9pods vs PikaPods
Both make self-hosting open-source apps simple. The difference is whether each app gets its own billed server, or shares one with the rest of your stack.
PikaPods is genuinely cheap per app, individual pods start around $1/month, with daily backups and managed updates included. Its model is one pod per app: run three apps, pay for three pods. For a couple of lightweight tools that's often the cheapest option available anywhere.
9pods bills per server, not per app. A Starter plan ($9/mo) gives you one VPS with a RAM budget you spread across several apps at once, useful once you're running more than one or two things and want a single bill and a single place to manage them, rather than a growing list of separate pods.
| 9pods | PikaPods | |
|---|---|---|
| Default server model | One VPS runs many apps, shared RAM budget | One pod per app |
| Billing unit | Per server (fits several apps) | Per pod (per app) |
| Catalog size | 173 apps | 60+ apps |
| Starting price | $9/mo (whole server, several apps) | From ~$1/mo per pod |
| Free trial credit | 7 days, no card required | $5 free credit |
| Daily backups | ||
| Managed updates |
Comparison compiled August 2026 from PikaPods' public pricing and documentation. Pricing changes over time, check pikapods.com for current numbers.
Where PikaPods has the edge
If you only need one or two lightweight apps, PikaPods' per-pod pricing can come out cheaper than a whole VPS. It's a genuinely low-effort way to try a single self-hosted tool without committing to more infrastructure than you need.