Docker hosting on a server you control
Run containers and Compose stacks on a KVM server with its own kernel and full root access. Get Docker Engine with the Compose plugin preinstalled as an app option when you order, or install it from Docker’s own repository with our guide, then publish your apps behind a reverse proxy with HTTPS.
- Docker Engine and Compose from Docker’s own repository
- KVM virtualization: your own kernel and full root access
- Ubuntu 24.04, 26.04 or Debian 12, 13, all supported by Docker
- Grow from a VPS to a VDS or a dedicated server
- StackCompose skipped versions 3 and 4 to avoid confusion with the old compose file versions; you run it as docker compose.
- Docker Engine 29 with Compose v5
- Runs on
- Ubuntu 22.04–26.04 LTS, Debian 12 and 13
- Default portsDocker opens no public port of its own. Keep the remote API ports 2375 and 2376 closed and manage the server over SSH.
- Only the ports you publish
- Your dataImages, containers and named volumes are stored under /var/lib/docker unless you change data-root.
- /var/lib/docker
- Official docs
- docs.docker.com
Works well with
- Docker Compose
- Buildx
- Rootless mode
- Traefik
- Nginx
- Portainer
- Coolify
- Dokploy
Facts from the project’s official website, documentation and repository, checked in October 2026.
Plans are being prepared
We are preparing ready-to-use plans for Docker. Tell us how you will use it and how many users you expect, and we will reply with a server that fits. You can also start today on a Linux VPS and install it with our guide.
Which server size fits?
Starting points for vCPU, memory and disk. Grow the server when your data and users grow.
| Feature |
Small stack
An app, its database and a proxy
|
Recommended Team
Several apps, CI jobs and monitoring
|
Production
Many services and image builds
|
|---|---|---|---|
| vCPUVirtual processor cores of the server. | 1–2 | 4 | 8+ |
| MemoryMemory for the app, its database and the operating system. | 2–4 GB | 8 GB | 16–32 GB |
| DiskNVMe or SSD storage for the app, its data and local backups. | 40 GB | 100 GB | 200 GB+ |
| Typical stack | Web app, database, reverse proxy | Several apps with CI runners and dashboards | Many services, queues and parallel builds |
| Server type | Linux VPS | VPS or VDS | VDS or dedicated |
-
Small stack
An app, its database and a proxy
- vCPUVirtual processor cores of the server.
- 1–2
- MemoryMemory for the app, its database and the operating system.
- 2–4 GB
- DiskNVMe or SSD storage for the app, its data and local backups.
- 40 GB
- Typical stack
- Web app, database, reverse proxy
- Server type
- Linux VPS
-
Recommended
Team
Several apps, CI jobs and monitoring
- vCPUVirtual processor cores of the server.
- 4
- MemoryMemory for the app, its database and the operating system.
- 8 GB
- DiskNVMe or SSD storage for the app, its data and local backups.
- 100 GB
- Typical stack
- Several apps with CI runners and dashboards
- Server type
- VPS or VDS
-
Production
Many services and image builds
- vCPUVirtual processor cores of the server.
- 8+
- MemoryMemory for the app, its database and the operating system.
- 16–32 GB
- DiskNVMe or SSD storage for the app, its data and local backups.
- 200 GB+
- Typical stack
- Many services, queues and parallel builds
- Server type
- VDS or dedicated
Docker publishes no hardware minimum: the need comes from your containers. These are conservative starting points for common stacks; databases, image builds and many services need more.
What you can run with Docker
One server, many isolated apps, each with the versions it needs.
Compose stacks
Describe an app with its database, cache and proxy in one compose.yaml and start the whole stack with one command.
CI runners and image builds
Run GitHub Actions, GitLab, Gitea or Forgejo runners and build multi-platform images with Buildx.
A firewall that fits Docker
Published container ports bypass ufw and firewalld rules. Bind admin ports to 127.0.0.1 and expose only your reverse proxy; our guide shows how.
Full root access
Install what the app needs, change any setting and run more services next to it. Nothing is locked behind a panel.
App option or step-by-step guide
Order the server with the app installed as an option, or set it up yourself on a clean Linux server with our guide.
Near your users
Choose a data center in the United States, Europe or Asia. The order form estimates the latency from where you are to each location.
Backups on VPS and VDS
Free weekly and monthly backups come with VPS and VDS plans. Keep your own copies of databases and app data as well.
Grow without starting over
Start on a VPS, then move to a bigger plan, a VDS with NVMe storage or a dedicated server when the workload grows.
From order to first login
Order the app preinstalled on your server, or install it yourself with our guide.
-
Pick the server
Choose a size from the table above and the data center closest to the people who will use the app.
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Add Docker
Select Docker as an app option when you order, or install it on a clean Ubuntu or Debian server with our guide.
-
Point a domain and enable HTTPS
Create a DNS record such as app.example.com for the server and put a reverse proxy with a free Let’s Encrypt certificate in front of the app.
-
Deploy your first stack
Copy your compose.yaml to the server, run docker compose up -d and follow the output with docker compose logs.
Step-by-step setup guides
Install, secure and update the app with our guides, written for current Ubuntu and Debian releases.
-
How to install Docker Engine on Ubuntu 24.04 and 26.04
Install Docker Engine, Buildx and Compose from Docker's official apt repository on Ubuntu LTS, run it without sudo, rotate logs and keep published ports private.
15 min Beginner -
How to install Docker Engine on Debian 12 and 13
Set up Docker Engine from Docker's own Debian repository, let your admin user run it, rotate container logs, keep published ports private and plan updates and backups.
15 min Beginner -
Docker Compose basics: run multi-container apps on a Linux server
Write a compose.yaml with services, volumes and networks, keep secrets in .env, start services in the right order with healthchecks, then update, back up and run several stacks side by side.
35 min Beginner
Related solutions
Frequently asked questions
Can I run Docker on a HyperDC VPS?
Yes. Our Linux VPS, VDS and dedicated servers run their own kernel with full root access, so Docker Engine and the Compose plugin install as on any Linux machine. Docker supports Ubuntu 26.04, 24.04 and 22.04 LTS and Debian 13 and 12; install from Docker’s own apt repository rather than an old distribution package.
Do I need Docker Desktop on the server?
No. A server runs Docker Engine, the daemon and the docker command, with the Compose plugin for multi-container apps. Docker Desktop is an application for workstations; you can use it on your own computer and deploy to the server.
Why does ufw not block my container ports?
Docker’s documentation warns that ports you publish with -p or ports: bypass ufw and firewalld rules, because Docker routes that traffic before the firewall sees it. Publish internal services on 127.0.0.1 only, put a reverse proxy in front of the apps that must be public, and use the DOCKER-USER chain for extra rules.
Should I open the Docker API on port 2375 or 2376?
No. Docker warns that remote access to the daemon can give others root on the host, and plain port 2375 has no encryption at all. Manage the server over SSH instead: a Docker context such as ssh://user@server lets your local docker command talk to the remote engine.
Which Docker Compose version will I get?
The current Compose plugin from Docker’s repository, version 5 at the moment: the project skipped versions 3 and 4 to avoid confusion with the old compose file versions. You run it as docker compose, and the version: line at the top of older compose files is no longer needed.
Can I run containers without root?
Yes. Docker’s rootless mode runs the daemon and the containers as an ordinary user inside a user namespace. It needs the uidmap package and at least 65,536 subordinate user and group IDs; some features, such as binding ports below 1024, need extra setup.
How much memory do my containers need?
Docker itself needs little; your images decide. A small web app with PostgreSQL and a proxy is comfortable in 2–4 GB, while several apps with CI runners, search engines or analytics databases need 8 GB or more. Use docker stats to see what each container uses and resize the server when needed.
How do I back up my containers?
Back up what cannot be rebuilt: your compose files, .env files and the named volumes or bind mounts that hold data, and dump databases with their own tools before copying them. VPS and VDS plans also include free weekly and monthly backups of the server.
Can containers use a GPU?
On a GPU server, yes: install the NVIDIA driver and the NVIDIA Container Toolkit, then start containers with --gpus all or the matching Compose setting. GPU servers are being added to our range step by step; ask us about availability.
Is there a simpler way to run apps on Docker?
Yes. CasaOS puts a home-server dashboard with an app store on top of Docker, so you install apps such as Nextcloud, Jellyfin or Immich with a click instead of writing compose files. For your own apps with domains and HTTPS, Coolify or Dokploy are the next step, and Portainer manages the containers you already run.
Ready to run your containers?
Tell us the app, how many people will use it and where they are, and we will suggest a server for it.