FAQ
Questions people ask before the first deploy. Short answers, checked against what runs today.
What is Hub Cloud?
A deployment and operating layer for small custom software. It takes a local folder or a GitHub repository, builds it on your org's Docker host, gives it a URL, applies an access rule and keeps releases, logs, environment and instances manageable afterwards.
Who is it for?
Teams with several internal tools, automations, dashboards, demos or operational apps, and no platform engineer to run them. The core target is an org with roughly 3 to 30 small apps.
What can I deploy?
Dockerfiles, Docker Compose projects, Node apps with a start script, built front ends, static sites, worker services, and databases or caches as Compose services.
Do I need a specific framework?
No. Hub is built around Docker and Compose rather than a proprietary application framework. Use the language and framework that fit the app.
Can I deploy a local folder?
Yes. Run hub deploy inside the folder. Hub packs the working tree and does not need a GitHub repository.
Can Hub deploy from GitHub?
Yes. Connect a repository, a branch and an optional subfolder. Hub deploys each new push to that branch.
What happens when my local folder has uncommitted changes?
The CLI asks whether to deploy the last pushed commit, upload the files as they are now, or cancel. Scripts choose with --pushed or --local.
Does Hub modify my project?
No. The Dockerfile Hub writes for a Node, front-end or static app goes into the upload, never into your folder. After a failed GitHub deploy, Hub can open a pull request with a proposed fix, and a person decides whether to merge it.
Does every org get its own host?
Yes. Each org has one Docker host for its apps. Instances are separate projects inside that host.
Is Hub serverless?
No. Hub runs normal containers on the org's host. Long-running services, workers, open connections and databases are supported patterns.
Does Hub autoscale?
No. Hub is built for a portfolio of small apps on one org host, not for automatic horizontal scaling of high-traffic public services.
How are private apps protected?
New apps start with org access. Hub authenticates the visitor and checks org membership before forwarding the request to the app.
Can I make an app public?
Yes. Set the instance's access to public from the CLI or the dashboard.
Can I share an app with only one person, or with an external guest?
Not yet. Access is org or public today. Coming next: only me, selected people, secure share links.
Does every app need its own login?
No. Hub puts the org login in front of private apps, and the app can read the signed-in person's name and email from request headers.
Can I run several copies of one app?
Yes. Instances such as prod, staging, client-a or demo have separate URLs, environment, data volumes, access and release history.
Can I run a database?
Yes. Add Postgres, MongoDB, Redis or another database as a service in the app's compose file and keep its data in a named volume.
Are volumes backed up?
No. Named volumes persist through deploys and restarts, but nothing backs them up yet. Keep your own backup of anything that matters. coming soon
How are environment values stored?
Encrypted. Hub does not return them in API responses or render them in the dashboard. The CLI and the dashboard list names only.
Can build-time secrets leak into an image?
Yes, depending on the Dockerfile. Build-time Hub variables become Docker build arguments. Keep secrets in runtime variables.
Can I roll back?
Yes. Hub keeps the release history and runs the build of an earlier successful release with the current environment.
Can I open a shell?
Yes. hub shell opens a terminal in a running service. hub exec runs one command without an interactive shell.
What happens when a GitHub deploy fails?
Hub keeps the build log and the reason. For eligible failures, the fix agent proposes a small patch and opens a pull request for review. It does not merge the change.
Does the fix agent see my secrets?
No. Its sandbox gets no application environment values, no GitHub token, no host token and no Docker socket.
Can a coding agent use Hub?
Yes, through the CLI. Setup and the instructions to give the agent: For agents.
Can I use a custom domain?
Not yet. Hub gives every org and app a subdomain under myhub.host. Custom domains are planned. coming soon
Can I self-host Hub?
A packaged, self-serve edition does not exist yet. Orgs that need the apps and their data inside their own infrastructure should talk to us. talk to us
What happens if the Hub control plane is unavailable?
Running apps keep serving from the org's host, and logins keep working. New deploys and control actions wait until the host reconnects to the control plane.
Is Hub highly available?
No. In the one-host-per-org model a host failure affects that org's apps until the host recovers. Hub suits internal tools and small operational software, not workloads that need multi-region availability.
Is Hub free?
Yes, during early access. Signup takes an invite code; ask for one.
Why not a generic cloud provider?
You can use one. Hub exists for teams that want Docker and a host of their own without turning deployment, access, releases and app discovery into separate infrastructure projects.