Welcome to dFlow

Welcome to dFlow: what the platform is, what makes it different, and where to go next, including dFlow Cloud and self-hosting.

Written By Zoro

Last updated 3 days ago

dFlow

dFlow is a deployment and infrastructure platform built for developers and teams who want the flexibility of managing their own Worker Nodes and Environments without the complexity of traditional DevOps toolchains or container orchestration as the default path. You can run the control plane on dFlow Cloud (we host it) or self-host dFlow inside your network. The same Application → Environment → Service model applies either way.

Think of it as a simpler alternative to tools like Vercel, Railway, or Heroku, but designed for server control, self-hosting when you need it, and real production use cases, not only demos.

What makes dFlow different

Multi-server orchestration over SSH: Scale across Worker Nodes you attach to Environments, without requiring Kubernetes or hand-rolled orchestration for the common case.
Production-ready workflows: Deploy Services, run scheduled work where your stack supports it, manage databases, and monitor from a single UI, with Deployments you can trace.
Bring your own stack: Node.js, PHP, Python, Go, Ruby, and databases such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, and more. Use Services and Databases in the sidebar for specifics.
No vendor lock-in for your workloads: Use your own infrastructure and cloud or bare-metal providers; extend dFlow where your organisation allows. On self-hosted dFlow, the control plane runs on infrastructure you operate.
Built for developers: A dev-first mindset focused on speed, clarity, and control, with documentation and UI that follow Organisation, Application, Environment, and Service consistently.

Why dFlow?

Feature	Description
Simplicity without compromise	Deploy Services and manage Environments from a clear UI without custom scripting or YAML sprawl for the standard path.
Full control	Retain access to your infrastructure, data, and servers. dFlow connects to Worker Nodes over SSH with minimal permanent agent footprint.
Cost efficiency	Skip all-in PaaS pricing where it does not fit; run apps on infrastructure you choose while keeping automation and visibility.
Open source	dFlow is MIT licensed and free to use, inspect, and contribute to. See the repository `license.md`.

Ideal for

Indie developers hosting Applications across a few Worker Nodes
Startups looking for scalable deployment without owning a full internal PaaS team
Agencies managing multiple client Applications with reusable Environment patterns inside each Organisation

If you are migrating from the older hub, open Core Concepts → Legacy Projects vs Applications, then Migration and Release Notes → Migrate from legacy Projects to Applications and What changed in dFlow (sidebar paths match those titles).

How you work in dFlow

Organisation └── Application └── Environment (compute attaches here) └── Service (app, database, docker, …) └── Deployment

Use the help sidebar as the primary map. In order: Introduction and Getting Started for onboarding, Core Concepts for definitions, then Applications, Environments, Services, and Deployments and Operations for day-to-day work. Troubleshooting is for when something breaks.

dFlow Cloud vs self-hosted: compare paths under Introduction → Choose your path, then follow Getting Started (quick starts and first tasks use the same labels in the sidebar).

If you are blocked, start at Troubleshooting → Troubleshooting overview in the sidebar.

Go deeper on positioning

Why choose dFlow (next in Introduction in the sidebar) adds comparisons, trade-offs, and when dFlow might not fit.

Legacy documentation note

The Introduction page under Getting Started remains for old links. Prefer this hub and Getting Started for new readers.