--- title: "Clever Cloud vs while: the alternative built for your AI agent" url: https://while.sh/en/comparisons/while-vs-clever-cloud/ author: "Grégoire Mougeolle, co-founder of Nextmap" updated: 2026-11-02 --- # Clever Cloud vs while: which one to choose when your AI agent deploys? Clever Cloud and while both host your apps in France. while is built for your AI agent: it deploys over MCP, never sees your keys, and sensitive actions, like deleting a production database, wait for your approval. ## What changes between Clever Cloud and while | What matters | Clever Cloud | while | |---|---|---| | Who it's for | Teams that want a French PaaS, without an agent or with its command line | People who build their apps with an AI agent, solo or as a team | | Your AI agent | A skill for the command line, and a local MCP server that is still young (sources 1 and 2) | Connected over MCP, with OAuth: it deploys, creates the database, reads the logs and fixes things | | What protects production | Nothing in the MCP server, which gives your agent the whole API (source 1) | Sensitive actions, like deleting a production database, wait for a person | | Your API keys | The MCP server reads the app's environment (source 1) | Your agent never sees them: they stay in while | | The database | PostgreSQL as an add-on, free in DEV, then €4.90 per month (source 5) | PostgreSQL in while, backed up every day, with point-in-time recovery | | In France | Yes, by default (source 3) | Yes, with Nextmap, a French company | | To get started | From €4.50 for the app and €4.90 for the database, per month (sources 4 and 5) | A trial without an account. Then €0 to get started, and €13.75 per month for an app and its database | ## Clever Cloud, a proven French PaaS Clever Cloud runs your apps in France by default (source 3), with many languages and add-ons. Its clever-tools skill teaches your agent the command line (source 2). ## With while, your AI agent does the rest - **Your agent deploys, over MCP.** It writes while.yaml, creates the database, reads the logs and fixes things, with no command line to learn. - **Nothing serious happens without you.** Deleting a production database waits for your approval, before it runs, and every action is recorded in a signed activity log. - **Your keys stay secret.** Your app uses them, your agent never sees them. - **Your colleagues sign in with the company account.** Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, on the Pro plan, with no sign-in page to code. - **A mistake is quickly undone.** In the 30 minutes after a deployment, the previous version comes back in a second, and your database goes back to a precise moment. ## Moving from Clever Cloud to while ### Take over your app > You, to your agent: Move our Clever Cloud app to while. Your agent writes while.yaml from your code. A Node.js, Python or Go app starts without a Dockerfile, the others with yours. ### Copy your PostgreSQL database > You, to your agent: Copy our PostgreSQL database to while. Your agent exports the database with `pg_dump`, then loads it into while. ### Carry over your variables > You, to your agent: Carry over our environment variables. Your agent carries your settings over to while. You enter your secret keys yourself: it never sees them. ## Which one to choose - **Choose Clever Cloud** if your team deploys by itself, with no agent in production. - **Choose while** if your AI agent deploys your apps, and you want to stay in control without reviewing every command. ## Next steps - [Deploy a Node.js API and its PostgreSQL database](/en/guides/deploy-node-api-postgresql/) ## Sources 1. [Clever Cloud, the MCP server (mcp-simple-server)](https://github.com/CleverCloud/mcp-simple-server), 2026-11-02 2. [Clever Cloud, the clever-tools skill](https://www.clever.cloud/blog/company/2026/10/09/clever-tools-skill-clever-cloud/), 2026-11-02 3. [Clever Cloud, application regions](https://www.clever.cloud/developers/doc/manage/cli/applications/), 2026-11-02 4. [Clever Cloud, Node.js application pricing](https://www.clever.cloud/product/node-js-applications/), 2026-11-02 5. [Clever Cloud, PostgreSQL pricing](https://www.clever.cloud/product/postgresql/), 2026-11-02 ## Questions ### Do both host in France? Yes, Clever Cloud and while alike. ### Does Clever Cloud have an MCP server? Yes, a local one, still young, and its repository advises caution on a production organization (source 1). ### How much for an app and its database? On Clever Cloud, from €4.50 for the app and €4.90 for the database, per month, with a free database in DEV (sources 4 and 5). On while, €13.75 per month for an app and its database.