Skip to main content

EU hosting → the Netherlands

Ruby on Rails Hosting in the Netherlands

Dutch Rails developers usually want EU residency, low Amsterdam latency and a DPA without lawyers. Hostim runs Rails in Falkenstein, with typical RTT around 12 ms to Amsterdam. Managed PostgreSQL, Active Storage volume, Sidekiq as a separate app.

Try Ruby on Rails on HostimAll Ruby on Rails docs
# docker-compose.yml
services:
  web:
    image: my-rails-app
    environment:
      - RAILS_ENV=production
      - RAILS_LOG_TO_STDOUT=1
  db:
    image: postgres:16
  • 🇪🇺 Hosted in Germany, GDPR by default
  • 🐳 Run Docker apps (Compose supported)
  • 🗄️ Built-in MySQL, Postgres, Redis & volumes
  • 🔐 HTTPS, metrics, and isolation per project
  • 💳 Per-project cost tracking · from €2.5/month

Why Ruby on Rails on EU bare metal for the Netherlands

The Dutch Rails scene is small but high-quality, with several well-known startups running on Heroku for years. The Heroku EU sunset and the price hikes pushed teams to look for an EU-operated alternative. Hostim is the closest one-to-one mapping: the deploy model is the same (push code, run migrations on release), the database is managed, and Sidekiq runs as a separate process. Dutch buyers often ask for a DPA and a clear sub-processor list — both are available on request.

Latency, residency and Dutch regulators

Latency. Typical RTT from Amsterdam to our Falkenstein region is around 12 ms. Amsterdam is one of the largest internet exchange points in Europe (AMS-IX). Connectivity from Falkenstein to Dutch networks is direct — typical RTT is 12 ms. Dutch buyers tend to be price-sensitive but expect EU data residency by default.

Regulator. Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (AP).

Local law. UAVG, the Dutch GDPR implementation act. Hostim is operated by HOSTIM.DEV UG, a German company, with all data in Falkenstein, Germany — there is no transfer outside the EU for application data.

Local alternatives you may have considered: TransIP, Leaseweb, Combell, STACK Datacenter.

How Hostim runs Ruby on Rails

Rails hosting today usually means a Puma server behind a reverse proxy, with PostgreSQL and a volume for Active Storage uploads. The Heroku stack model works fine — but the price does not, especially after the Heroku EU sunset moves teams to dedicated dynos.

Deploy model

Run rails db:migrate as a release command on each deploy. Hostim builds your Rails Docker image, attaches managed PostgreSQL, and mounts a volume for Active Storage. Background jobs (Sidekiq, GoodJob) run as a second app in the same project.

Common pitfalls

Active Storage with local disk silently breaks when the container restarts. The fix on Hostim is a persistent volume mounted at storage/, or you can configure S3-compatible object storage.

Typical env vars

RAILS_ENV, RAILS_MASTER_KEY, DATABASE_URL, REDIS_URL

FAQ

How is the latency from Amsterdam?

Typical RTT from Amsterdam to Falkenstein is 12 ms via direct fiber routes through AMS-IX peers. For Rails apps that is below the noise floor of any web request.

Does Hostim run Rails 7 and 8?

Yes. Hostim runs whatever Ruby and Rails version your Dockerfile defines. The platform does not pin a runtime.

Wat zijn de DPA-voorwaarden?

Een Data Processing Agreement is op aanvraag beschikbaar. De voorwaarden voldoen aan GDPR en de Nederlandse UAVG. Mail support@hostim.dev.

How does Active Storage work for large uploads?

Mount a persistent volume at storage/ — files survive deploys. For multi-GB uploads, configure direct uploads to Hetzner Object Storage in Falkenstein.

Related pages

Ready to deploy Ruby on Rails?

Spin up an app in minutes. Managed database on the free tier, custom domain included.

Deploy your Ruby on Rails appSee pricing