Feature by feature
8 dimensions compared, August 2026
4
Hostwares
2
Zeabur
| Feature | HHostwares | Z Zeabur |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | No | Yes - 1 server, 48h logs |
| Paid entry | $3/mo | $5/mo (Dev) |
| What the price buys | CPU, RAM and disk directly | Manageable servers, log retention, build spec |
| Free trial | No | 14 days on Dev and Pro |
| Managed databases | From $3/mo, flat | Available on the platform |
| AI DevOps agent | Yes - deploys and debugs | Zeabur Agent on Dev and above |
| cPanel, domains, 326+ services | Yes | No |
| Team seats | No per-seat fee | $79/mo for 3, +$24/seat |
Sources: zeabur.com pricing page & docs, August 2026. Vendors change pricing - confirm on their site.
Zeabur pricing vs Hostwares pricing
Zeabur is free for one manageable server with 48-hour log retention. Dev is $5/mo for three servers, 7-day logs and the Zeabur Agent. Pro is $19/mo for ten servers, a 4C8G build spec and 30-day logs. Team is $79/mo including three seats, with additional seats at $24/mo. Hostwares charges $3, $7 and $18 per pack with no per-seat fee, and databases from $3 - so the comparison depends on whether you are constrained by server count or by compute.
$ scenario: A small team running one app and a database
HHostwares
- flat. same price in your biggest month.
The honest verdict
Choose Hostwares if…
- You want to pay for the resources your app uses, not a tier of managed servers
- You want managed databases billed the same flat way
- You want an AI DevOps agent handling deployments and incidents
- You want cPanel, domains and 326+ services on one account
Choose Zeabur if…
- Their free tier genuinely covers your project - one server at $0 is hard to beat
- You want the 14-day free trial before paying anything
- You value their deployment UX and template catalogue
- You need long log retention as a first-class feature - 90 days on Team
Why teams switch from Zeabur
No per-seat fee
Zeabur's Team plan is $79/mo for three seats and $24 for each additional one. We do not charge per seat at all, which matters as soon as more than one person needs access.
You buy compute, not tiers
A pack is a stated amount of CPU, RAM and disk. Upgrading means more resources rather than a higher tier of manageable servers.
Their free tier is genuinely good
If one server and 48-hour logs covers your project, use it. We have no free tier and cannot compete with $0.
The rest of the stack
cPanel, domains and a 326-service catalogue on the same account and invoice.
Frequently asked questions
Is Zeabur free?
There is a genuine free tier: one manageable server, 48-hour log retention, a 2C4G build spec and a 50 MB file upload limit. Dev at $5/mo adds three servers, 7-day logs and the Zeabur Agent.
Is Hostwares cheaper than Zeabur?
Our entry is $3/mo against their $5/mo Dev plan, and we have no per-seat fee where Team is $79/mo for three seats. But their free tier is $0 and we have nothing to match that.
What is a manageable server on Zeabur?
It is how their plans are metered - Free allows one, Dev three, Pro ten, Team unlimited. It is a different axis from ours, where you buy CPU, RAM and disk directly.
Does Zeabur have an AI agent?
Zeabur Agent is included from the Dev plan upward. Our AI DevOps agent is included on every plan and is oriented towards operating infrastructure - deploying, reading logs and diagnosing failures.
Can I migrate from Zeabur to Hostwares?
Yes. Connect the same GitHub repository, move environment variables, and dump and restore any databases. Both platforms deploy from Git so the model is familiar.
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.
More platform comparisons
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.
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