Docker VPS with Compose, ready on boot

Updated 2026-10-30

The Docker app gives you a Frankfurt cloud server with Docker CE and the Docker Compose plugin installed, so you can run docker compose up a few minutes after the server boots.

It is the quickest way to get a clean container host in Germany with unmetered traffic and full root access.

What is installed

• Docker CE, the open-source Docker Engine from the Docker project, running as a system service.
• The Docker Compose plugin, used as docker compose (with a space).
• A standard Linux base system that you can update, configure and extend like any other server.

There is no extra management layer on top. If you want a web interface for deploying apps, look at the Coolify app, which runs on Docker too.

Which plan to start with

Containers share the server's memory, so plan around the services you run rather than the number of containers.

• One small web app or a reverse proxy: the smallest Standard plan is fine.
• An app plus a database, cache and proxy: pick 2 to 4 GB of memory.
• Many services or heavy builds: consider a CPU-optimised (c) or memory-optimised (m) plan.

All plans are billed by the hour from a prepaid balance and capped at the monthly price. You can resize to a bigger plan when you need it.

Signing in after boot

1. Create the server in the console and choose Docker as the app.
2. Wait until the server shows as running, then give the app a few minutes to finish.
3. Connect with SSH as root, using your SSH key or the root password sent by email. The connect with SSH doc explains both.
4. Check the installation:

docker version
docker compose version
docker run --rm hello-world

If docker is not found yet, the installation is still running. Wait a minute and try again.

First steps

Lock down access

Attach a Wolkra firewall that allows SSH plus only the ports your containers publish, usually 80 and 443. Cloud firewalls are free and filter traffic before it reaches the server, so Docker's own rule changes on the server cannot open a port by accident.

Deploy a Compose stack

Copy your compose.yaml to the server and start it:

mkdir -p /opt/app && cd /opt/app
# put compose.yaml here
docker compose up -d
docker compose ps

Our Docker Compose deploy guide walks through a full example, and the Caddy reverse proxy guide shows how to add HTTPS in front of your containers.

Keep data safe

• Put database files and uploads on a block storage volume so they live apart from the server disk.
• Turn on daily backups (20% of the server price, 7 restore points) or take a snapshot before upgrades.
• Read our backup strategy guide for database dumps and off-server copies.

Scale out

When one host is not enough, create more Docker servers in a private network, spread them with a placement group, and put a load balancer in front. Label selectors let the load balancer and firewall pick up new servers automatically.

Common Docker workloads

• Web apps and APIs behind a reverse proxy, with a database container next to them.
• Self-hosted tools such as wikis, dashboards and password managers, each with its own Compose file. See self-hosting.
• Background workers and scheduled jobs that run around the clock.
• Build and test machines for your pipelines. See CI runners.

Why run Docker on Wolkra

• Unmetered traffic. Pulling images and serving users costs nothing extra. Ports go up to 10 Gbit/s, shared, under a fair-use policy. See network.
• Hourly billing. Spin up a server to test a stack and delete it after an hour. See hourly billing.
• Data in Germany. Your containers and volumes stay in Frankfurt. See EU VPS and GDPR.
• Building blocks around it. Private networks, NAT gateways, floating IPs and the API let you grow from one host to a small cluster.

For broader advice on running containers in production, see Docker hosting in Europe.

Start your Docker server

Create an account, add balance by card or crypto, and choose the Docker app. Your container host in Frankfurt is ready in minutes.