PaperclipCloud vs Zeabur: Which to Host Paperclip? (2026)
Both PaperclipCloud and Zeabur can host your Paperclip instance. But they're very different products. Zeabur is a general-purpose PaaS that happens to have a Paperclip template. PaperclipCloud is built specifically for Paperclip. Here's what that means in practice.
Quick Summary
| Feature | PaperclipCloud | Zeabur |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Managed Paperclip hosting | General-purpose PaaS |
| Setup time | < 1 minute | 15-30 minutes |
| DevOps required | None | Medium |
| Paperclip expertise | Purpose-built | Just a template |
| Support | Paperclip specialists | General platform support |
| Backups | Automatic | Manual setup |
| Updates | Automatic | Manual |
| Monitoring | Built-in | Manual setup |
| Starting price | $14.70/mo | ~$10-30/mo |
Choose PaperclipCloud if: You want Paperclip running without touching infrastructure.
Choose Zeabur if: You're a developer who wants more control and doesn't mind configuring things yourself.
Detailed Comparison
1. Setup Experience
PaperclipCloud
- Pick a plan
- Pay
- Check email — your instance is ready
Total time: under 1 minute of your effort. Server provisioning happens automatically within 24 hours.
Zeabur
- Go to the Paperclip template page
- Click "Deploy"
- Wait for service provisioning
- Configure environment variables (database URL, API keys, secrets)
- Set up custom domain (optional)
- Configure SSL (if using custom domain)
- Verify database connection
- Check logs for errors
Total time: 15-30 minutes if everything goes smoothly. Longer if you hit issues.
2. Infrastructure Management
PaperclipCloud
- Servers — managed for you
- Database — PostgreSQL provisioned and maintained
- SSL — auto-configured
- Backups — automatic (weekly or daily depending on plan)
- Monitoring — 24/7 built-in
- Updates — applied automatically
- Scaling — handled by our team
You never touch the infrastructure. It just works.
Zeabur
- Servers — Zeabur manages the container
- Database — you provision and connect it
- SSL — available but needs configuration
- Backups — you set up
- Monitoring — you configure
- Updates — you pull and redeploy
- Scaling — you manage resource allocation
Zeabur simplifies server management but Paperclip-specific operations are on you.
3. Paperclip-Specific Support
PaperclipCloud
- Support team knows Paperclip inside and out
- Can help with org chart configuration, agent setup, heartbeat scheduling
- Understand Paperclip's architecture and common issues
Zeabur
- General platform support
- Can help with deployment and container issues
- Won't know Paperclip-specific configuration
- You're on your own for Paperclip troubleshooting
4. Cost Breakdown
PaperclipCloud
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Hobby | $14.70/mo | 1 company, standard server, email support |
| Entrepreneur | $48.30/mo | Up to 5 companies, faster server, weekly backups |
| Scale | $104.30/mo | Unlimited companies, fastest server, daily backups, custom domain, priority support |
Zeabur
| Item | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|
| Container hosting | $5-15/mo |
| PostgreSQL database | $5-15/mo |
| Custom domain | $0-5/mo |
| Total | $10-35/mo |
Zeabur looks cheaper on paper, but factor in:
- Your time configuring and maintaining (1-2 hours/month)
- Manual backup setup
- Manual update management
- No Paperclip-specific support
5. Reliability
PaperclipCloud
- Dedicated server for your instance
- 24/7 monitoring with automatic alerting
- Automatic failover
- Enterprise-grade encryption and isolation
Zeabur
- Shared infrastructure (unless on dedicated plan)
- Platform-level monitoring (not Paperclip-specific)
- You handle Paperclip-level issues
- Resource contention possible on lower-tier plans
When to Choose Each
Choose PaperclipCloud if:
- You want to focus on your AI company, not infrastructure
- You need reliable 24/7 uptime
- You value Paperclip-specific support
- You're not a DevOps expert
- You want automatic backups and updates
Choose Zeabur if:
- You're a developer who enjoys tinkering with infrastructure
- You want full control over your environment
- You're testing Paperclip before committing
- You already use Zeabur for other projects
- Budget is your primary concern and you don't mind the extra work
Migration from Zeabur to PaperclipCloud
Already running Paperclip on Zeabur and want to switch? PaperclipCloud includes a 30-minute onboarding call on the Scale plan where we help you migrate your data and configuration.