Getting started with Hostly

Hostly deploys Docker images as hosted services. You provide an image, choose a Hostly subdomain, add the configuration your app needs, and Hostly creates the running service.

This guide is for the first successful deployment. It focuses on the Web UI and the shortest path from an empty account to a running service.

What you will create

You will create a workspace, choose a plan, and deploy one Docker-based service that is reachable through a Hostly subdomain. After deployment, you will verify the service from the details page and use the logs if something does not start cleanly.

What you need

• A Hostly account.
• A Docker image to deploy.
• The port your application listens on inside the container.
• Optional environment variables, secrets, files, or volumes.

For a first test, a small public image is easiest. The important detail is the container port. If the image starts a web server on 3000, Hostly needs 3000, even though users will access the service through the public Hostly URL.

Core concepts

A workspace groups services, members, secrets, and usage data for one project or team.

A service is one deployed Docker image plus its runtime configuration.

A Hostly subdomain is the generated public address for a service.

The configuration step is optional. Use it when the image needs environment variables, sensitive values, mounted files, or persistent storage.

The basic workflow

1. Create a workspace.
2. Choose a plan.
3. Create a new service.
4. Choose the free Hostly subdomain.
5. Enter the Docker image and container port.
6. Add configuration only if the image needs it.
7. Deploy and check the service details page.

The next step is creating your own workspace!