FAQ
Frequently asked questions
If your question is not here, ask us. We answer platform questions; app questions go to the app's own community.
Pods
Pods and apps
What exactly is a pod?
A pod is one private instance of an app plus everything it needs: its own address (your-name.openpods.net), its storage, a share of a database engine when the app needs one, HTTPS, backups and updates. Each pod has hard limits on CPU, memory and disk so customers never affect each other.
What does guaranteed, burst when available mean?
The price buys guaranteed CPU and memory that are always yours. When the server has spare capacity your pod can use more, typically up to double, at no extra cost. Burst is an upside we pass on, not a promise; size your pod on the guaranteed numbers.
Do you support the apps themselves?
We support the platform: deploys, updates, backups, domains, billing and the pod itself. Questions about how to use an app (how to build a workflow, how to theme a site) are best answered by that app's own documentation and community, which we link from every app page.
Is OpenPods affiliated with the apps it hosts?
No. OpenPods is an independent hosting service. We name apps descriptively so you can find them, and we respect each project's license; some projects (for example n8n) ask you to register your own instance for their free registered features.
Billing
Billing
How does billing work?
You add prepaid credit and each pod is charged hourly from your balance, rounded up to whole hours. No contracts and nothing recurring on your card unless you turn on auto top-up. Stopped pods pay only for their storage, with a minimum of $1 per pod per month, and a pod keeps the prices it was created with even after you resize it.
Can I resize a pod?
Yes, from the panel. Resizing restarts the pod (a few seconds) and starts a new billing line; the pod keeps the prices it was created with.
Do you offer lifetime deals?
Yes, as lifetime pod packs: a pool of CPU, memory and storage for a number of pods, bought once through partner marketplaces and redeemed with a code on the activate page. Pay-as-you-go credit stays available alongside.
What is the minimum charge?
$1 per pod per month, whatever its state, pro-rated hourly. Running pods are charged their hourly rate; stopped pods pay storage only.
Data
Regions, data and backups
Where do my pods and backups live?
The first region is Canada (Montreal). Pods and their backups stay inside the region: Canadian pods back up to a Canadian storage region. US and Europe regions are coming at launch, with the UK, Australia and Asia-Pacific planned after that.
Are backups included?
Yes. Every pod is backed up on a schedule to off-site storage in its own region, and pods up to 50 GB get self-service restores from the panel. You can also download your data whenever you want it.
Can I get my data out?
Any time: download a backup from the panel, use SFTP where the app supports files, or export from the app itself. Deleting a pod removes its data after a short grace period.
Is my pod isolated from other customers?
Each pod runs with its own user, network and hard limits on CPU, memory and disk, so one customer cannot affect another. We never run an unsandboxed pod.
Domains
Domains and email
Can I use my own domain?
Yes. Point a CNAME at your pod and we issue the certificate automatically. Pods can have more than one custom domain, and your openpods.net address keeps working alongside them.
Does my app send email?
Yes. Pods get built-in transactional email so password resets and invites work out of the box, with sensible rate limits. You can use your own provider instead.
Can I use SFTP?
Where it makes sense for the app (WordPress themes, document imports, media libraries). SFTP and a web file manager are shown for those apps; no pod ever gets SSH.