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Ideon Hosting Live In 5 Minutes

Ideon hosting on xCloud gives your team a self-hosted visual workspace where repositories, notes, links and files sit as blocks on a shared infinite canvas. Deploy Ideon from the OneClick catalog and xCloud starts the pinned 0.9.8 image next to a private PostgreSQL 18 database, generates the credentials and secrets, mounts two volumes and publishes it over HTTPS. Open the setup page right away, because the first person to submit it becomes the superadmin.

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

What is Ideon?

Ideon is, in its README's words, the self-hosted visual workspace for your projects. Instead of folders and tabs, you place repositories, notes, links and files as blocks on a shared infinite canvas and collaborate on it in real time. After setup, public registration is switched off and other people join by invitation. Self-hosted Ideon is a canvas workspace you run yourself instead of a hosted whiteboard. It is licensed under AGPL-3.0.

On xCloud, the template deploys Ideon 0.9.8, pinned by digest, with a private PostgreSQL 18.6 database. Projects, users and settings sit on ideon_db and uploaded files and collaborative document state on ideon_storage. There is no preset admin, invitation email needs SMTP, and the built-in terminal block is switched off because any member could otherwise open a shell inside the app container.

From Sign-Up to Your First Canvas In Just 3 Easy Steps

Self-hosting a shared canvas normally means a container, a database, secrets, volumes, a domain and a certificate before the first project. This is the same result without assembling any of it.

  1. Step 01

    Sign Up

    Create your xCloud account and pick Ideon from the OneClick catalog. Choose your domain and target server. There are no extra fields to fill in, because xCloud generates the database credentials and the session secret.

  2. Step 02

    We Deploy It For You

    One click. We bring up the upstream Ideon image, pinned by immutable digest, next to a digest-pinned PostgreSQL 18.6 container on the private install network with no published port, mount the ideon_storage and ideon_db volumes, and publish the web interface over HTTPS.

  3. Step 03

    Create The Administrator

    Give the first start two to three minutes for migrations, then open /setup on your Ideon URL straight away and create the superadmin account, because the first submission wins. Sign in at /login and create your first project.

Everything Ideon Does, On Your Own Server

Ideon runs in full here: a shared canvas on your own domain, with the data in volumes you control.

  • Spatial Canvas

    Place blocks anywhere on one infinite canvas. What sits close together reads as related, instead of living in separate folders.

  • Rich Media Blocks

    Embed Markdown notes, images, links and files directly in a project, with uploads of up to 200 MB accepted.

  • Repository And Issue Embeds

    Upstream lists live integrations that embed repositories and issues from GitHub, GitLab, Gitea and Forgejo on the canvas.

  • Real-Time Collaboration

    Several people can edit the same canvas at once; the collaborative document state is kept in the ideon_storage volume.

  • Time Travel

    View historical snapshots of a workspace to trace how a project and its decisions evolved.

  • Invitation-Only Access

    Public sign-up is off after setup, and unauthenticated API calls return 401 in QA. Add SMTP settings to send invitations from inside the app.

Everything You Need To Run Your Visual Workspace 24/7

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

  • Ideon 0.9.8 deployed instantly
  • Upstream image pinned by digest
  • Private PostgreSQL included
  • Secrets generated for you
  • Free SSL certificate
  • Server backups and snapshots
  • Server security updates included
  • 30+ server locations
  • Unused balance refunded

What You Can Do With Ideon

  • Keep a project's pieces on one canvas

    You place a repository link, notes, files and references side by side on one canvas instead of switching between folders and tabs.

  • Plan together in real time

    Teammates open the same canvas and edit at once, with the real-time connection tied to your site's exact address.

  • Invite only the people you choose

    After setup, registration is off, so the administrator invites each member instead of leaving sign-up open.

  • Keep project context on your own server

    A team that does not want its planning canvases in a hosted whiteboard keeps them in a PostgreSQL volume it controls.

Ideon Screenshots

An Ideon project canvas with an item placed on it
An Ideon workspace still showing its content after the install was restarted

Ideon vs Alternatives

Miro
Ideon is a self-hosted canvas for project material on a server you rent, built around blocks such as repositories, notes and files. This page makes no feature-parity claim with Miro, so test your own boards before moving.
Notion
Ideon arranges project items on a spatial canvas rather than in pages, and keeps them in your own PostgreSQL database. Compare it with Notion on a real project before choosing.
Obsidian Canvas
Ideon is a shared web canvas that a team edits together in real time, with members joining by invitation. Compare it with Obsidian Canvas on your own workflow before choosing.
AFFiNE
AFFiNE has its own OneClick page. Ideon centres on a block canvas for project items such as repositories, notes and files; compare the two editors before choosing.

Simple Pricing. Everything Included.

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

Cloud VPS 6 GB

Most popular

A shared canvas for a small team or a personal workspace.

$24.99per month

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

Cloud VPS 16 GB

More headroom if Ideon sits alongside other team apps.

$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. Ideon itself is open source under the AGPL-3.0 licence.

Docker hosting

Already Have a Server? Bring Your Own

Connect any VPS — DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS, Hetzner or bare metal — and deploy Ideon 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

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, 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 Project Canvas?

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

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
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Kevin Heinrichs
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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 Ideon free?

Yes. Ideon is open source under AGPL-3.0, whose file is linked here at the pinned v0.9.8 tag, so keep the notices and share source for modified versions. xCloud bills for the Cloud VPS under it, not for Ideon, and there is no per-seat fee.

Can you self-host Ideon with Docker?

Yes, and this Ideon Docker hosting template does it for you: the ghcr.io/3xpyth0n/ideon image, pinned by digest, runs beside a private PostgreSQL container on your own server, with HTTPS in front of port 3000. It is not an Ideon cloud account, so your canvases stay with you.

How much RAM does Ideon need?

Ideon requires 1024 MB of RAM, 1 CPU core and 10 GB of disk at minimum. Upstream publishes no sizing, so the RAM figure is an estimate for a Next.js server plus PostgreSQL. The 6 GB tier sold here leaves room to spare.

How do I sign in to Ideon for the first time?

Open /setup on your domain and create the administrator account right away. Ideon has no preset admin, and whoever submits the setup form first becomes the superadmin. The first start pulls two images and runs migrations, so allow two to three minutes.

Can I invite my team to Ideon?

Yes. After setup, public registration is switched off and other people join by invitation from inside the app. Invitation and password-reset emails need the SMTP settings added together in the Environment editor, so without them those emails are not sent.

Why is the Ideon terminal block switched off?

Its terminal block starts a shell inside the app container, where the database password and SECRET_KEY are visible, and any member could use it. The template sets SHELL_MAX_SESSIONS to zero. Raise it only if every member of your workspace is fully trusted.

Does Ideon send email?

Not until you configure it. Add the SMTP settings together in the Environment editor and redeploy; partly filled values can break mail sending. Until then invitation and password-reset emails cannot be sent. Set APP_URL to the exact https origin as well, or real-time connections are refused.

What runs alongside Ideon?

A private PostgreSQL 18.6 container with generated credentials and no published port. The database password only applies on first start, and SECRET_KEY signs sessions and derives the key for stored encrypted values, so changing it signs everyone out and makes those values unreadable.

How do I back up Ideon?

Back up ideon_db, which holds projects, users and settings, and ideon_storage, which holds uploads, avatars and the collaborative document store, together while the install is stopped. Keep SECRET_KEY with them. A restore with a different key cannot read stored encrypted values.

Backup and restore Docker apps

How do I upgrade Ideon?

Your running 0.9.8 install is left alone when the catalog moves on; adopting a newer template version is your decision. Back up both volumes and SECRET_KEY first, and read the upstream release notes, since the project is young. Then open a canvas and check collaboration still connects.

Is Ideon an alternative to Miro?

Ideon gives a team a shared canvas that you self-host, built around project items such as repositories and notes. This page makes no feature-parity claim with Miro, so try your real workflow on a test install before moving.

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 apps

Other apps people run next to Ideon on the same server.

Related resources

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

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Ready to Run Your Own Project Canvas?

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