DeployHQ launched Managed VPS Hosting this year — fully-managed Linux servers with the deployment pipeline built in. Provision a cloud server from inside DeployHQ, push to your repository, and your code is live. One workflow, one bill, no separate hosting account to manage. Servers run on DigitalOcean infrastructure and are fully managed by DeployHQ.
This guide covers what DeployHQ Managed VPS is, who it's for, how it compares to going direct (DigitalOcean App Platform, Linode, Render), what it costs, and how to provision your first server in under a minute.
What DeployHQ Managed VPS is
A Linux VPS that DeployHQ provisions, runs, and ships your code to — all from the same dashboard you'd already use for deployments. Under the hood it's DigitalOcean infrastructure with the deployment pipeline pre-wired: SSH keys generated automatically, deployment path configured at provision time, build commands and post-deploy hooks ready to run.
The current beta supports server sizes from 1 vCPU / 1 GB RAM up to 2 vCPU / 4 GB RAM. Common workloads:
- Laravel, Symfony, and other PHP apps — see the Laravel deployment guide for the pipeline shape
- Rails apps and Sidekiq workers — the Rails guide covers the build-and-deploy cycle
- Node.js / Express / Fastify APIs — see the Express guide
- Django and FastAPI — Django guide
- WordPress with custom themes or plugins — see the WordPress theme guide
If your app needs a real Linux box with SSH access, custom services, or cron jobs, Managed VPS is the right surface. (For static frontends, DeployHQ Static Hosting is simpler and cheaper.)
Why DeployHQ Managed VPS
Most managed VPS providers give you a server. DeployHQ Managed VPS gives you a server and the pipeline that ships code to it — provisioning, SSH keys, build pipeline, rollback history, and billing all live in the same dashboard:
- One workflow. No separate accounts at a VPS host and a deployment tool. Provision and ship from the same project.
- Automatic SSH key management. DeployHQ generates and rotates the deployment key for you; nothing to copy, paste, or upload. You can also bring your own key if you'd rather.
- Built-in zero-downtime deploys. Atomic transfers, parallel uploads, and one-click rollback work the same way they do for a bring-your-own server.
- One bill. The VPS cost appears alongside your DeployHQ plan on the same monthly invoice instead of a separate hosting account.
- DigitalOcean infrastructure under the hood. Same uptime profile, same region selection, same hardware as direct DigitalOcean Droplets. You don't lose IaaS-level reliability by going managed.
- Bring-your-own still supported. You can mix DeployHQ-managed VPS resources with your own VPS, shared hosting, or cloud accounts inside the same project.
How it works
Managed VPS is currently a beta feature. To enable it on your account, go to Settings > Beta Features and turn it on. After that, it appears as a server type when you add a new server to any project.
Provisioning a server
- In your DeployHQ project, click New Server.
- Enter a name for the server (this is just for your reference).
- Select Managed VPS from the protocol picker, under the Hosting section.
- Choose a region (data center location) and a server size (1 vCPU / 1 GB up to 2 vCPU / 4 GB).
- Optionally select an existing SSH key or paste your own private key. If you skip this step, DeployHQ creates a new key called
Managed VPS Key
automatically. - Set your deployment path (where your files will be placed on the server).
- Click Create Server.
Provisioning usually takes about a minute. The status updates automatically once the server is ready, and the server appears in Settings > Hosted Resources alongside any other managed resources on your account. From there you can view the IP address, region, size, monthly cost, sync status, and which projects are using the server.
SSH keys
DeployHQ handles key management automatically — generate a fresh key per server, or reuse an existing global key from your account. The key never leaves DeployHQ in plaintext: deployments use it server-side. If you bring your own private key, it's saved as a global SSH key for reuse.
You can manage keys from Settings > SSH Keys, including rotating them or removing access from a server.
Deploying
Once the server is active, deploy to it the same way you'd deploy to any other server in DeployHQ. Push to your repository (or trigger a manual deployment) and the server connects over SSH using the key configured at provisioning time. Default config:
- Username: root
- Port: 22
- Protocol: SSH/SFTP
You can configure the deployment path, enable accelerated transfers, parallel uploads, and zero-downtime (atomic) deployments from the server settings page — same surface as any BYO server in DeployHQ.
Start a free DeployHQ trial to provision your first Managed VPS — trial accounts get one server at the smallest size at no charge.
Power, suspension, and lifecycle
- Power on/off: toggle the server's Enabled state from its settings page. Disabling powers off the VPS; re-enabling powers it back on. Billing continues while the server is powered off.
- Account suspension: if your account is suspended (e.g., trial expires without payment, renewal fails), all Managed VPS resources are powered off and marked suspended. Reactivating restores them. Trial accounts get a 7-day grace period before suspended resources are permanently destroyed; paid accounts get 30 days. A warning notification fires 5 days before destruction.
- Destroying: deleting the server from your project's server list destroys the underlying infrastructure and cancels billing.
How it compares to DigitalOcean, Linode, and Render
DeployHQ Managed VPS overlaps with several adjacent products. The right choice depends on what you want around the VPS:
| Capability | DeployHQ Managed VPS | DigitalOcean App Platform | Linode | Render |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Underlying infrastructure | DigitalOcean | DigitalOcean | Akamai Cloud | AWS / GCP |
| Deployment pipeline | Built-in (DeployHQ) | Built-in (App Platform) | Self-managed | Built-in (Render) |
| Root SSH access | Yes | No (PaaS sandbox) | Yes | No (PaaS sandbox) |
| Server sizes | 1-2 vCPU / 1-4 GB (beta) | Tiered containers | Wide range, ARM available | Tiered containers |
| Custom services / cron / daemons | Yes | Limited | Yes | Limited |
| One bill with deployment | Yes | Yes (DO ecosystem) | No | Yes |
| Beta status | Yes (mid-2026) | GA | GA | GA |
Choose DeployHQ Managed VPS if you already use (or are evaluating) DeployHQ for code deployments, you want SSH access to a real Linux box rather than a PaaS sandbox, you value workflow consolidation over vendor lock-in to a single cloud, and you're OK with the current beta size limits.
Choose DigitalOcean App Platform if you're already deep in the DigitalOcean ecosystem and want their PaaS model (no SSH, but auto-scaling and managed databases). Note: DeployHQ Managed VPS runs on DigitalOcean too — the difference is whether you want PaaS-style abstraction or a real VPS with SSH access.
Choose Linode (Akamai Cloud) if you want non-DigitalOcean infrastructure (different region coverage, ARM instances, Akamai's edge network) or much larger server sizes than the current Managed VPS beta supports. We have a DeployHQ + Linode deployment guide if you want a BYO-Linode setup with DeployHQ on top.
Choose Render if you want a fully managed PaaS with auto-scaling, integrated databases, and zero infrastructure decisions. Render trades the SSH-access flexibility of a real VPS for a simpler operational model.
For the broader comparison across the deployment-tool category (not just VPS), see our roundup of the best software deployment tools in 2026. And if you're still on shared hosting trying to decide whether VPS is the right next step, shared hosting vs VPS for junior developers walks through the trade-offs first.
Pricing
Available server sizes range from 1 vCPU / 1 GB RAM up to 2 vCPU / 4 GB RAM. The provisioning form shows the current monthly cost for each size in your account's currency. Pricing appears alongside your DeployHQ plan on the same monthly invoice — one bill for the platform and the infrastructure.
Trial accounts can provision one Managed VPS server using the smallest available size. Custom SSH keys aren't available on trial; the platform generates and uses a managed key automatically. To provision additional servers, choose larger sizes, or use a custom SSH key, upgrade to a paid plan.
When Managed VPS isn't the right fit
Honest trade-offs — Managed VPS won't cover every workload:
- Static sites and SPAs. If you're hosting a static frontend (Next.js static export, Astro, SvelteKit prerendered, Hugo, Jekyll), DeployHQ Static Hosting is simpler and cheaper. It runs on Cloudflare's edge with framework auto-detection and atomic deploys — no server to manage at all.
- Server sizes above 2 vCPU / 4 GB. The current beta tops out at that size. If you need more, use BYO VPS via DeployHQ — we'll deploy to any DigitalOcean Droplet, Linode VPS, Hetzner Cloud server, or any other host you can SSH into.
- Kubernetes / container orchestration. Managed VPS is single-node Linux, not Kubernetes. Use a managed Kubernetes service (Linode LKE, AWS EKS, DigitalOcean Kubernetes) and a GitOps tool like Argo CD for that workflow.
- Windows servers. Linux x86 only. We have a Windows IIS deployment guide for BYO Windows servers via DeployHQ.
- ARM instances. Current beta is x86 only.
- Hourly / per-second IaaS billing. Managed VPS is fixed monthly. If you need spiky scale-up workloads with hourly billing, go direct to AWS / GCP / DO and use DeployHQ on top.
If you outgrow Managed VPS, the same DeployHQ project supports any of these alternatives without rebuilding your pipeline — only the deployment target changes.
For VPS sizing fundamentals (how to pick between server sizes, when to scale up, when to scale out), installing cPanel on AlmaLinux or Ubuntu with DeployHQ walks through a representative real-world VPS setup. And if you're upgrading from shared hosting to your first VPS, 5 signs it's time to upgrade from shared hosting to automated deployments covers when the move makes sense.
Get started
- Enable beta features under Settings > Beta Features on your DeployHQ account.
- Open any project (or create a new one if you're new) and click New Server.
- Pick Managed VPS, choose a region and size, set a deployment path, and create the server.
- Push to your connected repository — DeployHQ builds and deploys automatically.
Full provisioning, SSH-key, lifecycle, and management docs are at Managed VPS Hosting in the support library. For the broader context of where Managed VPS fits among DeployHQ's five hosting types, see your universal deployment and hosting platform.
Questions or feedback on Managed VPS? Email support@deployhq.com or follow @deployhq on X for product updates.