Best Deployment Tools: DeployHQ vs Octopus Deploy

DeployHQ and Octopus Deploy both automate deployments, but they solve different problems for different teams. DeployHQ is a cloud-hosted platform built for deploying web applications from Git repositories — you connect your repo, add a server, and push. Octopus Deploy is an enterprise deployment orchestration platform designed for complex release pipelines, particularly in .NET and multi-environment infrastructure.

This guide compares both tools across setup, workflows, features, and pricing so you can determine which fits your team and your deployment needs.

At a Glance

How They Work: Fundamental Differences

The biggest difference between DeployHQ and Octopus Deploy is where they sit in your workflow.

DeployHQ: Git to Server

DeployHQ connects directly to your Git repository and your server. When you push code, DeployHQ pulls the changes, optionally runs build commands, and deploys the result to your server via SSH, SFTP, or cloud provider APIs. It handles the entire pipeline from code commit to live deployment.

Developer pushes code → DeployHQ detects changes → Builds (optional) → Deploys via SSH/SFTP → Runs post-deploy commands → Done

There is no separate CI server to configure. DeployHQ's build pipelines run commands like npm ci && npm run build or composer install --no-dev on DeployHQ's infrastructure before transferring the compiled output to your server.

Octopus Deploy: CI Output to Infrastructure

Octopus Deploy does not connect to your Git repository directly. Instead, it receives pre-built packages from a CI server (GitHub Actions, Jenkins, Azure DevOps, TeamCity) and orchestrates the release process across your infrastructure. It excels at managing deployment targets, environment variables, and multi-stage release pipelines.

Developer pushes code → CI server builds and tests → Packages artifact → Octopus receives package → Deploys to targets → Runs deployment steps → Done

This means Octopus Deploy always requires a separate CI/build tool. It's a deployment orchestrator, not an end-to-end deployment solution.

Bottom line: If you want a single tool that handles everything from Git push to production, DeployHQ is the simpler path. If you already have a CI pipeline and need sophisticated release orchestration across dozens of servers and environments, Octopus Deploy is purpose-built for that.

Setting Up a Deployment

DeployHQ: Deploy a Node.js App

Here's what it takes to deploy a Node.js application to a VPS with DeployHQ:

1. Create a project and connect your GitHub/GitLab/Bitbucket repository
2. Add a server — enter your VPS hostname, SSH port, deploy user, and deployment path (/var/www/myapp)
3. Configure build commands (optional): bash npm ci npm run build
4. Add post-deploy SSH commands (optional): bash cd /var/www/myapp && npm install --production sudo systemctl restart myapp
5. Deploy — click Deploy or enable automatic deployments via webhook

Total setup time: 5-10 minutes. No infrastructure to manage, no agents to install on your server.

Octopus Deploy: Deploy a .NET App

Here's the equivalent for deploying a .NET application with Octopus Deploy:

1. Set up a CI pipeline (e.g., GitHub Actions) to build and package your application using Octopus's packaging format
2. Configure a package feed in Octopus to receive the built artifacts
3. Install Tentacle agents on each deployment target server (or configure SSH targets)
4. Create an environment hierarchy (Development → Staging → Production)
5. Define a deployment process with steps: deploy package, run config transforms, execute health checks
6. Configure variables for each environment (connection strings, API keys, feature flags)
7. Create a release and promote it through environments

Total setup time: Several hours to days depending on infrastructure complexity. Requires managing the Octopus server itself (if self-hosted) plus Tentacle agents on every target.

Feature Comparison

Deployment Features

Team and Workflow Features

Infrastructure Support

Pricing (2026)

This is where the two tools diverge dramatically.

DeployHQ

All paid plans include unlimited deployments, and there's a free 10-day trial with no credit card required. Annual billing saves 10%.

Octopus Deploy

Additional machines and tenants cost $770/year per pack. Self-hosted plans require you to manage the Octopus server infrastructure yourself.

Cost Comparison for a Typical Team

For small-to-mid teams, DeployHQ costs a fraction of Octopus Deploy. The free tiers are comparable for getting started, but as soon as you need more than 10 projects or paid features, the gap widens significantly.

Where Each Tool Excels

DeployHQ Strengths

Simplicity without sacrificing capability. DeployHQ handles the full deployment lifecycle — from Git to server — without requiring you to piece together a CI pipeline, package manager, and deployment orchestrator separately.

Key advantages:

• Zero-downtime deployments are a built-in feature, not a custom process you have to build yourself. DeployHQ manages release directories and atomic symlink switching automatically.
• Build pipelines run on DeployHQ's servers, so you don't need to install build tools on your production server. Compile your assets, install dependencies, and optimise your application before a single file touches your server.
• Config files let you inject environment-specific configuration during deployment — different database credentials for staging vs production, for example — without committing secrets to your repository.
• Agency-friendly — manage 20 client projects for €39/month with unlimited users. Each project gets its own repository, servers, and deployment settings.

Octopus Deploy Strengths

Enterprise deployment orchestration. Octopus Deploy shines when you need sophisticated release management across large infrastructure:

• Environment promotion with approval gates — a release must pass through Dev → QA → Staging → Production with manual approvals at each stage
• Tenant management — deploy the same application to hundreds of customer-specific environments with per-tenant configuration
• Runbooks — define operational procedures (database maintenance, certificate rotation, infrastructure checks) alongside your deployment processes
• Variable scoping — manage thousands of configuration variables scoped by environment, tenant, machine, and role
• Advanced .NET support — IIS configuration, Windows Service management, config transforms, and NuGet package management are first-class features

Common Questions

Can DeployHQ handle enterprise deployments?

Yes, for web application deployments. DeployHQ's Enterprise plan supports 50+ projects, 250+ servers, and 8 concurrent deployments. It includes zero-downtime deployments, build pipelines, config files, and multi-environment support. Where it differs from Octopus is in approval workflows (no manual gates between environments) and tenant management. For most web applications — even large ones — DeployHQ provides everything you need at a fraction of the cost.

Does Octopus Deploy work with non-.NET applications?

Yes. Octopus Deploy supports Node.js, Java, Python, Go, and other stacks. However, its deepest integration is with the .NET ecosystem (IIS, Windows Services, NuGet packages, config transforms). If you're deploying a Node.js app to a Linux VPS, Octopus Deploy will work, but you'll be using a fraction of its capabilities while paying enterprise pricing.

Can I use both together?

In theory, yes — you could use DeployHQ for web application deployments and Octopus for infrastructure orchestration. In practice, most teams choose one or the other based on their primary use case.

What about other alternatives?

The deployment tool landscape includes several other options:

• GitHub Actions / GitLab CI — CI/CD pipelines that can handle deployments, but require you to write and maintain deployment scripts yourself
• Netlify / Vercel — excellent for static sites and serverless, but limited to their hosting platforms
• Capistrano / Deployer — open-source deployment scripts for Ruby and PHP respectively, but require significant setup and maintenance
• AWS CodeDeploy / Azure DevOps — cloud-native deployment services, but lock you into a specific cloud provider

DeployHQ sits in a sweet spot: simpler than enterprise tools like Octopus, more capable than raw CI/CD scripts, and not locked to any hosting provider.

Is DeployHQ only for small projects?

No. DeployHQ deploys to any server you can reach via SSH or SFTP — from a single VPS to a fleet of load-balanced servers. The zero-downtime deployment feature ensures production sites stay live during deploys, and build pipelines handle complex compilation steps. Teams managing dozens of production applications use DeployHQ because the simplicity scales — adding a new project takes minutes, not days of pipeline configuration.

The Bottom Line

Choose DeployHQ if you deploy web applications from Git repositories to servers and want something that works in minutes, not days. It handles the full lifecycle — build, deploy, rollback, zero-downtime — without requiring a separate CI server or deployment agents. Pricing starts at free and stays affordable as you scale.

Choose Octopus Deploy if you need enterprise release orchestration with environment promotion gates, tenant management, runbooks, and deep .NET/Windows infrastructure integration. Be prepared for a longer setup, higher cost, and the need for a separate CI pipeline.

For most web development teams — from solo developers to agencies managing dozens of projects — DeployHQ delivers everything you need at a price that makes sense.

Ready to try it? Start your free DeployHQ trial — no credit card required.

Questions about whether DeployHQ is the right fit for your team? Reach out to us at support@deployhq.com or find us on X/Twitter @deployhq.