Gel Hosting Live In 5 Minutes

Gel hosting on xCloud gives your application a self-hosted graph-relational database on your own server, the project formerly known as EdgeDB. Deploy Gel from the OneClick catalog and xCloud starts the pinned 6.11 image as a single container, generates a 24-character admin password, keeps the data and the self-signed TLS certificate on a persistent volume and shows the host and port to connect to. It is a database port, not a website.

Deploy your Gel

No terminal
No technical skills needed
No lock-in, cancel anytime

What is Gel?

Gel, formerly EdgeDB, calls itself a graph-relational database. Its README argues that the relational model is not compatible with how applications think about objects, so Gel models data as object types connected by links and queries it with EdgeQL, which it describes as a ground-up redesign of SQL that returns structured objects rather than flat rows. Queries are composable. Self-hosted Gel is a database you run yourself instead of the project's own cloud. It is licensed under Apache-2.0.

As deployed on xCloud, the template runs Gel 6.11, pinned by digest, as one container with its data on the gel_data volume. It is a data service with no domain and no web interface: the client port is published on the server IP behind TLS with a self-signed certificate, so restrict it with your own firewall. The admin password is applied only when the data directory is first created.

From Sign-Up to a Live Gel In Just 3 Easy Steps

Running Gel yourself means a container, an initialised data directory, a TLS certificate, a password and a published port before the first query. This is the same result without assembling any of it.

Step 01
Sign Up
Create your xCloud account and pick Gel from the OneClick catalog, then choose your server. The only field is the admin password, and if you leave it blank we generate a 24-character one.
Step 02
We Deploy It For You
One click. We start the official Gel image, pinned by immutable digest, as a single container with the gel_data volume holding the database files and the self-signed TLS certificate created on first boot. Gel is a database service, so there is no domain or web page: the server port is published on your server's IP for client connections.
Step 03
Connect And Run Your First Query
Save the host, port, username (admin) and password from your installation credentials, connect with the Gel CLI or a Gel client library over TLS, then define your first schema, run a migration and start querying with EdgeQL.

Everything Gel Does, On Your Own Server

Gel runs here as a database server your applications connect to directly, with the data on a volume you control.

Object Types And Links
Model application data as types with properties and links instead of tables and foreign keys, with a strict type system, constraints, indexes and computed properties.
EdgeQL Queries
Fetch deeply related objects without JOINs, and compose queries, subqueries and nested mutations in one language that returns structured objects instead of flat rows.
Built-In Migrations
Schema migrations and a command-line tool for managing your database ship with Gel, so schema changes are part of the workflow.
Client Libraries Over TLS
Connect from your app using Gel's client libraries over a TLS-encrypted port; the certificate is self-signed, so clients are configured to trust or allow it.
Admin Password From Start
The admin superuser is created on first boot with a generated password. In QA, wrong or empty passwords were rejected and admin was the only role.
Durable Storage
Database files, the server configuration and the TLS certificate live on the gel_data volume, and QA confirmed all of it intact after a restart.

Everything You Need To Run Your Database 24/7

Managed hosting for Gel, so the parts that keep it online are not your problem.

Gel 6.11 deployed instantly
Official image pinned by digest
24-character admin password generated for you
TLS on the client port
Persistent volume for data and certificate
Server firewall to restrict the port
Server backups and snapshots
30+ server locations
Unused balance refunded

What You Can Do With Gel

Backend database for your own app
Keep your application's data in a database you host yourself, with the data on your own server and the connection over TLS.
Deeply related data without JOINs
Fetch an object together with everything linked to it in a single EdgeQL query instead of reshaping joined rows in application code.
Typed schemas that evolve safely
Describe the schema once with constraints and indexes, then change it through built-in migrations as the product grows.
A home for your EdgeDB-style projects
Gel is the new name for EdgeDB; run the current release on a server you control, with a pinned image so upgrades happen when you choose.

Gel vs Alternatives

PostgreSQL: Gel runs an embedded PostgreSQL as its storage engine and adds object types, links and EdgeQL on top. The project also runs its own hosted EdgeDB Cloud, a separate route that this install is not.
MongoDB: MongoDB has its own xCloud page. Choose Gel when you want a strict schema with typed links between objects.
ArangoDB: ArangoDB has its own xCloud page. Gel is graph-relational, with a typed schema and EdgeQL as its query language.
Neo4j: If you are weighing Neo4j, Gel models links between typed objects and queries them with EdgeQL.

Simple Pricing. Everything Included.

Dedicated Cloud VPS sizes, pre-configured for Gel hosting. Pick the one that fits, and resize any time.

Cloud VPS 6 GB

Cloud VPS 16 GB

More memory for larger datasets or other services beside it.

$59.99per month

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

Get started

Every size is a dedicated Cloud VPS we provision, patch, monitor and restore. Billed monthly with no lock-in — delete the server and the unused balance comes back to your account. Gel itself is licensed by its maintainers under Apache-2.0.

Docker hosting

Already Have a Server? Bring Your Own

Connect any VPS — DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS, Hetzner or bare metal — and deploy Gel on it through the same panel, for a per-server management fee instead of a Cloud VPS rental.

Free

Start your journey without cost.

$0forever

1 server
10 sites

Start free

Starter

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, so your rate adjusts automatically as you add or remove servers. You pay your own provider for the server itself.

Self-managed hosting

Ready To Run Your Own Graph-Relational Database?

Gel on xCloud runs on a dedicated Cloud VPS that we provision, patch, monitor and restore. Deploy faster. Own the server. Stay in control.

Fast Provisioning
Deploy faster using an xCloud Managed Server built with optimized stacks and high-speed SSDs.
Enterprise-grade security
Protect your infrastructure with a free SSL certificate and more advanced security features at no additional cost.
Intuitive Control Panel
From Server creation to application deployment, everything can be managed from our intuitive control panel.

Hear what people are saying about us

See why agencies, developers, startups, and growing businesses choose xCloud to power their projects.

xCloud works really well, I am surprised by its performance being this the release version, I have tried many paid platforms such as runcloud, cloudpages or serveravatar, as well as free platforms such as CyberPanel, CloudPanel or Hestia Control Panel and direct competitors such as SpinupWP and FlyWP. Of all those that I have tried, the platform that works best for WordPress is SpinupWP and I believe that xCloud can reach and surpass that development, its roadmap is promising. Congratulations to the xCloud team, I hope they become the leading platform in the segment, it has all the potential to achieve it!

Brian Geovanny

I've been with runcloud for the last 3 years. However, after trying xcloud for the last month, I'm switching over. They are on a roll with their setup.

Kevin Pineda

I'm moving my servers to xCloud, a cloud control panel by M Asif Rahman and the WPDeveloper team. Their roadmap looks interesting and no, there are no team mates nor API limits with xCloud! #xCloud #wordpress #hosting

Leo Koo

How Cloud Nine Web Elevated Client Experience While Streamlining Hosting Operations using xCloud

Ed Ellingham

xCloud is like having an expert server team on call — without the big agency costs. It's given me back my time and given my clients peace of mind. Highly recommended for freelancers and small teams who want reliable performance and security.

Dumitru Butucel

xCloud isn't just a solution. It's like one of that friend who got your back when you screw things up pretty bad.

Waqar Ahmed

Trust me when I say, once people explore the potential of xCloud they gonna switch from other panels, just keep delivering the best tech, lots of love for the team 😍😍

Rahul Singh

So far my experience has been smooth like silk. I didn't imagine that configuring and managing a VPS would be so easy. As of today, I have deployed 8 sites. The support is good, and they treat users with respect, even if they ask stupid questions (myself included). For the future, I hope for greater flexibility in scheduled backups and more comprehensive and consistent documentation. I'm sure that within a few months, xCloud will become the leader in its segment. This community is amazing, and the Staff here is super helpful.

Massimo Villa

Came from cloudways then to runcloud then to xcloud. Looks like I'm staying here.

Gerson El

I've recently taken all of my Vultr-hosted sites and gotten rid of cPanel for them to substitute it with xCloud. I have to say, I'm really impressed with xCloud so far! The interface is definitely the standout feature for me.

Tony Lewis

I came from Cloudways and won't go back. Highly impressed with xCloud. Glad I gave them a chance.

Jared McDowell

I like xCloud better than RunCloud, but one thing I'll point out is that some years ago RunCloud was hungry for business, the support was outstanding, and the community was active and helped each other. Maybe it was sold, there was a change in management, or they stopped being hungry, but the quality of the RunCloud offering declined and it hasn't been moving forward quickly. My point is that currently the xCloud team has the edge and it is theirs to keep or lose

David McCan

How Kevin Heinrichs Cut Hosting Costs by 84% While Running WooCommerce & Node.js Sites Efficiently

Kevin Heinrichs

I had 150 sites on cloudways and am in the process of moving them to xcloud. Much faster and better priced.

Dan Spinoza

Dear xCloud Team, I have been using xCloud for some time now and am genuinely impressed with its capabilities and the flexibility it offers by allowing users to bring their own VPS for management. It's a fantastic service, and my experience so far has been very positive. Successful migrated 5 sites on a single server. Xcloud migration tool worked great. There were few hiccups with security plugin like MalCare but disabling the plugin prior to migration worked just fine.

Rahil Maknojia

Came from runcloud. Tried xcloud and never came back.

Karl Fanega

How Advanced Web Strategies Saved Over $2,000 & Recovered 56 Hours per Month Managing 70+ Client Websites

Gary Moody

xCloud gave me what no other hosting platform could: the flexibility of a VPS with the convenience of managed WordPress. As a solo founder running an entire business on one server, that combination is an important unfair advantage.

Jorge de los Reyes Martínez

I use Server Avatar and xCloud and I'll sooner use xCloud than Server Avatar personally.

Jay Pagano

How Newman Web Solutions Ensured Perfect Uptime and Seamless Scaling For 120+ WordPress Sites with xCloud

Lori Newman

I too have moved over to xCloud. It's pretty sweet. One click n8n and uptime Kuma apps

John Aperture

I went from Cloudways to xCloud. No intention on switching in the foreseeable future.

Blaine Moore

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Is Gel free?

Yes. Gel is open source under Apache-2.0, and you can read the licence at the pinned v6.11 tag linked on this page. xCloud bills for the Cloud VPS under it, not for Gel, and there is no per-query fee. The project also runs its own hosted cloud, which is separate from this install.

Can you self-host Gel with Docker?

Yes, and this Gel Docker hosting template does it for you: the geldata/gel image, pinned by digest, is one container on your own server with its client port published. It is not a Gel cloud account, so your data stays on your server. There is no web page, only a database port.

How much RAM does Gel need?

The floor in the manifest is 1024 MB of RAM, 1 CPU core and 2 GB of disk for Gel, and QA measured roughly 655 to 716 MiB in use, so 1 GB is the practical minimum. This page sells the 6 GB tier, which leaves room for your data and queries.

How do I connect to my Gel database?

Use the host, port, admin username and password from the installation credentials with the Gel CLI or a Gel client library. The connection uses TLS with a self-signed certificate, so configure your client to trust or allow it, and never connect over plain http, which would send the password unencrypted.

Does Gel have a web interface?

No. This deployment is a database server for your applications and tools, with no public web page. HTTP-based EdgeQL access is not enabled by default and needs Gel's edgeql_http extension in your schema, so do not expect a browser console at the server address.

Is Gel exposed to the internet?

Yes. The Gel port is published on your server's public IP so remote apps can connect, and a password is required. xCloud does not restrict it for you, so use the server firewall to allow only the hosts that need it, as described in the firewall guide.

Configure firewall management

Can I change the Gel admin password later?

Not through the environment. The password is applied only when the data directory is first created, so editing it there and redeploying does not rotate it. Change it through Gel's own administration instead, and update every client that connects with the old password.

What runs alongside Gel?

Nothing else. It is a single container, and Gel's embedded PostgreSQL storage engine listens only on an internal socket and is not exposed. The server's self-signed TLS certificate is generated once and kept on the gel_data volume, so clients that pinned it keep working after a restart.

How do I back up Gel?

Back up the gel_data volume, or take an application-level backup with gel dump, which is consistent without stopping writes. Keep the admin password in your recovery notes. Test a restore on a disposable install before you rely on either approach.

Backup and restore Docker apps

How do I upgrade Gel?

A live 6.11 install keeps its pinned image, and moving to a newer template version is a step you take yourself. Take a gel dump first and read the upstream release notes. Gel 7.x is a new major version, so follow the upstream upgrade guidance rather than just restarting.

Is Gel an alternative to PostgreSQL?

Gel stores data in PostgreSQL internally but gives you a different model and query language, EdgeQL, instead of SQL. PostgreSQL has its own OneClick page. This page makes no benchmark or faster-than-SQL claim, so check that your tools and ORM can talk to Gel before you move.

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.