Choose FlatRun when
- You want to stop paying for a panel license.
- Sites should run in containers you can move between servers.
- Changes should be reviewable before they run.
FlatRun vs Plesk
Compare FlatRun with Plesk: an open source, container-native way to host sites and apps without per-domain licensing.
Open source, MIT licensed · Runs on any Linux server with Docker
Hosting panel
Plesk manages websites the shared-hosting way: subscriptions, domains and services configured by the panel. FlatRun runs each site as a container project from a standard Compose file.
There is no license to renew and no per-domain fee, and every site can move to another server as a directory.
Side by side
| FlatRun | Plesk | |
|---|---|---|
| License | Free, MIT | Paid commercial plans |
| Domain pricing | No per-domain fee | Depends on the license tier |
| Containers | Every site is a container project | Through the Docker extension |
| Deployment format | Standard Compose projects | Panel configuration |
| WordPress | Template | Yes |
| SSL certificates | Yes | Yes |
| Databases | Yes | Yes |
| File manager | Yes | Yes |
| DNS | Self-hosted zones or your provider | Yes |
| Monitoring | Metrics, alerts and self-healing | Yes |
| Email hosting | Not yet | Yes |
Switching
Back up each site's files and databases from Plesk.
One command installs FlatRun on a supported server.
Start from a template such as WordPress, then upload the files and import the database.
Update the DNS records. FlatRun issues the certificates.
Not yet. Keep email with a mail provider or a separate server for now.
Plesk details come from Plesk pricing . FlatRun details are in the documentation.
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