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Spring Boot Hosting
Done Right

Deploy your Spring Boot 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-spring-app
    environment:
      - SPRING_DATASOURCE_URL=jdbc:postgresql://db:5432/mydb
      - SPRING_PROFILES_ACTIVE=prod
  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 "Spring Boot hosting" means today

Gone are the days of deploying WAR files to a shared Tomcat server. Modern Spring Boot applications are self-contained, embedding the servlet container (Tomcat, Jetty, or Undertow) directly into the JAR.

The shift to Containers

Because Spring Boot apps are self-contained, they are perfect candidates for containerization. Instead of managing a server with a specific Java version, you package your application and the JDK into a Docker image. This guarantees that your app runs exactly the same in production as it does on your machine.

JVM in Containers

Running Java in Docker used to be tricky, but modern JVMs (Java 17+) are fully container-aware. They respect memory limits set by the container runtime, preventing the dreaded OOM kills that plagued earlier Java versions in Docker.

How Spring Boot apps are typically hosted

Production Spring Boot setups share a common architecture:

  • Containers: The application runs as a stateless container.
  • Database Separation: PostgreSQL or MySQL runs as a separate service. You connect via JDBC URL injected as an environment variable.
  • Configuration: application.properties are overridden by environment variables (e.g., SPRING_DATASOURCE_PASSWORD) to keep secrets safe.
  • Persistent Storage: If your app handles file uploads, you need a persistent volume mounted to the container to store them safely.

Spring Boot hosting on Hostim.dev

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

Docker or Git Deploy

Push your code or a pre-built Docker image. We handle the 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 Spring Boot hosting?

Finding free hosting for Java applications is notoriously difficult due to the JVM's memory requirements.

  • Memory Usage: Even a simple Spring Boot app can require 300MB+ of RAM at startup. Most free tiers offer only 512MB, leaving very little room for the OS and overhead, often leading to crashes.
  • Cold Starts: Free tiers often "sleep" apps. Java apps can take longer to start up than Node or Go apps, making cold starts particularly painful for users.

Hostim.dev offers a preview tier for testing, but for a reliable Spring Boot experience, a paid plan with dedicated RAM is highly recommended.

Web hosting vs. App hosting

It's important to distinguish between traditional web hosting and modern app hosting.

Traditional Web Hosting (Shared): Designed for PHP. Usually doesn't support long-running Java processes or custom JAR execution. You often can't install the JDK version you need.

App Hosting (PaaS): Designed for applications like Spring Boot. Provides a container runtime where you bring your own JDK (inside the Docker image) and run your app as a service. This is what Hostim.dev provides.

Is Hostim.dev a good fit?

Who it is for

  • Java developers deploying Spring Boot via 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

  • Legacy applications requiring a specific application server (WebLogic, JBoss) managed by the host.
  • Massive scale enterprise clusters (though we scale well vertically).
  • Developers who want to manage a raw Linux VPS.

How to host a Spring Boot app

The practical workflow on a container-based platform.

  • Create a project: A project is an isolated environment for your Spring Boot application and its services.
  • Add managed services: Create a PostgreSQL or MySQL database if your application requires persistence.
  • Build your application: Package your app as an executable JAR using Maven or Gradle (for example ./mvnw clean package).
  • Prepare your container: Create aDockerfile that runs the JAR in a Java runtime image (for example Eclipse Temurin). You can also connect a Git repository that contains the Dockerfile. Hostim builds the image if needed.
  • Create the app: Create an app from the image or repo, then attach the database to it.
  • Configure environment variables: Define values like database credentials, JVM options, and active Spring profiles in the dashboard.
  • 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 Spring Boot application running in minutes.

Deploy your Spring Boot app

Frequently asked questions

Can I host a Spring Boot app on Hostim?

Yes. Build a Dockerfile around your Spring Boot fat-JAR (or use Jib / Buildpacks) and Hostim runs it as a long-lived container behind HTTPS.

How do I connect Spring Boot to a managed database on Hostim?

Hostim injects the database connection URL as an environment variable. Map it to SPRING_DATASOURCE_URL (and the matching username/password env vars) in your application.properties.

How much does Spring Boot hosting cost on Hostim?

A typical Spring Boot deployment on Hostim is one app container plus one managed database. The app starts at €2.50/month and the database is free on the included tier, so a small production stack runs from €2.50/month.

Does Hostim support Spring Boot Actuator endpoints?

Yes. Expose actuator on the same port as the main app or on a separate path; logs go to stdout where Hostim picks them up.

Where is my Spring Boot app hosted?

In Germany. Hostim apps and databases run on bare-metal servers in Falkenstein, with no AWS, GCP or Azure dependency — so data stays in the EU and GDPR compliance stays simple.