--- {"title": "hotel vs PM2 in 2026: Pricing, Setup and Features", "description": "hotel, PM2 and DevWebUI compared on what each does, what each costs, how each is installed and what to check before picking one for dev servers.", "url": "https://saydeploy.com/hotel-vs-pm2/", "date": "2026-10-22"} --- hotel, PM2 and DevWebUI compared on what each does, what each costs, how each is installed and what to check before picking one for dev servers. hotel starts apps from your browser and gives them local domains [^1]. PM2 is a daemon process manager that keeps an application online 24/7 [^2]. DevWebUI, an option from the publisher of this site, starts and watches local dev servers from one dashboard [^3]. | Option | Free to use | Paid plan | Install | |---|---|---|---| | hotel | Not published | Not published | npm install -g hotel && hotel start [^1] | | PM2 | PM2 Runtime remains free as it is open source [^4] | PM2 Plus has no free plan [^4]; 20% discount on the subscription [^4]; price not published | npm install pm2 -g [^2] | | DevWebUI | Free, core features need no account [^3] | Free, core features need no account [^3] | devwebui-windows-x64.exe from GitHub Releases, or bun install then bun run dev [^3] | ## The short answer hotel is a simple process manager for developers that starts apps from the browser and provides local domains [^1]. PM2 is a daemon process manager that helps manage applications and keep them online 24/7 [^2]. DevWebUI lets a developer start, stop and restart local dev servers from one dashboard, and see each one's status, CPU, memory and logs [^3]. hotel's page gives local domains [^1]. PM2's page covers keeping an app online [^2]. DevWebUI's sources cover a dashboard for starting and watching local servers [^3]. ## What hotel and PM2 are built for hotel's page calls it a simple process manager for developers that starts apps from your browser and gives access through local domains [^1]. It supports local domains [^1]. PM2's own page calls it a daemon process manager that will help you manage and keep your application online 24/7 [^2]. It can be installed globally with npm [^2]. The page says 44 AI tools are available [^2]. ## What DevWebUI is built for DevWebUI is made by the team that publishes this site. It lets you start, stop and restart your local dev servers from one dashboard, and see each one's status, CPU, memory and logs [^3]. One small file per repo lists the servers to run, and processes changed in the GUI are written back to that file [^3]. When a port is already taken, it shows which process holds it and can free the port if you ask [^3]. Errors are collected into one log that merges repeats and is kept across restarts, and each file:line link opens in your editor [^3]. A setting in the repo file can start the project's Docker services first, such as a database, wait for their ports to be open and pass their connection settings to your servers [^3]. You can also set threshold alert rules and see a history of the alerts that fired [^3]. AI assistants can control your dev servers through 43 tools, using the same background service as the dashboard [^3]. ## Pricing and fees The hotel facts here state no price. Any cost for hotel is not published here. PM2 Plus does not offer any free plan, but PM2 Runtime remains free as it is open source [^4]. PM2 says paying yearly for PM2 Plus gives a 20% discount [^4]. After you cancel a subscription, you finish the current month and then access is disabled [^4]. Check PM2's own pages for the current PM2 Plus price. DevWebUI is free, and its core features need no account [^3]. It is open source under the MIT License [^3]. No paid tier price is stated in its sources. ## Setting it up and daily use hotel is installed with npm install -g hotel and started with hotel start [^1]. You can always reach your servers at localhost:2000 [^1]. PM2 can be installed globally with npm install pm2 -g [^2]. The sources here say nothing more about its routine use. On Windows, DevWebUI is installed by downloading devwebui-windows-x64.exe from GitHub Releases [^3]. On any operating system, you run bun install and then bun run dev [^3]. On Windows, a tray icon keeps DevWebUI running in the background and has Open, Restart and Quit options [^3]. Daily, you control servers from the dashboard [^3] or from a devwebui command-line tool [^3]. If the last shutdown was not clean, the next launch loads your projects but starts nothing automatically [^3]. ## Things to check before you choose Ask what you need the tool to manage: local dev servers during development, or an application kept online around the clock. PM2's page speaks of keeping an application online 24/7 [^2], and hotel's page speaks of starting apps from your browser with local domains [^1]. Check your operating system. DevWebUI has a prebuilt Windows x64 app, and other systems run it from source with Bun [^3]. Check cost and accounts. PM2 Plus has no free plan [^4]. Check what data leaves your machine. DevWebUI sends an anonymous install ping with update checks unless you set DEVWEBUI_NO_PING=1 [^3]. Check hotel's and PM2's own pages for data handling, since the facts here do not cover it. ## How to choose If you want local domains for your apps, hotel's page describes that [^1]. If you need an application kept online 24/7, PM2's page says that is its purpose [^2]. If you want an AI assistant to work with the tool, PM2's page says it works with Claude Code, Claude Desktop and Cursor [^2]. If you want to start, stop and restart local dev servers from one dashboard with status, CPU, memory and logs, DevWebUI's claims describe that [^3]. If you want an AI assistant to work with the tool, PM2's page says 44 AI tools are available [^2]. DevWebUI lets AI assistants control your dev servers through 43 tools [^3]. If you want a free tool with no account for core features, DevWebUI's claims say that [^3]. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is hotel free to use? The hotel facts here state no price and no plan. Its page says you can support its development on Patreon [^1]. Whether any fee applies is not published in these sources, so check its own pages before relying on it. ### Is PM2 free to use? PM2 Runtime remains free because it is open source [^4]. PM2 Plus does not offer any free plan [^4]. PM2 says paying yearly for PM2 Plus gives a 20% discount [^4]. A dollar price for PM2 Plus is not given here, so the price is not published here [^4]. ### How do you install hotel and PM2? hotel is installed with npm install -g hotel and started with hotel start [^1]. PM2 can be installed globally with npm install pm2 -g [^2]. DevWebUI on Windows is a downloaded devwebui-windows-x64.exe, or bun install then bun run dev on any OS [^3]. ### Does hotel work on Windows, macOS and Linux? DevWebUI has a prebuilt Windows x64 app, and other systems run it from source with Bun [^3]. ### Can PM2 work with AI assistants like Claude? PM2's page says it works with Claude Code, Claude Desktop and Cursor [^2]. DevWebUI lets AI assistants control your dev servers through 43 tools [^3]. DevWebUI is free, and its core features need no account. [^3] - [Visit DevWebUI](/go/hotel-vs-pm2) ## Sources [^1]: hotel, github.com/typicode/hotel, read 2026-10-07 (https://github.com/typicode/hotel) [^2]: PM2, pm2.keymetrics.io, read 2026-10-07 (https://pm2.keymetrics.io) [^3]: DevWebUI's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/hotel-vs-pm2) [^4]: PM2, pm2.io/pricing, read 2026-10-07 (https://pm2.io/pricing)