Turn any VPS into your own zero-config deployment platform, effortlessly!
Just connect your domain and push your code. Deploy apps instantly without Dockerfiles or playing sysadmin on hard mode. Even better: manage your entire fleet of VPSs from one terminal, anywhere!
A single person could wear both hats: operator + developer.
╭─────── Operator ──────╮ ╭────── Developer ──────╮
│ │ │ │
│ ┌──────────┐ │ │ · git push │
│ │ Appa CLI │ │ |· appa deploy <project>│
│ └────┬─────┘ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│ SSH · rsync │ │ API │
╰──────────│────────────╯ ╰───────────│───────────╯
│ │
manages deploys
▼ ▼
╭── Fleet of Servers (VPS) ──┬──────────────────────────────────╮
│ │ │
│ ┌─ nyc-prod ──────────┐ │ ┌─ lon-staging ─────────────┐ │
│ │ Blog API · Admin UI│ │ │ Client Dashboard (stg) │ │
│ └─────────────────────┘ │ └───────────────────────────┘ │
│ ◄───────┼───────► │
│ ┌─ fra-gateway ───────┐ │ ┌─ sfo-preview ─────────────┐ │
│ │ Auth · Webhook │ │ │ PR previews · E2E tests │ │
│ └─────────────────────┘ │ └───────────────────────────┘ │
│ ◄───────┼───────► │
│ ┌─ ams-worker ────────┐ │ ┌─ (more)...────────────────┐ │
│ │ Queue · Cron jobs │ │ │ Any VPS, anywhere │ │
│ └─────────────────────┘ │ └───────────────────────────┘ │
╰────────────────────────────┴──────────────────────────────────╯
Each server runs: Caddy · Appa API · BuildKit · PostgreSQL · Containers
- A fresh Linux VPS with SSH access (key-based authentication).
- At least 4GB of RAM (2GB+ recommended for building images).
- (Optional) A Cloudflare API token for wildcard DNS and automatic TLS.
curl -fsSL https://appa.theolujay.dev/install.sh | sh
appa server init my-server
appa server set-host my-server root@203.0.113.10 -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519
appa preflight my-server
appa setup my-server| Area | Capabilities |
|---|---|
| Server management | Initialize, provision, configure, and monitor any number of VPS servers from one CLI. |
| Auto-deploy | One command ships source via rsync and triggers the build pipeline. Projects are auto-created on the server. |
| Env vars | Manage per-project environment variables through appa project env set/get/unset. |
| Project lifecycle | View deployment logs, stop running deployments, or restart with appa project logs/stop/restart. |
| Zero-config builds | Railpack auto-detects runtimes — no Dockerfiles needed. |
| Web dashboard | React UI for deployment history, project management, and monitoring. |
See docs/user-guide.md for the full walkthrough — installation, server management, project deployment, environment variables, and CLI reference.
| Doc | For |
|---|---|
| User Guide | Installing the CLI, provisioning servers, deploying projects, managing env vars |
| Architecture | Design decisions, invariants, data paths, and glossary |
| Contributing | Development setup, API routes, project structure, coding conventions |
| Roadmap | Completed milestones and planned features |