You do not install the dFlow control plane to use dFlow Cloud; you create an account and Organisation there. This page is for deciding how to run dFlow when the control plane must live on your infrastructure.

Who does what after you choose self-host

Operators own the VM or cluster, Docker Compose (or Kubernetes if you port the stack), MongoDB backups, TLS at the edge, image upgrades, and integration secrets (email, Tailscale, DNS APIs). Application teams use the same Application → Environment → Service under Core Concepts in the sidebar model as dFlow Cloud; they do not need SSH to the control plane host unless your policy merges roles.

For a short end-to-end path after install, use Quick start for Self-Hosted dFlow under Getting Started in the sidebar.

Path A: dFlow Cloud (no control-plane install)

Use Create your cloud workspace under dFlow Cloud in the sidebar and Quick start for dFlow Cloud under Getting Started in the sidebar. For the full sign-up walkthrough, see Create your account and workspace under Getting Started in the sidebar. You still attach or buy Worker Nodes for Environments as needed; you are not shipping MongoDB or Redis for the platform itself.

Path B: Self-host with Docker Compose

Typical reference stack (see the repository root docker-compose.yml and DOCKER.md):

• Traefik for HTTP/S termination and routing to the app
• MongoDB and Redis for application state and queues
• dFlow application container (payload-app in Compose)
• Supporting services such as Beszel / agents and the config-generator as defined in Compose

Follow Install with Docker / Docker Compose for operator steps and environment variables.

Path C: VM bootstrap (worker-style nodes and similar)

For Linux VMs where you want Dokku-oriented bootstrap (Tailscale, Dokku, and related setup), the repository SELF_HOSTING.md documents a cloud-init-style flow operators use in production-like installs. Use it when you are preparing Worker Nodes or full stacks outside the minimal Compose tutorial.

After install

1. Confirm you can sign in to the dashboard and create an Organisation (if applicable).
2. Skim How dFlow is structured under Core Concepts in the sidebar and Platform architecture under Core Concepts in the sidebar.
3. Continue Quick start for Self-Hosted dFlow under Getting Started in the sidebar and Self-hosting overview.

Related

• Environment configuration
• Self-hosting troubleshooting