QuickStack Docs
QuickStack is a free, open-source, self-hosted PaaS for deploying apps, and databases on any server infrastructure, manages domains via Traefik, SSL Certificates, provides backups, monitoring, and more.
Choose the path that fits what you want to deploy first.
Install QuickStack
Set up QuickStack on a fresh server in one command.
Deploy from Git
Build and deploy your first application from a Git repository.
Deploy a Docker image
Run an existing image from a container registry.
Deploy a Database
Instant deploy Postgres, MySQL, MongoDB or Redis.
REST API & SDK
Automate QuickStack with the REST API.
MCP Server (Canary)
Connect AI clients to QuickStack over the Model Context Protocol.
How-to guides
Task-focused docs for daily operations:
- Project Canvas — create, configure, deploy & monitor workloads.
- Templates — one-click apps and databases.
- Deployments — redeploy & rollback · build methods · webhooks / auto-deploy · container configuration · scaling & resource limits
- Networking — custom domains · quickstack.me · networking & policies · node ports · basic auth
- Storage — volumes · shared volumes · file browser · file mounts
- Observability — logs & terminal · builds overview · health checks
- Databases — deploy databases · DB tools (DbGate, pgAdmin)
- Backups — overview · S3 targets · volume backups · database backups · download & restore · system backups
- Agent Sandbox — run Sandbox Instances (canary).
- Admin — updates & maintenance · cluster add-ons · cluster monitoring · users & groups · single sign-on · 2FA · cluster nodes · password reset
Understand the platform
New to self-hosting, or coming from a managed platform? Start with the concepts:
- Architecture — what runs where and what happens when you deploy.
- Projects, Apps & Databases — the QuickStack object model.
- Security Model — isolation, access control, TLS, and data residency.
Automation & reference
- REST API — automate projects and app workloads, plus the JavaScript/TypeScript SDK.
- MCP Server (Canary) — connect AI clients to QuickStack over the Model Context Protocol.
- Why QuickStack? — how it compares to managed and self-hosted alternatives.
- Sizing & Costs — choose the right server.
- Ports & Endpoints · Glossary
Built for teams that need more control
| If you are… | QuickStack gives you… |
|---|---|
| Outgrowing a single VPS | A k3s cluster that can grow with worker nodes, plus Longhorn storage for multi-node volumes. Start small without choosing a dead end. |
| An agency or team hosting separate customer workloads | Projects, per-app permissions, and deny-by-default network policies to make isolation explicit. |
| Working under privacy or compliance requirements | Your application data, volumes, backups, and configuration stay on infrastructure and in the jurisdiction you choose. Use users, groups, SSO, 2FA, and scoped API keys to control access. |
| Building with AI agents | Experimental Agent Sandboxes with templates, warm pools, optional gVisor isolation, and LiteLLM-compatible gateways. |
QuickStack is GPL-3.0 open source: audit it, run it yourself, and move your workloads using standard Docker images and Kubernetes primitives. Read why QuickStack or the full security model.
Architecture in one paragraph
QuickStack gives you the deployment experience of Vercel, Netlify, Railway, or Heroku on infrastructure you control. Push from Git or deploy a container image; QuickStack builds and runs it, handles custom domains and automatic HTTPS, and keeps backups, storage, and team access in one place. Your workloads use standard containers and Kubernetes primitives, not a proprietary runtime, so you stay free to move. Start on one server and add nodes with Longhorn storage when you need more capacity. Read the full architecture overview.
Under the hood: k3s · Traefik · Longhorn · BuildKit · registry · railpack
History and Motivation
QuickStack started as a semester project by two students — glueh-wyy-huet and biersoeckli — at the Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences.
The motivation was simple: deploying and managing applications on your own servers is harder than it should be. Existing self-hosted PaaS solutions were more focused on single node setups. We wanted something that felt as frictionless as a managed cloud platform, with the scaling and reliability of Kubernetes, but without the complexity of managing it all through the command line.
What began as an academic exercise grew into a fully-featured tool. Today, QuickStack automates the full application lifecycle: building images from Git, deploying, SSL certificates, managing volumes and backups. All through a single web UI.
The project remains open-source and community-driven. We believe that self-hosting should be accessible to everyone, not just those with deep DevOps knowledge.
Community and Support
We are always looking for feedback and contributions. If you encounter a bug or have a feature request, please open an issue on our GitHub repository.
Let's get started!