Deploying to your own server

Two things developers say about hosted backends constantly: my project got paused, and I got a surprise bill. Both come from renting.

The deploy

$ cresco deploy --server prod

One command, to a server you rent from whoever you like. Automatic HTTPS with certificates that renew themselves. A rollback point saved before it switches over.

The access audit runs first, so a table anyone can read never reaches the internet. If there is a critical finding, the deploy refuses and writes nothing.

What runs on the server

Your app is a container. Your database is standard PostgreSQL, MySQL or SQLite, on that machine. There is no call home: a deployed CrescoDB app does not ask our platform for permission to keep running, which is what makes the continuity story checkable rather than a promise.

The cost shape, said plainly

Hosted backends bill per project. Every client you take on adds a line to the bill. We bill per account, and the server is one you already rent.

Apps you runHosted, per projectCrescoDB Pro + a $6 server
1$25$29
3$45$29
8$95$29
15$165$29

On one app, hosted is cheaper, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. The difference shows up on the second one. Figures are the published rates as of September 2026, before any storage, bandwidth or compute overage. Check both yourself.

Compared to the managed platforms

The full side by side is on CrescoDB vs Supabase.

No usage meter

No egress charge, no per-row read, no compute add-on that appears the month something gets popular. The server has a fixed price and you picked it. That is the entire reason a surprise bill is not possible here: there is no meter to run away with.

Common questions

What kind of server do I need?

Any VPS that runs Docker. A small Hetzner, Contabo or DigitalOcean box is enough for most apps.

Do I get HTTPS automatically?

Yes. Certificates are issued and renewed automatically for the domain you point at the server.

Can I roll back a bad deploy?

Yes. A rollback point is saved before the switch, and it is checked as restorable in advance rather than during the incident.

Keep reading
How do I know my backup actually restores?Backup succeeded only means a file got written. How to verify a database backup by restoring… What if CrescoDB disappears?What happens to your app and data if CrescoDB stops operating: cresco eject, standard databa…

Try it

$ npm i -g crescodb

Local development is free forever. No account, no card. Read the docs or see pricing.