# FAQ

> Common questions about how Ownkube works, what it costs, what you can deploy, and how teams and security are handled.

## General

<details>
<summary>What is Ownkube?</summary>

A cloud for personal software. Connect a GitHub or GitLab repo or point at a container image, and Ownkube builds, deploys and runs it with a live HTTPS URL, managed Postgres and Valkey, logs, metrics, alerts, autoscaling and rollbacks built in. No cloud account, no cluster to provision, no platform team. When you need your own data boundary, the same app runs in your own AWS account with the same dashboard. Start with the [quickstart](/docs/quickstart).

</details>

<details>
<summary>Do I need a cloud account?</summary>

No. Ownkube Compute runs your apps on infrastructure Ownkube operates and you pay for what you use. Connecting your own AWS account is an [option](/docs/own-cloud), not a requirement.

</details>

<details>
<summary>How is this different from Heroku, Render or Railway?</summary>

The workflow is the same kind: push code, get a live URL, no servers to manage. Ownkube meters per minute, includes managed Postgres, Valkey, autoscaling and alerting, and lets you run the same app inside your own AWS account when you need to. See the [comparisons](/docs/compare/railway) for side-by-side detail.

</details>

<details>
<summary>Can I use Ownkube without a credit card?</summary>

You can sign in and look around without a card. To deploy, top up the wallet from \$5 with no subscription or pick a plan from \$5 a month. A Starter cluster in your own AWS account has no Ownkube fee; see [Plans and pricing](/docs/billing/plans).

</details>

## Deployments

<details>
<summary>What kinds of workloads can I run?</summary>

**Web apps** (anything that listens on a port), **workers** (long-running background processes), **jobs** (one-off or on a cron schedule), **Postgres databases** and **Valkey caches**. See [Deployments](/docs/deployments).

</details>

<details>
<summary>What languages and frameworks are supported?</summary>

Anything that runs in a container. Build from a GitHub or GitLab repo, with or without a Dockerfile, or deploy an image from a registry. Node, Python, Go, Ruby, Rust, Java, PHP and .NET all work. The [framework guides](/docs/deploy/nextjs) cover the common ones.

</details>

<details>
<summary>Does Ownkube support GitLab?</summary>

Yes. Connect GitLab under **Settings** then **Version control**, the same way as GitHub, and pick a GitLab repo when you create a deployment. Pushes to the tracked branch deploy automatically. See [Builds](/docs/deployments/builds#connect-github-or-gitlab).

</details>

<details>
<summary>Are public hostnames and HTTPS automatic?</summary>

Yes. Turn on **Public** for a web app and it gets an `ownkube.app` hostname with a certificate that renews on its own. See [Public hostnames](/docs/networking/public-hostnames).

</details>

<details>
<summary>Can I use my own domain?</summary>

On a Starter cluster in your own AWS account, yes, with HTTPS managed for you. See [Custom domains](/docs/own-cloud/custom-domains). Apps on Ownkube Compute are reachable at their `ownkube.app` address today.

</details>

<details>
<summary>Can I run cron jobs?</summary>

Yes. Create a **Job** deployment and give it a schedule in standard cron syntax. See [Jobs](/docs/deployments/jobs).

</details>

<details>
<summary>How do I deploy updates?</summary>

Push a commit or set a new image tag. Ownkube builds, rolls new containers out and drains the old ones after health checks pass. A bad release is a one-click [rollback](/docs/deployments/rollbacks) to the last healthy revision.

</details>

<details>
<summary>Can I get alerted when something breaks?</summary>

Yes. Set a threshold on CPU, memory, error rate, latency or restarts and Ownkube emails you when it is crossed. See [Alerts](/docs/observability/alerts).

</details>

## Billing

<details>
<summary>What am I paying for?</summary>

A prepaid wallet metered per minute on the vCPU and memory your apps use, plus any reserved boxes, database and cache sizes, storage, build minutes and bandwidth. A mostly idle app costs very little, and an app that [sleeps when idle](/docs/deployments/sleep) costs nothing while asleep. See [Plans and pricing](/docs/billing/plans).

</details>

<details>
<summary>Do I need a plan to start?</summary>

No. Pay as you go has no subscription: top up from \$5 and deploy. Personal (\$5 a month) and Team (\$20 a month) load that amount into your wallet each month and unlock more services, sizes, backups and retention.

</details>

<details>
<summary>Can I cap my monthly spend?</summary>

Yes. Set a monthly budget and choose whether to be notified or to pause everything when you reach it. Alerts go out at 50%, 80% and 100%. See [Spend limits](/docs/billing/cost-control#spend-limits).

</details>

<details>
<summary>What happens if my wallet runs out?</summary>

Your workloads are suspended with their data kept, and you get a daily reminder. Top up and they resume. See [Usage and the wallet](/docs/billing/usage).

</details>

<details>
<summary>Is there an Enterprise plan?</summary>

Yes, with custom pricing and terms. [Contact us](mailto:support@ownkube.io?subject=Enterprise).

</details>

## Running in your own cloud

Everything above describes Ownkube Compute. When you want your own data boundary or your own AWS bill, the same app runs inside your own AWS account with the same workflow and dashboard. That path has its own pages:

- [Run in your own AWS account](/docs/own-cloud)
- [Connect your AWS account](/docs/own-cloud/connect-aws)
- [Security](/docs/security)

## Security and compliance

<details>
<summary>Does Ownkube see my application data?</summary>

On Ownkube Compute your apps run in isolated, encrypted infrastructure Ownkube operates, scoped to your organization. In your own AWS account, traffic, data and logs never leave your VPC; Ownkube only holds configuration. See [Security](/docs/security).

</details>

<details>
<summary>What IAM permissions does Ownkube need in my account?</summary>

A scoped, least-privilege role, not admin access. See [What the IAM role can do](/docs/own-cloud/connect-aws#what-the-iam-role-can-do) for the exact list.

</details>

<details>
<summary>Is my data encrypted?</summary>

Yes. At rest and in transit with TLS on every hop. Secret variables are encrypted before delivery to the runtime secret store, which is itself encrypted at rest.

</details>

<details>
<summary>Can I meet SOC 2, HIPAA or GDPR requirements?</summary>

Compliance posture depends on which path you run on. See [Compliance posture](/docs/security#compliance-posture).

</details>

## Teams and access

<details>
<summary>How do I invite teammates?</summary>

Open [Settings](https://app.ownkube.io/dashboard/settings), go to **Members**, and invite by email as an admin or a member. See [Organizations](/docs/organizations#invite-a-teammate).

</details>

<details>
<summary>Is there single sign-on?</summary>

Not yet. Sign in with email, GitHub or Google. If SSO is a requirement for your team, [email us](mailto:support@ownkube.io?subject=SSO).

</details>

<details>
<summary>Can my coding agent use Ownkube?</summary>

Yes. Connect the hosted [MCP server](/docs/mcp) with one URL, or install the [`okctl` skill](/docs/cli#use-okctl-with-coding-agents) so the agent drives the CLI.

</details>

- [Plans and pricing](/docs/billing/plans)
- [Security](/docs/security)
- [Quickstart](/docs/quickstart)

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**Don't see a feature you need?** Email [support@ownkube.io](mailto:support@ownkube.io?subject=Feature%20request). Ownkube is shaped by the teams using it and we ship what our users ask for.

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