Starter + always-on Flex 1GB — One always-on Flex 1GB app instance reaches a $12 monthly compute cap; the $5 usage credit offsets the $5 Starter fee. | ≈€12.93/mo RS 500 G12.5 — Incl. 19% VAT. 2 dedicated AMD EPYC cores, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB NVMe, 99.9% availability guarantee, 30-day money-back. | Laravel Cloud |
| Growing | ≈$68.90/mo Growth + medium SaaS resources — The official medium-SaaS example is about $53.90 in usage; add the $20 Growth fee and subtract its $5 usage credit. | ≈€26.92/mo VPS 2000 G12.5 — Incl. 19% VAT. 8 shared vCores, 16 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD, traffic included. | Netcup VPS / Root Server |
Laravel Cloud pricing notes
- Every paid plan includes $5 in monthly usage credits, which reset each billing cycle.
- Flex compute bills per second while awake, scales to zero when idle, and is capped at 28 days of runtime per billing cycle.
- Each compute size earns a data-transfer allowance; overage is $0.10/GB.
- Managed databases, caches, queues, object storage, and WebSockets have separate usage charges.
Netcup VPS / Root Server pricing notes
- Terms are 1, 12, or 24 months — longer terms cost less. Existing G12 contracts keep old prices; new orders are G12.5.
- IPv6-only saves €0.60/month, but you cannot add a public IPv4 later.
- Named locations carry a surcharge that scales with the plan (on VPS 500: EU/US named +€1.04, Singapore +€7.66).
Our ratings
Ease of use Laravel Cloud
Pricing clarity
Free tier Laravel Cloud
Scaling Laravel Cloud
Control Netcup VPS / Root Server
Feature by feature
Laravel Cloud wins 7, Netcup VPS / Root Server wins 2, with 6 even.
Deploy workflow
| Laravel Cloud | Netcup VPS / Root Server | |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy from Git push | Yes Connect a Git repository and every push to the configured branch deploys automatically. | No No deploy pipeline — bring your own CI or scripts. |
| Preview deploys | Partial Starter includes one preview environment; broader preview workflows are available on higher plans. | No Nothing built in. |
| Official CLI | Yes The cloud CLI deploys apps and manages environments, resources, logs, and commands. | Partial The Server Control Panel exposes a webservice API; there is no first-class official CLI. |
| Instant rollbacks | Partial You can redeploy an older Git commit, but there is no documented one-click rollback workflow. | Partial Manual copy-on-write snapshots restore machines; no automatic backups, no deploy-level rollback. |
Platform
| Laravel Cloud | Netcup VPS / Root Server | |
|---|---|---|
| Custom domains + HTTPS | Yes Custom domains and automatically renewed TLS certificates are included on every plan. | Yes Point DNS at the server; TLS is yours via certbot or a proxy. |
| Built-in CDN / edge network | Yes A Cloudflare-powered global edge network caches static assets and cacheable responses automatically. | No No CDN product — put Cloudflare in front if needed. |
| Serverless functions | No Laravel Cloud runs server-based application compute rather than serverless functions. | No Not a VPS feature. |
| Docker containers | No The platform builds its own optimized images and does not accept arbitrary Docker images. | Yes Install Docker yourself on any image. |
| SSH / shell access | No There is no SSH shell; use one-off commands, Tinker, logs, or the CLI instead. | Yes Full root SSH. |
| EU hosting region | Yes Frankfurt, Ireland, and London regions are available alongside North America and Asia Pacific. | Yes Vienna, Nuremberg, and Amsterdam are the core locations. |
Runtime & operations
| Laravel Cloud | Netcup VPS / Root Server | |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic scaling | Partial Growth can autoscale up to 10 replicas; unlimited scaling requires Business or higher. | No Manual plan upgrades only. |
| Scale to zero | Yes Flex app compute scales to zero when idle and wakes in under 500 milliseconds. | No The contract bills until cancelled, powered off or not. |
| Scheduled jobs | Yes Laravel scheduled tasks are supported and automatically wake sleeping environments. | Yes Classic cron on the box. |
| Managed database | Yes Managed Laravel MySQL and serverless Postgres are provisioned directly from the platform. | No No managed database product — the closest thing is a fully managed vServer. |
| Logs & metrics built in | Partial Application logs and CPU and memory metrics are built in, with retention tied to the plan. | Partial Basic graphs in the Server Control Panel; app-level monitoring is yours. |
Watch out for
Laravel Cloud
- Starter costs $5/month plus usage, although its $5 monthly usage credit can cover a tiny app that frequently scales to zero.
- Autoscaling and dedicated worker clusters require the $20/month Growth plan or higher.
- The platform supports a defined set of frameworks and runtimes; it is not a general-purpose Docker host.
- Databases, caches, object storage, and WebSockets bill separately from app compute.
Netcup
- Minimum terms are 1, 12, or 24 months; longer terms cost less. Cancellation must arrive at least 31 days before term end or the contract renews.
- G12 is gone for new orders — new plans are G12.5. Existing G12 contracts keep their old prices until they end.
- The abuse team can suspend servers instantly (including Friday night) and works Mon–Fri office hours; out-of-hours phone support costs €40 per 15 minutes.
- Sign-up identity checks are strict and some orders get rejected.
- Prices are displayed including 19% German VAT — your actual VAT depends on your country.
Read the full reviews: Laravel Cloud and Netcup. Or answer four questions to see what fits your project.