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Bluesky PDS Hosting Live In 5 Minutes

Bluesky PDS hosting gives your Bluesky account a home on your own domain. Deploy Bluesky PDS 0.4.5034 as a self-hosted atproto personal data server: xCloud runs the pinned container, generates the admin, JWT and PLC secrets, keeps your repository and blobs on the pds_data volume, and publishes it over HTTPS. You then create the first account yourself with the goat CLI.

Deploy your Bluesky PDS
  • No terminal
  • No technical skills needed
  • No lock-in, cancel anytime

What is Bluesky PDS?

A self-hosted Bluesky PDS is a Personal Data Server: the server that stores an AT Protocol account's repository, posts, media and identity keys and serves them to the Bluesky network. Upstream's repository provides container images and documentation for self-hosting a PDS that can federate with the wider network, so you run your own server instead of keeping your account on a Bluesky-hosted PDS, with accounts created by invite.

On xCloud the template runs ghcr.io/bluesky-social/pds 0.4.5034 as a single container, pinned by immutable digest, with SQLite databases and on-disk blobs on the pds_data volume. xCloud generates the admin, JWT and PLC rotation secrets and publishes the PDS over HTTPS on your domain, where blob uploads can reach 300 MiB. It configures no SMTP and no wildcard DNS.

From Sign-Up to AT Protocol PDS Hosting In Just 3 Easy Steps

Running a PDS normally means a container, a database, admin secrets, a domain and HTTPS before any account exists. xCloud sets those up, and you create the first account.

  1. Step 01

    Sign Up

    Create your xCloud account, pick Bluesky PDS from the OneClick catalog and select a domain. No other fields are needed.

  2. Step 02

    We Deploy It For You

    xCloud generates the admin, JWT and PLC secrets and publishes the PDS over HTTPS on your domain. Allow about a minute.

  3. Step 03

    Check And Create An Account

    Check /xrpc/_health on your domain for a version, then create an account with goat and add the domain in the Bluesky app.

Everything Bluesky PDS Does, On Your Own Server

Bluesky PDS runs as a single container on infrastructure you control, with the behavior below checked during QA testing.

  • Your Own Account Data

    Records, blobs and identity keys live on your server, in SQLite databases and on-disk blob storage inside the pds_data volume.

  • Stays Federated

    The template uses official Bluesky network defaults for the PLC directory, app view and relay crawler, keeping your PDS connected.

  • Invite-Gated Sign-Up

    Sign-up requires an invite. The admin password mints invites, so you decide who gets an account on your PDS.

  • WebSocket Firehose Works

    The subscribeRepos firehose works through the managed HTTPS proxy and was verified upgrading with HTTP 101 during QA testing.

  • Blob Uploads To 300 MiB

    Upload media blobs up to 300 MiB. Uploads sit on the persistent pds_data volume beside your accounts and posts.

  • Survives An xCloud Restart

    Posts, uploaded blobs, accounts and logins were intact after a container restart in QA testing, and the firehose upgraded again.

Everything You Need To Run Your Your Own Bluesky PDS

xCloud deploys the server with generated secrets and persistent storage. Account creation, invites and backups stay in your hands.

  • Bluesky PDS 0.4.5034 deployed
  • Managed HTTPS with WebSocket support
  • Admin, JWT and PLC secrets generated
  • Persistent pds_data volume
  • Invite-gated sign-up

What You Can Do With Bluesky PDS

  • Keep your account data on your server

    Run the server that holds your posts, media and identity keys instead of leaving them with a hosted PDS, with the repository and blobs stored on the pds_data volume of your own Cloud VPS.

  • Host accounts for a small group

    Create accounts for yourself, a team or a community by invite with goat, then have each person add your domain as their PDS host in the Bluesky app, while the invite codes keep sign-up closed.

  • Stay connected to the Bluesky network

    Your PDS keeps the default PLC directory, app view and relay crawler, so posts from your own server still reach the wider network and the firehose works through the HTTPS proxy.

  • Test a PDS before a bigger rollout

    Stand up a working PDS on a real domain, check /xrpc/_health, create a test account and try the app flow, before deciding how to run one for a larger group or a different host.

Bluesky PDS vs Alternatives

Bluesky-hosted PDS
The default for most accounts. Self-hosting moves the repository, blobs and identity keys to your own server, while upstream's README says a self-hosted PDS can still federate with the wider Bluesky network.
Mastodon
Mastodon is a separate federated network on a different protocol, not a PDS. Bluesky PDS here runs AT Protocol accounts, and the Bluesky app talks to it once you add your domain as the PDS host.
Tranquil PDS
Tranquil PDS is another community implementation of the PDS role listed on the AT Protocol site. This page deploys Bluesky's own PDS distribution, pinned at 0.4.5034 with its upstream container image.
Cocoon
Cocoon is another community PDS implementation named on the AT Protocol site. This template runs Bluesky's own PDS container with SQLite and on-disk blobs rather than an alternative codebase.

Dedicated Cloud VPS Sizes For Bluesky PDS

Dedicated Cloud VPS sizes, pre-configured for Bluesky PDS hosting. Pick the size that fits your accounts and other services.

Cloud VPS 6 GB

Most popular

A single PDS with room to spare over its 1 GB baseline.

$24.99per month

  • 6 GB RAM
  • 4 vCPU cores
  • 100 GB NVMe SSD
  • 30 TB
  • Unlimited
Get started

Cloud VPS 16 GB

More room for blobs and other services on the same server.

$59.99per month

  • 16 GB RAM
  • 6 vCPU cores
  • 200 GB NVMe SSD
  • 30 TB
  • Unlimited
Get started

Cloud VPS 24 GB

Bluesky PDS alongside a larger self-hosted stack.

$84.99per month

  • 24 GB RAM
  • 8 vCPU cores
  • 300 GB NVMe SSD
  • 30 TB
  • Unlimited
Get started

Every size is a dedicated Cloud VPS billed monthly. Bluesky PDS itself is open source, dual-licensed MIT or Apache-2.0.

Docker hosting

Already Have a Server? Bring Your Own

Connect a VPS you already run and deploy Bluesky PDS on it through the same panel, for a per-server management fee.

Free

Start your journey without cost.

$0forever

  • 1 server
  • 10 sites
Start free

Starter

Most popular

Your rate with 2–5 servers connected.

$5per server / month

  • 2–5 servers
  • Unlimited sites
  • All features included
  • Bring any VPS provider
Get started

Professional

The same platform, discounted at 6–10 servers.

$4per server / month

  • 6–10 servers
  • Unlimited sites
  • All features included
  • Bring any VPS provider
Get started

Agency

The same platform, discounted at 11+ servers.

$3per server / month

  • 11+ servers
  • Unlimited sites
  • All features included
  • Bring any VPS provider
Get started

Priced per connected server. You pay your own provider for the server itself.

Self-managed hosting

Ready To Run Your Own Self-Hosted Bluesky PDS?

Deploy Bluesky PDS 0.4.5034 on a dedicated Cloud VPS, with generated secrets and persistent storage in place before your first account.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have.

How much RAM does a Bluesky PDS need?

Upstream's server recommendations are 1 GB of RAM, 1 CPU core and 20 GB of SSD, and the template baseline matches: 1 CPU core, 1024 MB of RAM and 20 GB of disk. QA measured about 119 MiB idle. This page sells the 6 GB tier to leave room for accounts and blobs.

Is the Bluesky PDS open source?

Yes. The repository carries both LICENSE-MIT.txt and LICENSE-APACHE.txt at the v0.4.5034 tag, so you may use it under MIT or Apache-2.0. xCloud charges for the Cloud VPS it runs on, not for the software, and the accounts and data stay yours.

How do I self-host a Bluesky PDS with Docker?

This is Bluesky PDS Docker hosting without the install script: the template runs ghcr.io/bluesky-social/pds 0.4.5034 as one container, pinned by immutable digest, with pds_data mounted at /pds and HTTPS in front. After it is healthy, create your first account with goat inside the container.

Does a self-hosted Bluesky PDS federate with the Bluesky network?

Yes. Upstream describes self-hosting a PDS that can federate with the wider Bluesky network, and the template keeps the default PLC directory, app view and relay crawler. A subscribeRepos firehose connection upgraded over HTTP 101 through the proxy during QA, so relays can reach your PDS.

Can I migrate my Bluesky account to my own PDS?

Upstream points to AT Protocol's account-migration guide and says to migrate accounts individually when your PDS host configuration changes. This template does not automate that move. Follow the guide for each account, and keep the hostname permanent once accounts exist, because changing it breaks handles and relay sync.

How do I create accounts and invite codes on my PDS?

Sign-up is invite-gated and the first account is a normal user, not an administrator. Run goat pds admin account create inside the container, or mint an invite with goat pds admin create-invites using the generated admin password. Anonymous writes are refused with a 401.

Do I need a wildcard DNS record for a Bluesky PDS?

Upstream says the wildcard record is required when users create accounts with subdomain handles. This template does not set up wildcard DNS, so handles can be the PDS hostname itself. Add a wildcard record at your DNS provider yourself if you want subdomain handles for new accounts.

What should I back up on a Bluesky PDS?

A backup is the whole pds_data volume, which holds the SQLite databases and on-disk blobs, together with the admin password, JWT secret and PLC rotation key, under the same hostname. Stop the container before a file-level copy so the databases and blobs stay consistent.

Backups in xCloud

How do I update my Bluesky PDS?

Nothing updates it automatically here: upstream's own install adds watchtower, but this template does not, and it pins 0.4.5034 by image digest. Check the release notes, back up pds_data, then raise the tag and digest as a pair on a newer template version. Never delete the volume.

Is this Bluesky PDS cloud hosting?

It is your own PDS on a dedicated Cloud VPS that xCloud provisions, not a Bluesky-run service and not a shared host. The container, pds_data volume and secrets belong to you, and xCloud publishes the PDS over HTTPS on your domain.

Does it send email?

Not by default. No SMTP is configured, so email verification and password reset do not work until you set PDS_EMAIL_SMTP_URL and PDS_EMAIL_FROM_ADDRESS together in the Environment editor. Setting only one of the pair prevents the PDS from starting.

Can I cancel anytime?

Yes. There is no lock-in — cancel any time. Hosting is billed monthly and charged for what you actually use, so when you delete the server the unused balance is refunded to your account, less up to 10% in payment-processing fees.

Related resources

The backup and HTTPS guides that matter most once your PDS is live.

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