How it works · 01 / 06 · Problem
It works on your machine.Now what?
Getting code online usually means servers, config files and a surprise bill.
Who it's for
Whatever you're building, the first deploy is the same.
Pick the one that sounds like you. Each shows how PlugLayer fits.
AI-first builders and vibe coders
Say it.It's live.
Tell Claude Code, Cursor or Codex to deploy. No servers to set up, no config files, no DevOps background needed.
- Works from your coding agent or the portal
- Databases, domains and logs included
- Nothing to learn first
your agent
Deploy this repo to PlugLayer.
- Dockerfile found, port 3000
- Postgres database added
- App deployed to project shop
shop.you.apps.pluglayer.io Live
Your first deploy
Four steps. That's the whole model.
No pipeline to assemble, no cluster to babysit, no YAML inherited from a blog post.
01
Say what you want
Tell your coding agent, or click through the portal. PlugLayer reads your Dockerfile, compose stack or prebuilt image and works out the ports, environment and storage for you.
Dockerfiledocker-composePrebuilt imageClaude Code, Cursor, Codex
your agent
Deploy this repo to PlugLayer.
- Dockerfile found, port 3000
- Postgres database added
- App deployed to project shop
shop.you.apps.pluglayer.io Live
02
Go live
A public address the moment your app is healthy, with live logs, health checks and a shell into the running app. Bring your own domain whenever you like.
Live addressLive logsHealth checksYour own domain
shop.you.apps.pluglayer.io Healthy
- GET / 200 14ms
- build ok image pulled
- healthy app is up
- GET /api/orders 200 22ms
shop.acme.comyour own domainVerified
03
It's yours
Your apps run as standard containers on compute dedicated to you, and your databases are standard engines. PlugLayer is the control layer on top, so you can leave any time.
Your computeYour data stays with youNo lock-in
04
Run it with your team
A project per app, team or client, with access rules, monitoring and databases inside. The portal, the CLI, CI and your agents all use the same controls.
ProjectsAccess rulesMonitoringCLI and CI
Projects
client-acme
Team only
client-bolt
Office IPs
internal
Team only
Access rulesLive monitoringCLI, CI and agents
The difference
Cheaper, faster and easier, together.
Compared with a standard managed-cloud setup, PlugLayer is typically all three at once.
cheaper
Pay for compute. The platform is included, with no per-app fees.
faster to live
From repo to a running, routed, monitored app.
easier
One sentence to your agent, or a few clicks in the portal.
Typical results against a standard managed-cloud setup. Your numbers depend on the workload, and your live quote comes before you commit.
Built for agents
The interface is a sentence.
Install the PlugLayer plugin, add a scoped token, and your coding agent can inspect the repo, set up a database, deploy, tail logs and fix a broken rollout, with the same permissions and guardrails as the portal.
Claude Code
Cursor
Codex
Antigravity$
1 app · rollout verified
One place
Everything the app needs, in one place.
Compute, apps, databases, domains and monitoring share one model, which is why nothing ends up orphaned in a corner of your infrastructure.
Projects
A separate space for each app, team or client, holding its apps, databases, domains and rules.
Apps
One running service with its own settings, storage, address and rollout history.
Databases
Postgres, Mongo, Redis and more, created and connected to your app for you.
Compute
The machines you own, what is free, and what each app is using.
Domains
Your own domain, with the exact DNS records for your registrar, verified and routed for you.
Monitoring
Live logs, resource usage and health, per app.
Activity
Builds, setups and rollouts, tracked with real status.
Marketplace
Ready-made stacks you can launch into your own project.
Databases
Databases that arrive already connected.
Pick a database and PlugLayer sets it up inside your project, with credentials generated at launch, persistent storage attached, and the connection string delivered to the app that needs it.
PostgreSQL
MongoDB
Redis
Qdrant
…and any open source
Why PlugLayer
The platform without the cloud markup.
PlugLayer supplies the compute and the operating layer, so you ship faster without stacking infrastructure and platform bills.
| Typical managed cloud | PlugLayer | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Cloud markup plus platform fees | Typically 40–60% cheaper: you pay for compute, the platform is included |
| Time to live | Hours or days of setup | Typically 80–90% faster, from repo to running app |
| Effort | Servers, config and pipelines to assemble | 7× easier: one sentence to your agent, or the portal |
| Your data | A separately billed managed add-on | Databases included, and your data stays with you |
| When it breaks | A build log and a support ticket | Logs, task status and a shell in the running app |
| Leaving | Re-platform to move | Standard containers and databases. No lock-in |
Questions
Straight answers.
A way to put an app on the internet without assembling the infrastructure. You bring the code, from a repo, a Dockerfile, a compose stack or a prebuilt image. PlugLayer builds it, runs it on compute dedicated to you, connects its database, gives it an address, and then keeps showing you logs, usage and health.
Yes, that is who it is built for. Tell your coding agent (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex or Antigravity) to deploy, or do the same thing from the portal. Typically it is 7× easier than setting up a managed cloud yourself.
Typically 40–60% cheaper and 80–90% faster from repo to live, compared with a standard managed-cloud setup. It depends on your workload, so you always get a live quote before you commit.
No. You don't need an AWS, Azure or Google Cloud account. Choose a dedicated machine, and it is dedicated to your projects. PlugLayer is the control layer on top.
No. Apps are standard containers and databases are standard engines such as Postgres, Mongo and Redis, so nothing about how you build ties you to PlugLayer. Your data stays with you.
Anything that builds into a container. A repo with a Dockerfile, a docker-compose stack that gets split into apps and databases, or an image you already built locally or in CI.
Install the PlugLayer plugin for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor or any MCP-compatible client and add a scoped access token. Your agent can then inspect your repo, set up a database, deploy, read logs and diagnose failures, using the same controls as the portal.
Every app gets a PlugLayer address immediately. To use your own domain, add it and PlugLayer shows the exact DNS records for your registrar, then verifies and routes it for you.
Yes. Generate a GitHub Actions workflow that builds your image, uploads it to the same app, merges env vars from repository secrets, and redeploys, without changing the app's address.
Put something real on the internet for less.
Sign in, choose your compute, and deploy from the portal or straight from your agent.