--- title: "The best Zeabur alternatives in 2026, compared" description: "Zeabur shuts down on December 31, 2026. We compare Zenavo, Railway, Render, Fly.io, Coolify, Dokploy and Sealos on what matters when you leave Zeabur — template import, zbpack builds, databases, servers in Asia and China, and how much you have to rewrite." date: 2026-10-31 updated: 2026-11-01 language: en url: https://zenavo.app/blog/zeabur-alternatives --- # The best Zeabur alternatives in 2026, compared Zeabur announced on October 17, 2026 that it is winding down: running services on its shared clusters are paused from **December 1**, and everything stops on **December 31**. If you are choosing where to go, this page compares the realistic options side by side. **Short answer:** if you want to keep working the way you did on Zeabur — same templates, same zbpack builds, same CLI commands, your Zeabur database backups restored as they are — **Zenavo** is the closest match, and it runs on servers you own. If you would rather not run any server at all, **Railway** or **Render** are the nearest hosted platforms. If you want a free, open-source panel you run yourself, look at **Coolify** or **Dokploy**. > Disclosure: this post is written by Zenavo. We describe other platforms as fairly as we can; facts are as of October 2026, so check each provider's site for current prices and limits. Zenavo is not affiliated with Zeabur. ## What to look for in a Zeabur alternative Moving off Zeabur is easier or harder depending on five things: 1. **Template import.** Can it read the YAML template Zeabur exports, or do you rebuild every service by hand? 2. **Builds without a Dockerfile.** Zeabur used zbpack to detect your language and build. A platform that also uses zbpack builds your repositories unchanged. 3. **Databases and backups.** Can you restore Zeabur's database backup `.zip` directly, including PostgreSQL cluster dumps? 4. **Where your apps run.** Shared cloud, a VM region of the vendor's choosing, or a server you control — and whether servers in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan or mainland China are possible. 5. **Lock-in and security.** After Zeabur's two security incidents in 2026, many teams want their data and secrets on machines they control. ## Comparison at a glance | | Zenavo | Railway | Render | Fly.io | Coolify | Dokploy | Sealos | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Model | Managed PaaS on **your** servers | Hosted PaaS | Hosted PaaS | Hosted micro-VMs | Self-hosted open source | Self-hosted open source | Kubernetes cloud, hosted or self-hosted | | Imports Zeabur templates | **Yes** | No | No | No | No | No | No | | Builds with zbpack | **Yes** | No (own builder) | No (native runtimes) | No (Dockerfile / buildpacks) | No (Nixpacks / Dockerfile) | No (Nixpacks / buildpacks / Dockerfile) | No | | Restores Zeabur DB backups as is | **Yes** | Manual | Manual | Manual | Manual | Manual | Manual | | Same CLI commands as Zeabur | **Yes** | Own CLI | Own CLI | Own CLI | — | — | — | | You run the control panel | No | No | No | No | **Yes** | **Yes** | Optional | | Data on servers you own | **Yes** | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Self-hosted only | | Servers in mainland China | **Yes** | No | No | No | Yes (your server) | Yes (your server) | Yes | "Manual" means you restore with the database's own tools (`psql`, `mysql`, `mongorestore`) after unpacking Zeabur's archive yourself. ## The alternatives one by one ### Zenavo — the closest to Zeabur, on servers you own Zenavo was designed around Zeabur's way of working. Projects hold services that reach each other on a private network; **New Project → Import a Zeabur template** brings over services, images, Git sources, variables, ports, volumes, config files, health checks and dependencies. `ZEABUR_*` variables are rewritten to `ZENAVO_*` and `.zeabur.internal` to `.zenavo.internal`. Code without a Dockerfile builds with [zbpack](https://github.com/zeabur/zbpack), so `zbpack.json` and `ZBPACK_*` keep working, and the `zenavo` CLI has the same commands (`auth`, `project`, `service`, `deployment`…). On top of that, the console includes the built-in [Zenavo Agent](https://docs.zenavo.app/zenavo-agent) on the right edge, and you can [deploy and debug directly from Claude Code with MCP and Skills](https://zenavo.app/blog/claude-code-deploy-debug). The difference from Zeabur's shared clusters: every project runs on a Linux server you connect — any provider, amd64 or arm64. Zenavo installs K3s and its agent, then deletes the SSH credentials; the agent connects out, so no port is open to Zenavo. Servers in mainland China work too, with setup from mirrors. - **Good for:** Zeabur users who want the shortest migration, teams that want data on their own machines, apps that serve Asia. - **Trade-off:** you need a server (from about $5–10 a month at most cloud providers; 2 CPUs and 4 GB recommended). - **Price:** Free plan with 1 server; Dev $5, Pro $19, Team $79 a month. [Pricing](https://zenavo.app/pricing). ### Railway — hosted, polished, usage-based Railway is the hosted platform whose experience is nearest to Zeabur's shared clusters: a canvas of services, a template marketplace, and databases in a click. Billing follows usage. You do not manage any server — and you cannot choose one either; apps run on Railway's infrastructure in the regions it offers. - **Good for:** small teams who never want to see a server. - **Trade-off:** no Zeabur import, a different builder, data on Railway's infrastructure, and costs that grow with usage. ### Render — hosted, predictable services Render runs web services, background workers, cron jobs and managed PostgreSQL with straightforward per-instance pricing. Free instances sleep when idle. - **Good for:** conventional web apps with one PostgreSQL database. - **Trade-off:** each service is set up again by hand; regions are US and Europe plus Singapore, not mainland China. ### Fly.io — micro-VMs close to users Fly.io runs your Docker image as lightweight VMs in many regions, driven by the `flyctl` CLI and a `fly.toml` file. - **Good for:** latency-sensitive apps that need several regions. - **Trade-off:** more infrastructure to learn (machines, volumes, networking); a different workflow from Zeabur's dashboard. ### Coolify — open source, you run everything Coolify is a popular open-source, self-hosted PaaS. You install it on a server and it deploys apps and one-click services with Docker on that and other servers. - **Good for:** people comfortable operating their own panel who want to pay nothing for software. - **Trade-off:** you install, update, secure and back up the panel itself; no Zeabur template import; builds use Nixpacks, a Dockerfile or Compose instead of zbpack. ### Dokploy — open source, Docker-based Dokploy is a newer open-source alternative in the same space as Coolify, built on Docker and Docker Swarm, with Compose support. - **Good for:** Docker Compose users who want a light self-hosted panel. - **Trade-off:** the same operating burden as Coolify; no Zeabur import. ### Sealos — Kubernetes cloud with China regions Sealos is a Kubernetes-based cloud with an app launcher and managed databases, offered as a hosted service (including regions in China) or self-hosted. - **Good for:** teams already comfortable with Kubernetes, or that need a hosted cloud in China. - **Trade-off:** Kubernetes concepts show through; no Zeabur import. ## Which one should you pick? - **You want to move this week with the least rework:** Zenavo. Import the template, restore the backup, switch DNS. Follow the [step-by-step migration guide](https://zenavo.app/blog/migrate-from-zeabur). - **You never want to touch a server:** Railway or Render. - **You need many regions at the edge:** Fly.io. - **You want free, open-source software and will run it yourself:** Coolify or Dokploy (see our detailed [Zenavo vs Coolify vs Dokploy vs CapRover comparison](https://zenavo.app/blog/coolify-vs-dokploy-vs-zenavo)). - **You need a hosted Kubernetes cloud in mainland China:** Sealos; or Zenavo on a server from a Chinese cloud provider. Whatever you choose, back up on Zeabur **before December 1**: export each project's template, download every database backup, archive volume files, and **issue new secrets** rather than copying old ones, given Zeabur's security incidents. ## FAQ **What is the best Zeabur alternative?** For most Zeabur users it is Zenavo, because it imports Zeabur templates, builds with zbpack, keeps the same CLI commands and restores Zeabur database backups as they are, so projects move without being rebuilt. If you do not want to manage any server, Railway or Render are the closest hosted options. **Is there a free Zeabur alternative?** Yes. Zenavo's free plan manages one server of your own with unlimited projects and services; you pay only your cloud provider for the server. Coolify and Dokploy are free open-source software that you install and operate yourself. **When does Zeabur shut down?** Zeabur stops all dedicated servers and shared clusters on December 31, 2026. From December 1, 2026, running services on shared clusters are paused and dedicated servers stop renewing. **Can I keep using zbpack after Zeabur shuts down?** zbpack is open source. Zenavo uses it for code without a Dockerfile, so `zbpack.json` and `ZBPACK_*` variables keep working. **Which Zeabur alternative works in mainland China and Hong Kong?** Zenavo runs on any Linux server you connect, including servers in Hong Kong and mainland China, and installs from mirrors in China. Sealos also offers hosted regions in China. Custom domains on servers in mainland China need an ICP filing. **Can I reuse my Zeabur dedicated server?** Yes. Remove Zeabur's agent, make sure nothing else listens on ports 80 and 443, and connect the same machine to Zenavo. --- Ready to move? [Sign up for Zenavo](https://zenavo.app/signup) — the free plan is enough for the whole migration — and follow the [migration guide](https://docs.zenavo.app/guide/migrate-from-zeabur).