Portainer

Infrastructure256MB+ RAM

Container management UI for Docker and Kubernetes

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Deploy Portainer in 3 Steps

Connect Your VPS

Add your server credentials to Server Compass

Select Portainer

Choose from our template library

Deploy & Configure

Fill in settings and click Deploy

No Docker knowledge required

Self-Deploy Guide

DIY Portainer Deployment

Learn how to self-host Portainer with this hands-on deployment guide.

Access Your VPS via Terminal

Open a terminal session and log into your VPS. Replace the placeholder with your actual IP.

terminal

# Connect via SSH
ssh root@your-vps-ip

# Alternative with key file
ssh -i /path/to/key root@your-vps-ip

First time? Make sure Docker is installed on your VPS. Run: curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh

Set Up Project Folder

Create a workspace for your deployment files.

terminal

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

Create the Compose File

Configure your containers with this Docker Compose setup:

docker-compose.yml

services:
  portainer:
    image: portainer/portainer-ce:latest
    ports:
      - "9000:9000"
      - "9443:9443"
    volumes:
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
      - portainer_data:/data
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  portainer_data:

Setup Variables

PORTHTTP port(default: 9000)

HTTPS_PORTHTTPS port(default: 9443)

Deploy Your Stack

Spin up the containers and verify the deployment.

terminal

# Start all services
docker compose up -d

# List running containers
docker compose ps

# Watch the logs
docker compose logs -f

Update Firewall Settings

Allow incoming traffic on the application port.

terminal

# Allow the application port through firewall
sudo ufw allow 9000/tcp
sudo ufw reload

# Access your app at:
# http://your-server-ip:9000

Skip the Terminal

Skip the terminal. Use Server Compass instead.

Let Server Compass handle the complexity. Deploy Portainer with a simple, intuitive interface.

Beautiful interface
One-click deploys
Let's Encrypt SSL
Zero downtime
Container monitoring
Easy rollbacks

Download Server Compass$29 one-time • Lifetime license

After Deployment

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

Create admin account

Add Docker environment

Need help? Check out our documentation for detailed guides.

Portainer FAQ

Common questions about self-hosting Portainer

How do I deploy Portainer with Server Compass?

Simply download Server Compass, connect to your VPS, and select Portainer 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 Portainer?

Portainer 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 Portainer data?

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

How do I update Portainer to the latest version?

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

Is Portainer free to self-host?

Portainer 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.