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For Docker

Any container, on a VM you control

Create a VM with Docker preinstalled, run your compose file and put a CDN across 988 locations in front of it. No proprietary runtime, no registry lock-in, no egress fees.
Deploy a VMRead the startup script docs

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Why Docker on Edge

The architecture on your whiteboard, running

Real VMs you control, sized to fit, with a global network already wired in. Nothing between you and docker compose.

  • Plain Docker, plain Linux

    The docker library script installs Docker CE and Compose on first boot. No proprietary container runtime, no special registry.

  • Compose-ready

    docker compose up -d works exactly as it does on your laptop. Multi-container apps, shared networks and named volumes, straight from your repo.

  • State that outlives containers

    Keep databases on named volumes on local NVMe, and push uploads and backups to S3-compatible Edge Storage. Containers stay disposable.

  • Global delivery, zero egress

    Put the CDN in front and your static responses are cached in 988 locations. Bandwidth out to users is never billed.

  • Bootstrap from one script

    Pass --script to install Docker, pull images and start the stack on first boot. Repeatable and kept in version control.

  • Agent-deployable

    "Deploy this compose file to app.acme.dev." The agent API stands up the VM, configures DNS and adds a CDN deployment.

Reference architecture

How a containerised app maps to Edge

One VM runs the Docker daemon and your whole compose file. Data sits on NVMe volumes, backups go to a bucket and the CDN takes the public traffic.
  • Compute

    Hosts the Docker daemon and every container in your compose file.

  • Storage

    S3-compatible store for uploads, backups and build artefacts.

  • CDN

    Caches the static responses your containers serve, with zero egress.

  • DNS

    Anycast DNS for routing and per-environment subdomains.

Deploy

From compose.yml to live in four steps

Everything here is standard Docker. If it runs on your laptop, it runs on the VM.
  1. 01

    Create a VM with Docker

    The docker library script installs Docker CE and the Compose plugin on first boot, before you can even SSH in.

    shell
    $ edge compute create --name stack --size s-4vcpu-8gb \
    --image ubuntu-24 --region london --script docker
  2. 02

    Describe the stack

    No bind mounts, so the same file deploys from your laptop over SSH. Postgres data lives on a named volume.

    compose.yml
    services:
  app:
    image: ghcr.io/acme/app:latest
    restart: unless-stopped
    env_file: .env
    ports: ["80:3000"]
    depends_on: [db, redis]
  worker:
    image: ghcr.io/acme/app:latest
    command: ["./bin/worker"]
    restart: unless-stopped
    env_file: .env
  db:
    image: postgres:16
    restart: unless-stopped
    env_file: .env
    volumes: ["pgdata:/var/lib/postgresql/data"]
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD", "pg_isready", "-U", "postgres"]
  redis:
    image: redis:7
    restart: unless-stopped
volumes:
  pgdata:
  3. 03

    Ship it over SSH

    A Docker context runs your local docker commands against the VM. Updates are a pull and an up -d.

    shell
    $ docker context create edge --docker host=ssh://root@<vm-ip>
$ docker --context edge compose pull
$ docker --context edge compose up -d
  4. 04

    Front it with the CDN

    The CDN talks to the app container's published port. Point your domain's CNAME at cdn.edge.network and SSL follows.

    shell
    $ edge cdn create --name acme-stack
$ edge cdn domains add cdn-d83c15 \
    --domain app.acme.dev \
    --origin http://<vm-ip>

Prefer to hand it off? Give the job to your AI agent or have our engineers do it.

What it costs

One VM, the whole compose file

No per-container or control-plane charge. You pay for the VM the containers share, plus what's in the bucket.
  • No per-container or control-plane fees
  • No egress fees from the VM, CDN or bucket
  • Resize the VM with one command as the stack grows
  • Billed hourly from a prepaid balance, with optional hard caps
See compute pricing

Estimated monthly bill on Edge

Four-container stack · 3.5M requests a month · 105 GB of backups

USD
  • Compute$38.47Performance VM · 4 vCPU · 8 GiB · 160 GB NVMe
  • CDN$0.753.5M requests: first 500k free, 3M × $0.25 per million
  • Storage$1.50105 GB of backups: first 5 GB free, 100 GB × $0.015
  • DNS$0.00Production and staging records
  • Egress$0.00
Total$40.72

FAQ

Docker on Edge, answered

Something else? Ask an engineer.
Can I use Docker Compose?
Yes, unchanged. Commit your compose file, create a VM with the docker library script and run docker compose up -d, either on the VM or from your laptop through a Docker context.
What about Kubernetes?
You can run k3s or full Kubernetes yourself on a cluster of Edge VMs. For most workloads under twenty or so containers, Compose on one or two VMs is far simpler to run.
Where do my images live?
Wherever you like: Docker Hub, GHCR, GitLab's registry or your own. To keep images in-house, run the open-source registry image with its S3 storage driver pointed at an Edge Storage bucket.
How do I update a running container?
The standard way: pull the new image and run docker compose up -d, which recreates only what changed. Wrap it in a CI step, or use a Watchtower-style updater. The VM is yours.
How do I back up volumes?
Dump databases on a schedule and copy the file to Edge Storage with any S3 client. For whole-VM protection, add backups or snapshots from the Compute dashboard.

Drop-in services

Add these without touching the stack

Shield is one server-side check and Assist is one script tag. Both work alongside whatever you already run.

Platform

Other stacks on Edge

All 38 stacks

docker compose up, on Edge

Bring your compose file. We'll run it on a VM you control, with the network already wired in.

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