Docker hosting
Docker hosting: PaaS, VPS or serverless
A Dockerfile does not decide the host. Choose by who operates the machine, whether the process must stay running, where state lives, and which network and region constraints must pass.
The short answer
For a conventional web service, start with a managed application platform when build, deploy, TLS, restarts, and logs should be the provider's job. Choose a VPS when root access and host control are requirements. Choose serverless containers only when idle and execution limits match the workload, and Kubernetes only when its scheduling boundary is genuinely needed.
Where your responsibility starts
VPS
| Hardware | Provider |
|---|---|
| Virtual machine | Provider |
| Operating system | Your team |
| Container runtime | Your team |
| Your app | Your team |
| Your data | Your team |
PaaS
| Hardware | Provider |
|---|---|
| Virtual machine | Provider |
| Operating system | Provider |
| Container runtime | Provider |
| Your app | Your team |
| Your data | Your team |
Managed Kubernetes
| Hardware | Provider |
|---|---|
| Virtual machine | Provider |
| Operating system | Your team |
| Container runtime | Your team |
| Your app | Your team |
| Your data | Your team |
Bare metal
| Hardware | Provider |
|---|---|
| Virtual machine | Your team |
| Operating system | Your team |
| Container runtime | Your team |
| Your app | Your team |
| Your data | Your team |
Priced from published plans
What each kind of hosting costs for the same container
The choice above is about who runs what. This is what that choice costs, for one identical container workload, in every kind of hosting we can price completely.
Workload priced: One always-on instance at 2 vCPU and 4 GB, 100 GB egress. No disk, no database.
| Kind of hosting | Lowest complete bill | Provider and plan | Providers priced | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VPS | $6.00 | Tencent Cloud Lighthouse starter linux 2 vCPU / 4 GB / 60 GB | 11 providers · 4 more listed without a price | 16 Oct 2026 |
| PaaS | $21.43 | Koyeb eco-large | 2 providers · 3 more listed without a price | 16 Oct 2026 |
Each figure is the cheapest plan of that kind for which we could confirm every required charge for this workload, read from the provider's own page, most recently on 16 Oct 2026. It is not a recommendation: we know what a provider bills, not whether a plan runs your stack. Kubernetes and Serverless container have no complete bill for this workload, so they are shown without a number rather than estimated. Compare every provider on your own workload.
Compare the options
Compare the options that fit this decision
| Workload | Start with | Verify before choosing |
|---|---|---|
| WordPress in Docker | Managed PaaS only when it supports durable state; otherwise a VPS | Database, persistent uploads, cron, outbound email, backups and patch ownership |
| Self-hosted workflow automation | Always-on container PaaS or a VPS | Webhook reachability, encryption key, database, queue workers, retention and upgrades |
| Developer API or backend | Managed PaaS for the deploy path; VPS when host control is required | Sleep, request timeout, ingress, build or CI, database, queues and the first paid month |
| Stateless web service | Managed PaaS | Always-on floor, egress, regions, health checks and rollback |
What changes the answer
What changes the answer
- 01Use a PaaS when build, deploy, TLS, restarts, and logs should be the provider boundary.
- 02Use a VPS when you need host-level control, predictable always-on compute, or a specific low-cost region.
- 03Use a serverless container when execution is intermittent and cold-start or duration limits fit.
- 04Use Kubernetes only when scheduling, isolation, rollout, or multi-service requirements justify a cluster boundary.
Bill and sources
At these inputs: the same formula, assumptions and sources every visitor sees.
For a conventional web service, start with a managed application platform when build, deploy, TLS, restarts, and logs should be the provider's job. Choose a VPS when root access and host control are requirements. Choose serverless containers only when idle and execution limits match the workload, and Kubernetes only when its scheduling boundary is genuinely needed.
Formula
Monthly infrastructure bill = compute + database + storage + egress + backups + mandatory support. Optional and separate, never ranked: operations hours × your own team rate, and transition cost ÷ amortization months.
Assumptions
- One production service
- A single primary region
- No negotiated contract
- Team time excluded from every figure shown
Explicit unknowns
- Workload-specific cold-start tolerance
- Incident response and recovery time
Sources and freshness
- Railway pricing checked
- DigitalOcean Droplet pricing checked