--- title: "Scalingo vs while: the alternative built for your AI agent" url: https://while.sh/en/comparisons/while-vs-scalingo/ author: "Grégoire Mougeolle, co-founder of Nextmap" updated: 2026-11-02 --- # Scalingo vs while: which one to choose when your AI agent deploys? Scalingo and while both host your apps in France. Scalingo stands out on compliance. while stands out on what your AI agent can do: it deploys over MCP, and sensitive actions, like deleting a production database, wait for your approval. ## What changes between Scalingo and while | What matters | Scalingo | while | |---|---|---| | Who it's for | Teams with strong security and compliance requirements (source 1) | People who build their apps with an AI agent, solo or as a team | | Your AI agent | No official MCP server: your agent goes through the command line | Connected over MCP, with OAuth: it deploys, creates the database, reads the logs and fixes things | | What protects production | Team roles, including a collaborator with limited permissions | Sensitive actions, like deleting a production database, wait for a person | | The database | Managed PostgreSQL, backed up every day, with point-in-time recovery over 7 to 30 days (source 3) | PostgreSQL in while, backed up every day, with point-in-time recovery | | Who opens your app | IP address filtering, in preview and on request | Everyone, a password, or the company account with the Pro plan | | In France | Yes (source 4) | Yes, with Nextmap, a French company | | To get started | €7.20 for the container and €7.20 for the database, per month (source 2) | A trial without an account. Then €0 to get started, and €13.75 per month for an app and its database | ## Scalingo, a French PaaS built for compliance Scalingo deploys your code with git push, without a Dockerfile, in nine languages, and runs it in France (sources 7 and 4). It is ISO 27001 certified, offers health data hosting, and responds to critical incidents in under 15 minutes on average (source 1). ## 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 Scalingo to while ### Take over your app > You, to your agent: Move our Scalingo app to while. Your agent writes while.yaml from your code. A Node.js, Python or Go app starts without a Dockerfile, just as on Scalingo. ### 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 Scalingo** if you host health data, or if you need SecNumCloud-qualified infrastructure, on request. - **Choose while** if your AI agent deploys your apps, and you want to stay in control without reviewing every command. ## Next steps - [Deploy a Django app](/en/guides/deploy-django/) - [Deploy a Ruby on Rails app](/en/guides/deploy-rails/) ## Sources 1. [Scalingo, home page (compliance, support)](https://scalingo.com/), 2026-11-02 2. [Scalingo, pricing](https://scalingo.com/pricing), 2026-11-02 3. [Scalingo, database backups](https://doc.scalingo.com/databases/about/backup-policies), 2026-11-02 4. [Scalingo, regions](https://doc.scalingo.com/platform/internals/regions), 2026-11-02 5. [Scalingo, creating an account (email or GitHub)](https://doc.scalingo.com/platform/user-management/scalingo-account/creating), 2026-11-02 6. [Scalingo for AI](https://scalingo.com/ai), 2026-11-02 7. [Scalingo, the PaaS (git push, buildpacks)](https://scalingo.com/paas), 2026-11-02 ## Questions ### Do both host in France? Yes, Scalingo as well as while. ### Does my Scalingo app work on while? Yes for a Node.js, Python or Go app: your agent takes it as it is and writes while.yaml. A Ruby, PHP or Java app ships with a Dockerfile, which your agent gets ready-made. ### Does Scalingo have an MCP server? No official one as of November 2, 2026: Scalingo highlights hosting MCP servers, and your agent goes through its command line (source 6).