Deployment Options
Deployment Options
Choose how to deploy your application on RepoCloud — Container Apps, VPS Apps, AI Deploy, or the Deploy as VPS toggle
How to Deploy on RepoCloud
RepoCloud offers multiple deployment paths depending on how much control you need and how you want to get started. Every path is billed hourly from a prepaid credit balance, on NVMe SSD storage.
One-click deployment of hundreds of open-source applications in managed Docker containers with optional autoscaling
Dedicated virtual private servers with full root SSH access, snapshots, power controls, and a dedicated IPv4 address
An AI agent installs a public GitHub repository on a new VPS while you follow and steer it in a chat
A container app with a public GitHub link can be deployed as a VPS instead, giving you root access and SSH
Which Option Should I Choose?
| I want to… | Best option |
|---|---|
| Deploy a popular app (WordPress, Grafana) with little configuration | Container Apps |
| Run Coolify, Dokploy, or another self-hosted platform on my own server | AI Deploy, which installs it on a VPS |
| Deploy a custom GitHub project without manual server setup | AI Deploy |
| Start with a clean Linux server and build from scratch | Ubuntu VPS |
| Deploy a catalog app but want SSH access and root control, when the app qualifies | Deploy as VPS |
| Ask an AI agent to change how an app on my server is set up | AI Agents |
Container Apps vs VPS Apps
RepoCloud has two fundamentally different deployment models:
| Feature | Container Apps | VPS Apps |
|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure | Managed Docker containers | Dedicated virtual private server |
| Root access | No | Yes (SSH + browser console) |
| Autoscaling | Optional (off by default) | Not available — fixed tiers only |
| Minimum tier | Tier 1 ($3/mo, 1 GB RAM) where the app allows | Tier 2 ($6/mo, 2 GB RAM) for every VPS App |
| SSH access | No | Full root SSH with key management |
| Snapshots | No | Up to 5 point-in-time snapshots |
| Power controls | Pause only | Power off, power on, reboot (a powered-off VPS is billed in full) |
| Dedicated IPv4 | No dedicated address | Included at no extra charge |
| Custom domains | CNAME records (not for the OpenClaw container app) | CNAME records (not for a server named Ubuntu VPS) |
| Balance needed to deploy | At least $0.50 | Above $3 |
Monthly prices are nominal: the hourly price times 720 hours, a 30-day month.
Container Apps are the fastest way to get an application running. VPS Apps give you full server control for workloads that need root access, SSH, or dedicated networking.
Apps on a VPS
RepoCloud has no ready-made application templates for servers. Every VPS App starts as a plain Ubuntu 24.04 LTS server, and an application is installed on it afterwards: by the DevOps AI Agent through AI Deploy, or by you over SSH. These guides cover four applications that you can install that way, and the blank server itself:
Self-hosted PaaS with Git deploys
Docker-native deployment platform
Open-source personal AI assistant and agent gateway; bring your own LLM provider key
Autonomous AI agent that works with OpenRouter or another model provider
A blank Ubuntu 24.04 LTS server that you set up yourself