AI builders
I can build software. How do I run it?
You use Cursor, Claude Code, Windsurf, Copilot, Replit, Lovable, Bolt. You need a production path that matches how fast you can create apps.
Self-hosted PaaS · your infrastructure
Deploy AI-built apps to your own server with Girder
Girder is a self-hosted PaaS that turns any VPS into a production platform. Git-push deploys, databases, domains, SSL, backups, and rollbacks on infrastructure you own, without becoming a DevOps team.
- One binary
- Git push deploys
- Your hardware
- Flat cost
# you built it with Cursor / Claude / Copilot $ girder apps create myapp $ git remote add girder ssh://git@your-server:2222/myapp.git $ git push girder main remote: building myapp remote: deploy healthy remote: https://myapp.apps.example.com # databases when you need them $ girder services add myapp postgres remote: DATABASE_URL set · next deploy picks it up
Why now
The missing layer between AI coding and production.
AI can create applications. Running them in production is still the hard part. Girder is that last mile: your code, your server, platform-grade ops.
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01
Build with AI
Ship a working app in Cursor, Claude Code, Windsurf, Copilot, or whatever you use. The bottleneck is no longer writing code.
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02
Push to Girder
Girder is the git origin. A push builds the image, deploys it, and rejects broken builds before they go live.
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03
Users get the URL
Domains, TLS, databases, backups, and rollbacks are already there. Your customers use the product. You keep shipping.
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04
Agents can operate it
An MCP server exposes the platform as tools. Create apps, wire services, map domains, and roll back without leaving the agent loop.
Who it's for
Built for people who ship, not for people who want a second job in ops.
Indie hackers
Own the box. Kill the cloud bill.
Stop paying $100+/month so a side project can stay online. One VPS, one license, unlimited apps, predictable cost.
Agencies & freelancers
Same workflow for every client project.
Deploy many apps with one platform. Databases, domains, and backups included, so client infrastructure is not a custom snowflake each time.
The platform
Everything after git push.
The jobs a platform team would do for you, folded into a single Go binary.
Push to deploy
A pre-receive hook builds your app and streams the log back, so a failed build rejects the push. Healthy deploys roll out with zero downtime. Unhealthy ones roll back on their own.
git push girder main → live
Batteries included
Postgres, Redis, and S3 provisioned per app with one command. Credentials land in the environment on the next deploy.
girder services add myapp postgres
Real domains, real certs
Wildcard hosts work out of the box. Custom domains come with automatic DNS and Let's Encrypt, Cloudflare proxying when you want it.
myapp.apps.example.com
Backups you have tested
Nightly snapshots, per-database dumps, and point-in-time recovery. Restores land in a scratch database first; live data is never overwritten.
girder backup verify
Two ports open
Only 80 and 443 face the internet, and 80 is just there to redirect to HTTPS and keep crawlers happy. Git, admin, and databases sit behind Tailscale. Per-app networks and an encrypted secret store.
80 + 443 public · everything else private
Agent-native
An MCP server exposes the whole platform as tools, so your coding agent can create apps, wire up databases, map domains, roll back deploys, and run backups for you. Install the platform itself the same way: hand an agent the install skill and a fresh server.
girder-mcp · works with Claude, Cursor, and any MCP client
See it
From empty VPS to running app.
About a minute, in plain language: what Girder is, the AI workflow (build → install with agent skills → push → live URL), databases and rollbacks, Tailscale lockdown (only 80/443 public), and how agents keep operating the platform.
# install on your server $ curl -fsSL https://dl.rungirder.com/platform/install.sh | sh # point your domain at it $ girder config set appsDomain apps.example.com $ girder dns sync 203.0.113.10 # ship your first app $ girder apps create myapp $ git remote add girder ssh://git@your-server:2222/myapp.git $ git push girder main
Your own Vercel, on your own infrastructure.
Hosted platforms are easy until the bill meters every app. Kubernetes is powerful when you need a fleet. Compose is fine until you own every certificate, backup, and rollback by hand. Girder is the middle that most AI-built products actually need.
| Girder | Hosted (Vercel, Railway…) | Kubernetes | Docker Compose | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Own infrastructure | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Easy git-push deploys | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| No DevOps required | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Databases included | One command | Paid add-on | You operate them | You operate them |
| Predictable costs | Hardware + one license | Grows with usage | Hardware + your time | Hardware + your time |
| Agent / MCP ops | Built in | Varies | You wire it | You wire it |
Want the long version against Coolify, Dokku, Heroku, and friends? See the full comparison.
First ship
Start from a template, or bring any Dockerfile.
Scaffold with girder apps create --template, then attach Postgres, Redis, or S3 when the app needs them. If it builds as a container, it runs on Girder.
Next.js
Node standalone Dockerfile, ready for git push and a public URL.
--template nextjs
Static site
nginx-served static site for marketing pages, docs, or landing drops.
--template static
Worker
Background process without HTTP. Queue consumers, cron-style jobs, agents.
--template worker
Any stack + services
Laravel, Django, Rails, Node APIs, AI chatbots: bring a Dockerfile, then services add Postgres, Redis, or S3.
your Dockerfile · girder services add
Trust
Designed so you can sleep on it.
Your code stays on your servers
Girder is the git origin. Builds run on your hardware. No hosted control plane and nothing required to phone home.
Small public surface
Only 80 and 443 face the open internet. Git, dashboard, and databases sit behind Tailscale by default.
Backups that get drilled
Nightly snapshots and restore verification. An untested backup is a rumor; Girder treats restore as a first-class command.
One binary, one failure model
Not a dozen platform containers to babysit. Docker is the only runtime dependency. The ops model fits in your head.
Up in an afternoon.
Install one binary on any Linux box with Docker, point a domain at it, and push. That is the whole setup. Hetzner is the reference path; any provider with a public IPv4 works.
Join the waitlist# install on your server $ curl -fsSL https://dl.rungirder.com/platform/install.sh | sh # first app $ girder apps create myapp --template nextjs $ git remote add girder ssh://git@your-server:2222/myapp.git $ git push girder main # production pieces when you need them $ girder services add myapp postgres $ girder domains add myapp app.example.com
Questions, answered.
Is Girder built for AI coding tools?
Yes. AI tools make building apps fast. Girder is the layer that runs them in production: git push deploys, databases on demand, domains, SSL, backups, and an MCP server so agents can operate the platform for you.
How is Girder different from Coolify, Dokku, or Dokploy?
Those are free, open source, and good at what they do. Girder is a commercial product with a narrower promise: one static binary, a built-in git server, backups with real restore drills, and support from the people who wrote it. Fewer moving parts, and someone to email when one moves anyway. The full comparison lays it out.
Do I need Kubernetes?
No. Docker is the only runtime dependency. Girder is one binary running as one system service, on one server or several. If you are deploying a SaaS on one or a few servers, Kubernetes is usually solving the wrong problem.
What servers does it run on?
Any Linux server with a public IPv4. Hetzner is the reference setup, and the installer can provision, patch, and scale nodes for you there, but any provider works.
Does my code leave my server?
No. Girder is the git origin: you push straight to it and the build runs on your hardware. There is no hosted control plane and nothing to phone home to.
What happens when my update year ends?
Nothing breaks. The software keeps running exactly as installed; you only stop receiving new versions until you renew.
Pricing
Buy it once. Run it as long as you like.
Hardware is yours, so the cloud bill stops climbing with every side project and client app. Personal and Pro are perpetual licenses. Business is annual when you want multi-server ops and support on a subscription.
Personal
Hobby projects · indie hackers · AI builders
$149 once
- One server, unlimited apps
- Git push, databases, domains, backups
- Commercial use for your own products
- One year of updates included
- Keeps running after the year ends
- Update renewal: $69 per year
Pro
SaaS founders · freelancers
$299 once
- Up to three servers, multi-node
- Same platform workflow on every node
- Priority updates channel
- One year of updates included
- Keeps running after the year ends
- Update renewal: $129 per year
Business
Agencies · multi-server ops · support
$999 / year
- Multiple servers under one license
- Email support during the term
- All updates included for the year
- Best fit for client hosting workflows
- Host clients today with the agency playbook
- Renews yearly (keeps running if you stop)
Prices in USD. Launch pricing when sales open. When checkout is live, buy buttons open Polar; until then they join the waitlist. Platform Edition (multi-user RBAC) is next for teams that need accounts without sharing root. Prefer a short note: write to the team.
AI lets everyone build software. Girder lets everyone ship it.
Join the waitlist for one email when licenses go on sale. Nothing else.
Prefer direct? message support