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General

A pod is a persistent Linux container running on InstaPods infrastructure. Think of it as a lightweight virtual server with its own filesystem, SSH access, and public URL. Unlike Docker containers, pods are persistent — all data survives restarts.
Pods are created in 1–2 seconds using pre-built images. If the warm pool is enabled in your region, creation can be nearly instant.
Technically yes — a pod is a full Linux container, so you can run multiple processes. However, each pod is designed around a single preset (Static, PHP, Node.js, or Python). For multiple apps, we recommend separate pods.
No. Pods are persistent containers — all files, installed packages, and configurations survive stop/start cycles. Your data is preserved unless you explicitly delete the pod.
All pods run Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat).

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SSH & Access

Each pod has a dedicated SSH port. Find it on the pod detail page or run instapod pods get my-app. Then connect:
ssh [email protected] -p YOUR_PORT
Or use the CLI shortcut: instapod ssh my-app
Yes. Add your public key at pod creation (--ssh-key flag), via the dashboard SSH tab, or with the CLI:
instapod ssh-keys add my-app
Always connect as the instapod user. This is the non-root user that owns your application files.

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Services & Databases

Database services (MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redis) require additional memory and CPU. The Starter plan’s resources (512 MB RAM, 1 vCPU) are too limited for reliable database operation. Upgrade to the Developer or Professional plan.
No. Database services listen on localhost only and are not accessible from the internet. This is a security measure. To access your database remotely, use SSH port forwarding:
ssh -L 3306:localhost:3306 instapod@host -p PORT
SSH into your pod and use the database’s native dump tool:
# MySQL
mysqldump -u instapod -p instapod > backup.sql

# PostgreSQL
pg_dump -U instapod instapod > backup.sql
Then download the dump file using SCP or the CLI.

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Billing

Your subscription enters a “past due” state with a 7-day grace period. During this time, existing pods keep running but you can’t create new ones. After 7 days, pods are suspended. Pay the invoice to reactivate.
Yes, upgrade or downgrade anytime from the billing page. Changes take effect at the next billing cycle.
Currently, billing is per-plan (flat monthly rate), not per-usage. A stopped pod still counts toward your subscription. Delete the pod if you no longer need it.

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Custom Domains

Up to 5 custom domains per pod.
Yes. After DNS verification, an SSL certificate is automatically provisioned via Let’s Encrypt.
Yes, if your DNS provider supports CNAME flattening (most modern providers do, including Cloudflare). Otherwise, use a subdomain like app.example.com.