Solution

Deploy to Hetzner without setting up every server by hand

Ordering a server takes minutes. Then comes Docker, a database, reverse proxy, SSL, firewall and backups. The Application Platform handles that part as soon as you connect over SSH.

Connect a server over SSH, with access staying entirely with you
Docker, databases, reverse proxy, SSL, firewall and backups get configured
Direct connection to your project’s GitLab CI pipeline

Start for free. No credit card required.

Docker
Databases
Reverse proxy
SSL
Backups
Firewall
Coming soon Kubernetes
Coming soon Monitoring

A connected server is prepared for deployments automatically.

In short

You keep your server and your contract with the provider. The platform handles the setup and the link to your pipeline.

Connected over SSH: you store access, and the platform takes care of the setup.
Baseline automated: Docker, databases, reverse proxy, SSL, firewall and backups appear.

Setting a server up yourself or connecting it to the platform

This lays out the work that sits between an ordered server and a working deployment.

Criterion	With the Application Platform	Setting the server up yourself
Server baseline	Fully covered: Docker, databases, reverse proxy, SSL, firewall and backups are configured	Not offered: Every step individually, usually from a personal checklist or notes
Attaching deployments	Fully covered: The server is connected to the project’s GitLab CI pipeline	Partly covered: Build and maintain your own script or deployment tool
Certificates and renewal	Fully covered: SSL is part of the setup, domains are managed in the project	Partly covered: Expiring certificates often surface only through an error message
Backups	Fully covered: Created as part of the setup	Partly covered: Usually deferred and rarely tested
Credentials and environment variables	Fully covered: Managed centrally in the project, with permissions per role	Not offered: Spread across files on the server and local notes
Traceable environments	Fully covered: Environments and deployments live as configuration in the Git history	Not offered: State lives in the machine rather than in a repository
Adding a second server	Fully covered: The same flow, regardless of how many servers or which provider	Not offered: Repeating the manual work, with small unexplained differences
Separating environments	Fully covered: Staging and production as distinct environments in the project	Partly covered: Often one server for everything, because a second means more work
Team access control	Fully covered: Roles and project membership govern who reaches the server	Not offered: SSH keys get handed out and rarely removed again
Full control of the machine	Fully covered: SSH access stays with you, you can always intervene yourself	Fully covered: Equally complete, with nothing imposed from outside

Green means covered, amber partly, grey not available. The right column describes no vendor but the usual manual work on a freshly ordered server.

As of 10 August 2026. This comparison describes typical workflows and can differ from project to project.

What connecting your own server gives you

Six points that separate an empty machine from a working environment.

The server stays yours

You keep SSH access and your contract with the provider. The platform configures the machine, it does not take it over.

Baseline without manual work

Docker, databases, reverse proxy, SSL, firewall and backups appear automatically instead of from last project’s notes.

Deployments from the pipeline

The server hangs off the GitLab CI pipeline. Test, build, publish and release all follow the same path.

Environments in Git

The same flow works with other hosts and with managed servers from the platform.

Attach servers over SSH and assign them per environment.

Connecting a Hetzner server

Four steps from an ordered machine to a first deployment.

Provision the server

Create the server at your provider. All the connection needs is reachable SSH access.
Store the access

Add the server in the platform’s server section. The platform validates the access and starts configuring.
Let the baseline run

Docker, databases, reverse proxy, SSL, firewall and backups get set up and prepared for deployments.
Connect a project

Select the server when creating or editing a project. From then on the pipeline deploys there.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a walkthrough for connecting a server?

Yes, the documentation includes a Hetzner tutorial covering each step to a fully configured server. Other providers follow a comparable flow over SSH. If you would rather not manage a server, the same documentation describes managed servers.

Is there a partnership with Hetzner?

No. Hetzner is an independent company with no business relationship to the platform. The connection relies on ordinary SSH access, just like with any other host. Your contract, billing and availability stay between you and your provider.

Does this work with other providers too?

Technically yes, but proceed carefully. The platform establishes a defined baseline, which can conflict with existing ports, proxy configuration or services. A fresh machine is the simpler start for a clean setup.

Connect your server