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Hostwares vs CapRover

Managed platform vs running it yourself

CapRover is free, open-source under Apache 2.0, and has been a solid self-hosted PaaS for years. It publishes no hosted plan, because the model is that you bring a server and run it. If you compare on software price, CapRover wins outright and you should use it - we are not going to argue otherwise. The comparison that actually matters is operational: who installs the updates, renews the certificates, verifies that the backups restore, and gets woken up when the disk fills.

HostwaresHostwares

AI-powered cloud hosting

From $3/mo, all-inclusive

C

CapRover

Self-hosted open-source PaaS

Free, Apache 2.0

Feature by feature

8 dimensions compared, August 2026

5

Hostwares

2

CapRover

FeatureHHostwares
C
CapRover
Software costFrom $3/mo, all-inclusiveFree, Apache 2.0
Server costIncludedBring your own VPS
Who patches the OSHostwaresYou
Who upgrades the platformHostwaresYou
Backup verificationPart of the serviceYours to configure and test
Incident responseHostwares, plus an AI agentYou, at whatever hour it happens
Full root controlContainer shell onlyComplete
One-click app catalogue326+, managedLarge catalogue, self-managed

Sources: caprover.com pricing page & docs, August 2026. Vendors change pricing - confirm on their site.

CapRover pricing vs Hostwares pricing

CapRover is free software with no hosted offering - your only direct cost is the server you run it on, typically $5 to $20 a month. The genuine cost is time: OS updates, CapRover upgrades, TLS renewal, backup verification, monitoring and incident response. Hostwares packs are $3 to $18 with infrastructure and management included. On software price alone CapRover is cheaper and always will be; the question is what your hours are worth.

hostwares cost --compare caprover

$ scenario: App plus database, run for a year

C
CapRover

+VPS around $8/mo, free software, plus your ops time
total / month≈ $96/yr plus your hours

HHostwares

Standard pack ($7)
database pack ($3), fully managed
total / month$120/yr, no ops hours

- flat. same price in your biggest month.

The honest verdict

Choose Hostwares if…

  • You want no server administration - no OS patching, no CapRover upgrades, no incidents
  • You want backups that are verified rather than configured and hoped for
  • You want an AI agent that reads logs and diagnoses failures for you
  • You want support with a response commitment rather than a community forum

Choose CapRover if…

  • Your software budget is genuinely zero and you have the ops skills
  • You want full control and data sovereignty on hardware you own
  • You enjoy running infrastructure - that is a real and valid preference
  • You already have a server and someone who maintains it

Why teams switch from CapRover

The difference is about $24 a year

Self-hosting on an $8 VPS saves roughly $2/month against a managed pack. Decide whether that is worth the maintenance, because that is the real trade.

Backups you have actually tested

On any self-hosted platform, backups exist if you configured them correctly and verified a restore. Most people do the first and not the second.

Someone else takes the 3am page

Disk-full, expired certificate, failed upgrade. On CapRover that is you. Here it is us, and the AI agent triages first.

CapRover is genuinely good software

If you want to self-host, it is a sound choice and we would rather say so than pretend otherwise.

Frequently asked questions

Is CapRover really free?

Yes - it is open source under Apache 2.0 with no hosted plan and no paid tier. You pay only for the server you run it on.

Should I self-host CapRover or use Hostwares?

Self-host if you have the ops skills, want total control, and do not mind the maintenance - it is good software. Choose managed if you would rather not be responsible for updates, backups and incidents.

Isn't self-hosting cheaper?

On paper, marginally: an $8/mo VPS with free software against $10/mo managed. In practice you are doing OS patches, CapRover upgrades, certificate renewals and backup verification. One incident usually costs more than the annual difference.

How does this compare to Coolify or Dokploy?

The same trade-off. All three are free self-hosted platforms and the honest comparison against a managed service is operational burden rather than price. We have separate pages for Coolify and Dokploy.

Can I move from CapRover to Hostwares?

Yes. CapRover deploys Docker containers and standard apps, so connect the same repository here. Dump and restore your databases into managed packs.

How much does Hostwares cost?

Resource packs are $2/mo for Micro (0.25 vCPU, 256 MB, 5 GB), $3 for Starter (0.5 vCPU, 512 MB, 10 GB), $7 for Standard (1 vCPU, 2 GB, 25 GB), $18 for Performance (2 vCPU, 4 GB, 50 GB) and $35 for Business (4 vCPU, 8 GB, 100 GB). One pack runs one deployment - a site, a database or a service.

Is there a free tier?

No. Entry is $2/mo for a Micro pack. New accounts receive free AI credits on signup as a one-time bonus, but there is no free hosting tier - if a competitor's free tier covers your project, use it.

Do you charge for bandwidth?

No. Packs are a flat monthly price and traffic is not metered, so a busy month costs the same as a quiet one.

Are there per-seat fees?

No. You pay for resources, not for people. Adding teammates does not change the bill.

What is your refund policy?

Resource packs carry a 7-day money-back guarantee on first purchase. cPanel hosting is a pro-rated refund within the first 7 days if the account has not been used. Servers are a full refund within 48 hours if not provisioned, pro-rated within 7 days. Domains are non-refundable per ICANN policy. Full terms are on the refund policy page.

How do I pay?

PayPal, Stripe (card) and bKash, invoice-based. AI credits are a separate balance and are only used for the AI agent, never for hosting.

Does the price change at renewal?

No. The price you buy at is the price you renew at. There is no introductory rate that steps up later.

How do I deploy an application?

Connect a GitHub repository and Hostwares detects the framework and builds it. Next.js, React, Vue, Svelte, Node, Python, Go, Ruby, PHP and static sites are detected without configuration. You can also deploy any Docker image or upload a ZIP.

Can I deploy from a private repository?

Yes. Connect your GitHub account and private repositories become selectable in the deploy panel.

Do you support Docker?

Yes. Deploy any public or private Docker image with a tag and a port, or let a Dockerfile in your repository drive the build.

What databases can I run?

Managed PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, Redis and MongoDB from $3/mo, with automated backups and a connection string. Each database occupies its own pack.

Do I get shell access?

You get a shell into your own container. You do not get root on the host - if you need kernel modules or arbitrary system packages, an unmanaged VPS is the right tool rather than a managed platform.

Can I run background workers and cron jobs?

Yes. A worker or scheduled job is a separate deployment from the same repository with a different start command, so it needs its own pack.

How long does a deployment take?

Most applications build and go live in about 60 seconds. Larger stacks - Supabase runs 14 containers - take a few minutes.

Are custom domains and SSL included?

Yes. Custom domains are included on every pack and SSL certificates are issued and renewed automatically once DNS resolves to us. There is no per-domain charge.

Can I register domains through Hostwares?

Yes, from $9.58/yr for a .com, with DNS management included for domains in your account.

Do you offer email hosting?

Email mailboxes come with cPanel hosting, which is a separate product from container packs and starts around $1.25/mo equivalent. Container packs do not include mailboxes.

How do I migrate an existing application?

Push the project to GitHub, connect the repository, move your environment variables across, and dump and restore any databases. For most standard applications this is under an hour. Detailed guides exist for Heroku, Vercel and Railway.

Will you help me migrate?

Ask through a support ticket. The AI DevOps agent can also perform much of the work directly - connecting the repository, setting environment variables, provisioning a database and diagnosing failed builds.

What is the AI DevOps agent?

An AI that operates your infrastructure through conversation - deploying from GitHub, reading build logs, diagnosing failures, setting environment variables, configuring domains and provisioning databases. It is available in the dashboard, from a CLI, and as an MCP server for editors such as Cursor and Claude Desktop.

Does the AI agent cost extra?

It uses AI credits, which are a separate balance from hosting. Chat starts at $0.10 and task execution at $0.50. New accounts get free credits on signup, and billing or support questions are free regardless of balance.

What support do you offer?

Support tickets from the dashboard, with the AI agent available for technical troubleshooting at any hour. We are a small team - if you need a contractual enterprise SLA with named contacts, we do not offer that today.

Are backups included?

Managed databases have automated backups. Verify a restore before you rely on it - that advice applies to any provider, ours included.

Where are your servers located?

Deployments run in a single region per container rather than across a global edge network. If your application needs multi-region placement or edge delivery close to users on several continents, a platform built for that is the better choice.

Do you have a status page?

Yes, at /status, showing real-time platform and infrastructure status.

Are you SOC 2 certified?

No. We have not completed a SOC 2 audit. If your procurement process requires one, that is a genuine reason to choose a larger provider.

How long has Hostwares been running?

Hostwares LLC was incorporated in Wyoming in 2026, so we are a new platform. If a long uptime track record is your main criterion, an established provider is the honest answer.

Can I export my data and leave?

Yes. Deployments are standard containers built from your own repository, and databases can be dumped with the usual tools. There is no proprietary format holding your application in place.

What happens if I do not pay an invoice?

Invoices are raised ahead of the due date so you can pay early. After the due date a grace period runs before services are suspended, and suspended services are terminated after 30 days of non-payment. You are emailed at each stage.

Deploy in 60 seconds.
From $2/mo, flat.

Connect GitHub, pick a pack, and let the AI DevOps agent handle the rest - deploys, debugging, and fixes included.