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Phoenix Hosting
Done Right

Deploy your Elixir & Phoenix applications to a managed Docker platform. Includes PostgreSQL, Redis, and persistent volumes out of the box. No server management required.

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# docker-compose.yml
services:
  app:
    image: my-phoenix-app
    environment:
      - SECRET_KEY_BASE=${SECRET_KEY_BASE}
      - DATABASE_URL=${DATABASE_URL}
      - PHX_HOST=my-app.hostim.app
  db:
    image: postgres:15
    volumes:
      - db_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
  • 🇪🇺 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

What "Phoenix hosting" means today

Hosting Phoenix is different from hosting PHP or Python because of the Erlang BEAM VM. It's built for long-running, stateful connections (like LiveView websockets) rather than just request-response cycles.

The BEAM Advantage

Phoenix applications run on the BEAM virtual machine, which excels at handling massive concurrency. To leverage this, your hosting environment needs to support long-lived processes and not aggressively kill idle connections, which is critical for LiveView and Channels.

Mix Releases & Docker

Modern Elixir deployment relies on Mix Releases. This bundles your code and the Erlang runtime into a self-contained directory. When wrapped in Docker, you get an immutable artifact that starts instantly and runs exactly the same in production as it does in staging.

How Phoenix apps are typically hosted

Production Phoenix setups follow a standard container-based architecture:

  • Multi-Stage Builds: You compile dependencies and assets in a builder stage, then copy the release to a minimal runner image (like Debian or Alpine).
  • Runtime Configuration: Configuration is handled via config/runtime.exs, reading from environment variables at startup rather than build time.
  • Database Separation: PostgreSQL is the standard database for Phoenix. It runs as a separate service, often alongside Redis for PubSub in clustered setups.
  • Persistent Volumes: While the app is stateless, you might need volumes for user uploads or if you're running a local SQLite database.

Phoenix hosting on Hostim.dev

We provide a managed platform that maps directly to the standard Elixir architecture.

Docker or Git Deploy

Push your code or a pre-built Docker image. We handle the build and deployment process automatically.

Built-in Databases

Spin up managed PostgreSQL, MySQL, or Redis instances alongside your app with a single click or line in your compose file.

Persistent Volumes

Mount volumes for your uploads or local data. Data persists across deployments and restarts.

EU Hosting

All data and workloads are hosted in Germany (Falkenstein), ensuring low latency for European users and GDPR compliance.

Is there free Phoenix hosting?

"Free" hosting usually comes with significant caveats, which are particularly painful for Phoenix apps:

  • Sleeping Apps: Free tiers often sleep inactive apps. This kills all active LiveView connections, leading to a poor user experience when they try to reconnect.
  • Memory Limits: The BEAM VM is efficient but has a baseline memory footprint. Tiny free tiers often trigger OOM kills.
  • No Persistence: Lack of persistent storage means you can't easily store uploads or use SQLite for simple projects.

Free tiers are excellent for learning, but for a responsive LiveView application, you need a stable environment that doesn't sleep. Hostim.dev offers a preview tier for testing, but our focus is on reliable, paid production hosting.

Web hosting vs. App hosting

You might see terms like "web hosting" and "app hosting" used interchangeably, but they refer to different paradigms.

Traditional Web Hosting (Shared): Designed for PHP/WordPress. It rarely supports long-running processes or custom ports, making it unsuitable for Phoenix.

App Hosting (PaaS): Designed for modern applications like Phoenix. Provides the necessary environment for the BEAM VM, Docker containers, and service orchestration. This is what Hostim.dev provides.

Is Hostim.dev a good fit?

Who it is for

  • Developers deploying Phoenix apps with Docker.
  • Teams needing EU-based hosting for GDPR compliance.
  • Projects requiring a simple, flat pricing model.
  • Applications that need persistent storage and managed databases.

Who it is not for

  • Users looking for "serverless" functions (cold starts hurt LiveView).
  • Static sites that don't need a backend (though we can host them).
  • Developers who want to manually manage OS updates on a VPS.

How to host a Phoenix app

The practical workflow on a container-based platform.

  • Create a project: A project groups your Phoenix app, databases, and storage in an isolated environment.
  • Add managed services: Create a PostgreSQL database (standard for Phoenix) and Redis if you need a shared PubSub adapter.
  • Prepare your container: Use mix phx.gen.release --docker to generate a production-ready Dockerfile. This sets up a multi-stage build automatically.
  • Create the app: Create an app from the Docker image or connect a Git repository. Hostim builds the image if needed.
  • Configure environment variables: Set values likeSECRET_KEY_BASE, DATABASE_URL, andPHX_HOST in the dashboard. These are read by config/runtime.exs.
  • Deploy and update: Hostim starts the container and keeps it running. Updates are done by redeploying or rebuilding the app, either manually or via CI.

Ready to deploy?

Get your Phoenix application running in minutes.

Deploy your Phoenix app

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the free tier include?

You can create free MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redis databases, and persistent volumes. App containers start at €2.5/month. Each user gets one 5-day trial project with everything included – apps, DBs, volumes, metrics.

Can I deploy with just a Compose file?

Yes. Paste your Docker Compose YAML and we'll generate the services automatically. You can also deploy from a Dockerfile or Git repository (repo should have Dockerfile so our system can build the image).

Where is my app hosted?

On bare-metal servers located in Germany. We do not use AWS, GCP, or other large cloud providers – your data stays in the EU.

Do I need to know Kubernetes?

No. Hostim.dev removes Kubernetes complexity. You manage apps, databases, and resources – not clusters or YAML.

Is this for solo devs or teams?

Right now, each account manages projects individually. Multi-user roles and team collaboration are planned – we're actively listening to early users to shape this.