Comparison
# DeployHQ vsDeployer

Stop maintaining deploy.php scripts and recipe overrides. DeployHQ ships with a visual interface, automatic deployments on push, audit logs, and one-click rollbacks — without the PHP CLI dependency.

[Start Free Trial](/signup?cta=comparison-deployer)[View Features](/features)

Last updated on 6th May 2026

## Feature Comparison

A side-by-side look at what each platform offers.

| Feature | DeployHQ | Deployer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Visual interface (GUI) | ✓ | CLI only |
| Managed service | ✓ | Self-managed |
| Zero scripting required | ✓ | deploy.php required |
| Automatic deployments on push | ✓ | Manual or CI trigger |
| One-click rollback | ✓ | CLI command |
| FTP/SFTP deployment | ✓ | SSH only |
| Amazon S3 deployment | ✓ | ✗ |
| Zero-downtime deployments | ✓ | ✓ |
| Build pipelines | ✓ | Recipe tasks |
| Build cache | ✓ | ✗ |
| Deployment availability rules | ✓ | ✗ |
| Deploy behind firewalls | ✓ | ✗ |
| Audit log & team controls | ✓ | ✗ |
| Free/open source | ✗ | ✓ |

## Where DeployHQ Wins

Key advantages that set DeployHQ apart.

🎨

### Visual Interface

Configure deployments through a web dashboard instead of writing and maintaining PHP deploy scripts. Anyone on your team can deploy — no PHP CLI or recipe knowledge required.

⚡

### [Automatic Deployments](/features/automatic-deployments)

Deploy automatically on every push to your repository. Deployer requires you to run dep deploy manually or wire it into a CI job yourself.

🔌

### [Broader Protocol Support](/features/deployment-targets)

Deploy via FTP, SFTP, SSH, Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, and more. Deployer only deploys over SSH.

👥

### Team Collaboration

Built-in deployment logs, audit trails, and permission controls. Everyone can see who deployed what and when — without sharing SSH keys or local CLI access.

## Detailed Comparison

### Scripts vs GUI

Deployer is a PHP-based command-line tool that uses recipes (Laravel, Symfony, WordPress, and others) to define deployment tasks in a deploy.php file. You commit that file, install Deployer locally or in CI, and run dep deploy. DeployHQ takes the same atomic-release model and exposes it through a web dashboard — no deploy.php, no PHP CLI dependency, and no per-developer setup.

### Deployment Triggers

Deployer deployments are triggered manually from the command line or wired into a CI workflow that you maintain. DeployHQ supports automatic deployments on push via webhooks, scheduled deployments, and one-click manual triggers — out of the box, without writing a pipeline.

### Built-In Build Cache and Release Windows

Deployer's atomic-release model is solid, but speed and governance are on you. DeployHQ's[build cache](/features/build-cache)is lock-file-aware and on by default — multi-minute composer/npm installs turn into seconds. And[deployment availability rules](/features/deployment-availability)let you block deploys per project or across the whole account during incidents, change freezes, or peak-traffic windows — enforced from the UI, API, and webhooks, with a full audit trail. None of that requires a custom recipe.

### When Deployer Makes Sense

Deployer is a strong choice for solo developers and small teams that want a free, open-source PHP-native tool, are comfortable maintaining a deploy.php file, and don't need a hosted UI, audit log, or team permissions. It's especially popular in the Laravel and Symfony communities.

## Who Should Use What?

Choose DeployHQ
### Best for teams that want managed deployments

- You want a web interface, not a CLI tool
- You prefer automatic deployments on push
- You need FTP/SFTP or S3 in addition to SSH
- You want audit logs and team permissions built in

Choose Deployer
### Best for PHP devs who want full scripting control

- You want a free, open-source CLI tool
- You're comfortable maintaining deploy.php
- You deploy PHP/Laravel/Symfony projects exclusively
- You don't need a hosted dashboard or audit log

## Ready to Stop Maintaining deploy.php?

Deploy through a visual interface with audit logs and one-click rollbacks. No PHP CLI, no recipes to override.

[Start Free Trial](/signup?cta=comparison-deployer-cta)[View Pricing](/pricing)

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is the difference between DeployHQ and Deployer?

DeployHQ is a managed deployment service with a visual web interface that deploys code via FTP, SFTP, SSH, S3, and more. Deployer is a free, open-source PHP CLI tool that runs from your machine or CI server using recipes defined in a deploy.php file.

### Can DeployHQ deploy Laravel or Symfony applications?

Yes. DeployHQ deploys any PHP application — including Laravel and Symfony — to any server. You can run build commands like composer install and npm run build, configure environment variables, and deploy via SSH or SFTP without writing a recipe file.

### Does DeployHQ require PHP installed locally like Deployer?

No. DeployHQ runs entirely as a hosted service, so you don't need PHP, Composer, or any CLI tooling on your machine. Deployer requires PHP and Composer either locally or in your CI environment.

## Get started today for just $9/month

That's unlimited deployments and 3 projects.

[Start your free 10 day trial](/signup?cta=Start+your+free+10+day+trial)