Getting Started
Get your first service deployed on HostStack in under 5 minutes.
Prerequisites
- A GitHub account (for connecting your repository)
- A web app, API, or static site in a GitHub repository
- Your app should listen on a port defined by the
PORTenvironment variable (we set this automatically)
1. Create an Account
Sign up at hoststack.dev/register — no credit card required for the free tier. You can also sign up with your GitHub account for one-click setup.
2. Create a Project
Projects group related services together. Click New Project, give it a name, and pick a region — Nuremberg (default), Falkenstein, Helsinki (EU), or Ashburn (US East). Servers spin up automatically in your chosen region on first deploy. See Regions for slugs and latency expectations.
3. Create a Service
Choose your service type:
Web Service
An HTTP server with a public URL
Worker
A background process without a public URL
Cron Job
A scheduled task on a cron schedule
Static Site
A built and served static website
4. Connect GitHub
Install the HostStack GitHub App on your repository. Select the branch to deploy from (usually main). HostStack will auto-deploy on every push to that branch.
5. Deploy
Click Trigger Deploy or push to your branch. HostStack will:
- Clone your repository
- Detect your runtime and install dependencies
- Run your build command
- Start the container and run health checks
- Configure routing with SSL
- Report your service as live
$ hoststack deploy trigger svc_abc123
+ Deploy triggered: dpl_xyz... (queued)
$ hoststack deploy logs svc_abc123 dpl_xyz...
✓ Build complete
✓ Container healthy
✓ Deployed to https://my-app.hoststack.devTroubleshooting
Build failed
Check your build command in service settings. Make sure your package.json (or equivalent) is committed and dependencies are listed.
Health check failed
Your app must listen on the PORT environment variable. HostStack sets this automatically. Set a health check path (e.g., /health) that returns HTTP 200.
Deploy stuck or timed out
Builds have a 30-minute default timeout (configurable per service from 60s to 1800s). If your build is slow, check for unnecessary dependencies or missing build cache. See the deploy guide for optimization tips.