GitLab Runner

Infrastructure256MB+ RAM

CI/CD runner for GitLab pipelines

Download Server Compass View Documentation

ci-cdgitlabrunner

Deploy GitLab Runner in 3 Steps

Connect Your VPS

Add your server credentials to Server Compass

Select GitLab Runner

Choose from our template library

Deploy & Configure

Fill in settings and click Deploy

No Docker knowledge required

Do It Yourself

Deploy GitLab Runner via Command Line

Prefer the command line? Follow this step-by-step guide to deploy GitLab Runner manually on your VPS.

Connect to Your Remote Server

Begin by establishing a secure connection to your server through the terminal.

terminal

# Access your VPS
ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

# With SSH key authentication
ssh -i ~/.ssh/your-private-key root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

First time? Ensure Docker is installed first: curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh

Set Up Your App Folder

Create a dedicated folder for your application files.

terminal

# Create and navigate to project directory
mkdir -p ~/apps/gitlab-runner
cd ~/apps/gitlab-runner

Set Up Docker Compose

Create the following docker-compose.yml in your project directory:

docker-compose.yml

services:
  gitlab-runner:
    image: gitlab/gitlab-runner:latest
    volumes:
      - runner_config:/etc/gitlab-runner
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  runner_config:

Spin Up the Stack

Run Docker Compose to launch your application.

terminal

# Launch the stack
docker compose up -d

# Verify container status
docker compose ps

# Follow the logs
docker compose logs --follow

Open the Application Port

Configure UFW to allow traffic to your application.

terminal

# Allow the application port through firewall
sudo ufw allow 80/tcp
sudo ufw reload

# Access your app at:
# http://your-server-ip:80

Skip the Terminal

Make it simple with Server Compass.

Deploy GitLab Runner with a beautiful UI instead. No SSH, no YAML editing, no terminal commands. Just click, configure, and deploy in under 3 minutes.

No terminal required
Point-and-click setup
Auto SSL certificates
Rolling deployments
Health monitoring
Instant rollbacks

Download Server Compass$29 one-time • Lifetime license

After Deployment

After deploying GitLab Runner with Server Compass, complete these steps to finish setup

Configure executor

Add runner tags

Need help? Check out our documentation for detailed guides.

GitLab Runner FAQ

Common questions about self-hosting GitLab Runner

How do I deploy GitLab Runner with Server Compass?

Simply download Server Compass, connect to your VPS, and select GitLab Runner from the templates list. Fill in the required configuration and click Deploy. The entire process takes under 3 minutes.

What are the system requirements for GitLab Runner?

GitLab Runner requires a minimum of 256MB RAM. We recommend a VPS with at least 1024MB RAM for optimal performance. Any modern Linux server with Docker support will work.

Can I migrate my existing GitLab Runner data?

Yes! Server Compass provides volume mapping that allows you to import existing data. You can also use standard GitLab Runner backup and restore procedures.

How do I update GitLab Runner to the latest version?

Server Compass makes updates easy. Simply click the Update button in your deployment dashboard, and the latest GitLab Runner image will be pulled and deployed with zero downtime.

Is GitLab Runner free to self-host?

GitLab Runner is open-source software. You only pay for your VPS hosting (typically $5-20/month) and optionally Server Compass ($29 one-time). No subscription fees or per-seat pricing.