StackPilot

The AI-native self-hosting toolkit. Deploy 28+ production-optimized Docker apps to any VPS with a single command.

Docs | Issues | MCP Docs

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Replace $300+/month in SaaS subscriptions with a $5/month server. StackPilot is the only self-hosting toolkit with MCP (Model Context Protocol) integration -- AI assistants like Claude can deploy and manage apps directly.

git clone https://github.com/jurczykpawel/stackpilot.git
cd stackpilot
./local/deploy.sh n8n    # n8n is now running on your server

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Why StackPilot?

• AI-native deployment: The only self-hosting toolkit with native MCP integration. AI assistants can deploy, configure, and troubleshoot your apps through natural conversation. No other tool does this.
• One command, production-ready: Each app is deployed with a single deploy.sh call. Memory limits, log rotation, health checks, security headers, and database provisioning are handled automatically.
• Zero platform overhead: No web dashboard to maintain, no background services eating RAM. Just Bash scripts, SSH, and Docker. Your server resources go to your apps, not the platform.
• Database flexibility: Bundled containers (auto-provisioned, zero config) or external databases. WordPress also supports SQLite. Your choice, per app.
• 28+ curated apps: Not a marketplace of untested community templates. Every app config is tuned and tested for small VPS environments (512MB--2GB RAM).

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Who Is This For?

Solopreneurs, freelancers, and small teams who:

• Pay for Zapier, Mailchimp, Airtable, Typeform and watch bills grow with every contact
• Want data on their own server — not in someone else's cloud
• Prefer a one-time setup investment over endless monthly subscriptions
• Need leverage — automation that runs 24/7 without per-execution fees

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Table of Contents

• Why StackPilot?
• Who Is This For?
• Apps
• How It Works Together
• Quick Start
• Deployment Modes
• Domain and HTTPS Setup
• Savings Calculator
• Server Requirements
• How It Compares
• Diagnostics
• FAQ
• Roadmap
• Contributing
• Support
• Repository Structure
• Tech Stack
• Star History
• Acknowledgments
• Author
• License

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Apps

Automation and Operations

App	Replaces	Description
n8n	Zapier / Make	Workflow automation. Connect CRM, email, payments, APIs.
Uptime Kuma	UptimeRobot	Uptime monitoring with push/email/Slack alerts.
Dockge	Portainer	Manage Docker Compose stacks via a web UI.
ntfy	Pushover	Self-hosted push notification server.
Redis	-	In-memory cache. Speeds up n8n, WordPress, and others.

Communication and Marketing

App	Replaces	Description
Listmonk	Mailchimp	High-performance newsletter and mailing list manager.
Typebot	Typeform	Conversational forms and chatbots. Lead capture, surveys.
Postiz	Buffer / Hootsuite	Schedule posts to X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok.
Cap	Loom	Screen recording and video sharing.
Cookie Hub	Cookiebot	Centralized GDPR consent server for all your sites.
Social Media Generator	Canva (basic)	Generate brand-consistent social media graphics from HTML templates.

Web and Content

App	Replaces	Description
WordPress	WordPress.com	Performance Edition: Nginx + PHP-FPM + Redis Object Cache.
GateFlow	Gumroad	Digital product storefront. Zero fees, zero commissions.
FileBrowser	Dropbox / Tiiny.host	Private file manager with web UI + static hosting.
LinkStack	Linktree	Link-in-bio page with admin panel.
LittleLink	Linktree	Ultra-lightweight link-in-bio page (pure HTML).
Umami	Google Analytics	Privacy-focused web analytics. No cookies, GDPR-compliant.
AFFiNE	Notion / Miro	Knowledge base with docs, whiteboards, and databases. Open-source.

Security and Storage

App	Replaces	Description
Vaultwarden	1Password / Bitwarden	Password manager for individuals and teams.
MinIO	AWS S3	S3-compatible object storage.

Developer Tools

App	Replaces	Description
Stirling PDF	Adobe Acrobat	Edit, merge, sign PDFs in the browser.
Gotenberg	-	Document conversion API (HTML/DOCX/ODT to PDF). ~150MB RAM.
ConvertX	CloudConvert	Convert 800+ file formats in the browser.
NocoDB	Airtable	Spreadsheet-style database. CRM, projects, orders.
MCP Docker	-	Let AI assistants manage Docker containers on your server.

AI and Data

App	Replaces	Description
PicoClaw	OpenClaw	Ultra-lightweight AI assistant (Telegram/Discord/Slack). ~10MB image, 64MB RAM. Security-hardened.
Crawl4AI	ScrapingBee	AI web scraper with REST API. Markdown output, JS rendering.
Coolify	Heroku / Vercel	Full PaaS with 280+ one-click apps. Requires 8GB+ RAM.

Every app has its own README.md with detailed docs, requirements, and configuration options.

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How It Works Together

These apps are not isolated islands. Together they form a business operating system.

Example: automated e-book sales funnel

Customer --> Typebot (chatbot) --> GateFlow (Stripe payment)
                                        |
                                  n8n (webhook)
                                 /    |    \     \
                            NocoDB  Email  Invoice  Listmonk
                            (CRM)  (ebook)  (API)  (newsletter)
                                        |
                                  Umami (conversion)

1. Typebot -- the customer chats with a bot that qualifies their needs
2. GateFlow -- the bot directs them to checkout for the e-book
3. n8n -- detects the payment and automatically: adds the customer to CRM (NocoDB), sends the e-book via email, generates an invoice, subscribes them to a newsletter (Listmonk)
4. Umami -- tracks the conversion

Everything on your server. Zero per-execution fees. Zero limits.

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Quick Start

Prerequisites

• A VPS with 1GB+ RAM (Hetzner, DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, OVH, or any provider)
• A domain name (optional but recommended)
• A terminal with SSH access

1. Set up SSH

# Linux / macOS
bash <(curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jurczykpawel/stackpilot/main/local/setup-ssh.sh)

# Windows (PowerShell)
iwr -useb https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jurczykpawel/stackpilot/main/local/setup-ssh.ps1 | iex

The script generates an SSH key, configures ~/.ssh/config with the alias vps, and copies the key to your server.

2. Clone the toolkit

git clone https://github.com/jurczykpawel/stackpilot.git
cd stackpilot

3. Install foundations and deploy

./local/deploy.sh system/docker-setup.sh    # Docker + log optimization
./local/deploy.sh system/caddy-install.sh   # Reverse proxy with auto-SSL
./local/deploy.sh n8n                       # Your first app

deploy.sh handles everything: checks server resources, prompts for domain and database configuration, deploys the app, and verifies it is running.

4. Set up backups

./local/setup-backup.sh     # Encrypted backup to Google Drive / Dropbox / S3

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Deployment Modes

StackPilot supports two deployment modes: CLI for direct control, and AI/MCP for conversational deployment.

CLI Mode

Run deploy.sh from your local machine. It connects to your server over SSH, handles domain configuration, database provisioning, and health checks.

./local/deploy.sh <app> [options]

# Options:
#   --ssh=ALIAS           SSH alias (default: vps)
#   --domain-type=TYPE    cloudflare | caddy | local
#   --domain=DOMAIN       Your domain (e.g. n8n.example.com)
#   --db-source=SOURCE    bundled | custom
#   --yes, -y             Skip all confirmation prompts

# Examples:
./local/deploy.sh n8n --domain-type=cloudflare --domain=n8n.example.com
./local/deploy.sh uptime-kuma --domain-type=local --yes
./local/deploy.sh wordpress --domain-type=caddy --domain=blog.example.com

AI/MCP Mode

Install the MCP server and let Claude (or any MCP-compatible AI) deploy apps conversationally.

npx stackpilot-mcp

Or add it to your Claude Code MCP config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "stackpilot": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "stackpilot-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Then talk to Claude naturally:

• "Deploy n8n on my server"
• "Set up Uptime Kuma with a Cloudflare domain"
• "Check server status and free RAM"
• "Configure backups to Google Drive"

The AI handles SSH connection, port allocation, domain setup, database provisioning, and post-deploy verification.

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Domain and HTTPS Setup

Three options, depending on your needs:

Method	Setup	SSL	Best for
Caddy auto-HTTPS	Automatic	Let's Encrypt	Most users. Zero config HTTPS.
Cloudflare DNS	One-time setup	Cloudflare + Let's Encrypt	Custom domains, CDN, DDoS protection.
SSH tunnel	None	N/A	Local development, testing.

Caddy (recommended)

Caddy is installed during Quick Start and automatically provisions Let's Encrypt certificates for every domain you expose.

ssh vps 'sp-expose n8n.example.com 5678'

Cloudflare

For custom domains with Cloudflare DNS management:

./local/setup-cloudflare.sh                   # One-time API token setup
./local/dns-add.sh n8n.example.com            # Add DNS record
ssh vps 'sp-expose n8n.example.com 5678'      # Expose with HTTPS

Details: docs/cloudflare-domain-setup.md

SSH tunnel (no domain needed)

Access any app locally without a public domain:

ssh -L 5678:localhost:5678 vps
# Open http://localhost:5678 in your browser

Details: docs/ssh-tunnels.md

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Savings Calculator

Self-hosted vs. SaaS

Tool	Replaces	SaaS price/month	Self-hosted
n8n	Zapier Pro	$29--99	$0
Listmonk	Mailchimp (5k contacts)	$50+	$0
Typebot	Typeform Pro	$50+	$0
NocoDB	Airtable Pro	$20+	$0
GateFlow	Gumroad (10% commission)	$$$	$0
Uptime Kuma	UptimeRobot Pro	$7+	$0
Vaultwarden	1Password Teams	$8/user	$0
Postiz	Buffer Pro	$15+	$0
WordPress	WordPress.com Business	$25+	$0
Stirling PDF	Adobe Acrobat Pro	$15+	$0
Cap	Loom Business	$15+	$0
FileBrowser	Tiiny.host Pro	$6+	$0
ConvertX	CloudConvert	$9+	$0
Umami	Plausible	$9+	$0
Crawl4AI	ScrapingBee	$49+	$0
Total SaaS		~$300+/month

Example: solopreneur selling courses

SaaS stack: Zapier + Mailchimp + Typeform + UptimeRobot + hosting = $150/month ($1,800/year)

StackPilot: Any VPS with 2GB RAM ($5/month) + domain ($10/year) = ~$70/year

Savings: ~$1,730/year (96%)

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Server Requirements

Stack	RAM
Base (Caddy + Dockge)	~100MB
+ n8n	~500MB
+ Listmonk + Uptime Kuma	~800MB
+ Typebot + GateFlow	~1.5GB
Full stack (10+ tools)	~1.8GB
Coolify (PaaS, 280+ apps)	~500--800MB (platform only)

Stirling PDF and Crawl4AI require 2GB+ RAM. Lightweight alternative for PDF conversion: Gotenberg (~150MB).

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How It Compares

	StackPilot	Coolify	Dokku	Kamal
Approach	Bash + SSH + Docker	Full PaaS platform	Git-push PaaS	Docker/SSH deploy tool
GitHub stars	New	~50k	~32k	~14k
Min. RAM	512MB	2GB+	1GB+	512MB
AI integration	Native MCP server	No	No	No
Pre-built apps	28 production-optimized	280+ (community)	Via plugins	None (bring your own)
Complexity	Single deploy command	Web dashboard	CLI + buildpacks	YAML config files
Dependencies	Bash, SSH, Docker	Docker, Traefik, PostgreSQL, Redis	Docker, Nginx, buildpacks	Docker, Ruby
Domain/SSL	Caddy auto-HTTPS or Cloudflare	Traefik + Let's Encrypt	Nginx + Let's Encrypt	Traefik or manual
Best for	Solopreneurs, small teams	Teams wanting a full PaaS	Heroku-like git workflows	Rails/Docker deployments

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Diagnostics

# Check if a container is running
ssh vps 'docker ps | grep service-name'

# View logs (last 50 lines)
ssh vps 'cd /opt/stacks/service-name && docker compose logs --tail 50'

# Check if a port responds (200/302 = OK)
ssh vps 'curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" http://localhost:PORT'

# Resource usage across all containers
ssh vps 'docker stats --no-stream'

Access any app without a domain using SSH tunnels: docs/ssh-tunnels.md

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FAQ

What VPS providers are supported? Any provider that gives you a Linux VPS with SSH access: Hetzner, DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, OVH, and others. StackPilot only needs Docker and SSH. If you use Mikrus (a cheap Polish VPS), check out Mikrus Toolbox -- the Polish-language sibling project with built-in Mikrus integration (free subdomains, shared databases, one-click API setup).

How much RAM do I need? 512MB handles Caddy + 1 lightweight app. 1GB runs n8n + 2--3 smaller services comfortably. 2GB supports a full stack of 10+ apps. Coolify requires 8GB+.

How do databases work? Apps that need PostgreSQL or MySQL can use a bundled database container (auto-provisioned, zero config) or connect to an external database you provide. WordPress also supports SQLite for simple sites.

Is this secure? Apps run in isolated Docker containers. External access is HTTPS-only via Caddy. Ports are bound to 127.0.0.1 by default. Encrypted off-site backups are supported out of the box.

How do I update an app? Run deploy.sh again. The script detects existing installations and pulls the latest Docker image. Data in Docker volumes is preserved.

Can I deploy custom Docker apps? Yes. Via the MCP server, you can deploy any Docker Compose stack -- not just the 25 built-in apps. The AI generates the compose file and deploys it.

What is MCP? Model Context Protocol is an open standard that lets AI assistants interact with external tools. StackPilot's MCP server (stackpilot-mcp) gives Claude (and other compatible AIs) the ability to deploy apps, check server status, configure domains, and set up backups -- all through natural conversation.

How is this different from Coolify? Coolify is a full PaaS platform (like a self-hosted Heroku) with a web dashboard, built-in Traefik, and its own PostgreSQL/Redis. It is powerful but heavyweight. StackPilot is minimal: Bash scripts + SSH + Docker. No platform overhead, no web UI to maintain. StackPilot also includes native AI/MCP integration that Coolify does not have. Note: Coolify itself can be deployed via StackPilot on servers with 8GB+ RAM.

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Roadmap

Completed

• 28+ production-optimized app deployments
• CLI deploy with interactive prompts
• MCP server for AI-driven deployment
• Caddy auto-HTTPS and Cloudflare DNS integration
• Bundled database provisioning (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite)
• Encrypted backups to Google Drive / Dropbox / S3
• WordPress multi-instance support with shared Redis
• Windows support (PowerShell SSH setup)

In Progress

• Static and PHP hosting support (add-static-hosting.sh, add-php-hosting.sh)
• Feature parity with Mikrus Toolbox

Planned

• Web dashboard for server overview
• One-click app updates with rollback
• Multi-server management
• App marketplace with community contributions
• Monitoring dashboard (resource usage, alerts)

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Contributing

Contributions are welcome. Whether it is a bug report, feature request, new app template, or documentation improvement -- all contributions help.

See CONTRIBUTING.md for development workflow, commit conventions, and how to submit a pull request.

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Support

If you run into issues or have questions:

• Bug reports and feature requests: GitHub Issues
• Discussions: GitHub Discussions
• Security: Found a vulnerability? Do not open a public issue. Use GitHub Security Advisories.

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Repository Structure

local/           -> User-facing scripts (deploy, backup, setup, DNS)
apps/<app>/      -> App installers: install.sh + README.md
lib/             -> Shared libraries (CLI parser, DB setup, domain setup, health checks)
system/          -> System scripts (Docker, Caddy, backup, power tools)
docs/            -> Documentation (Cloudflare, backups, SSH tunnels, CLI reference)

Configuration is stored in ~/.config/stackpilot/.

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Tech Stack

Technology	Role
Bash	Install scripts, deploy, backup, diagnostics
Docker / Docker Compose	Application containerization
Caddy	Reverse proxy with automatic HTTPS (Let's Encrypt)
TypeScript	MCP server (Model Context Protocol)
SSH / rsync	Remote server management and file sync
Cloudflare API	Automatic DNS configuration
rclone	Encrypted cloud backups (Google Drive, Dropbox, S3)

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Star History

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Acknowledgments

• Caddy — Reverse proxy with automatic HTTPS
• Docker — Containerization that makes it all possible
• Model Context Protocol — The standard for AI tool integration
• All the open-source app creators whose software this toolkit deploys

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Author

Pawel (@jurczykpawel)

• GateFlow -- Open-source digital product storefront
• StackPilot -- The AI-native self-hosting toolkit

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License

MIT -- see LICENSE for details.

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Self-hosted infrastructure toolkit. Deploy 28+ open-source apps (n8n, WordPress, Listmonk, Typebot, NocoDB, Vaultwarden, and more) to any VPS with one command. Replace $300+/month in SaaS subscriptions with a $5/month server.