Prefect Server Hosting Live In 5 Minutes

Prefect Server hosting on xCloud lets you deploy Prefect Server, the open-source control plane for scheduling and observing Python workflows, on your own domain. xCloud runs Prefect's production topology with the API and UI, background services, PostgreSQL, Redis and a process worker, generates the API credentials and publishes it over HTTPS. You keep your flows, run history and data on your server.

Deploy your Prefect Server

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

What is Prefect Server?

Prefect is a workflow orchestration framework for building data pipelines in Python, described upstream as the simplest way to elevate a script into a production workflow. You define flows and tasks with decorators, then schedule deployments on a cron schedule, with retries, dependencies, branching, caching and event-based automations, and watch runs in a web UI. A self-hosted Prefect Server is open-source workflow orchestration on your own server, an alternative to Prefect Cloud. It is Apache-2.0 licensed.

On xCloud it is Prefect Server 3.8.5, the upstream image pinned by digest, deployed as Prefect's own five-service topology: the API and UI, background services, PostgreSQL 14, Redis 7 and a local-pool process worker for test and light workflows. The postgres_data and redis_data volumes hold orchestration state. Basic authentication guards the API and UI with generated credentials.

About this app

Version xCloud installs: 3.8.5
Licence: Apache-2.0
Official website: prefect.io
Source code: github.com/PrefectHQ/prefect
Documentation: docs.prefect.io

Prefect Server is a third-party project. xCloud is not affiliated with or endorsed by its maintainers. Names and logos belong to their owners.

From Sign-Up to a Completed Flow Run In Just 3 Easy Steps

Self-hosting Prefect normally means five services, generated credentials, a domain and a certificate before a single flow runs. This is the same result without assembling any of it.

Step 01
Sign Up
Create your xCloud account and pick Prefect Server from the OneClick catalog. Choose your domain and target server — there is nothing else to fill in.
Step 02
We Deploy It For You
One click. We bring up the upstream Prefect 3.8.5 image across PostgreSQL, Redis, background services, the web UI/API and a ready local-pool process worker, and publish it over HTTPS on your domain.
Step 03
Run Your First Flow
Open the generated HTTPS URL and sign in with the generated authentication string as username:password. Create a small test flow, target local-pool, and confirm the run reaches Completed.

Everything Prefect Does, On Your Own Server

Prefect's full production topology runs here — flows, schedules, workers and the API, on infrastructure you control.

Flow Runs And States
Monitor flow runs, states, schedules and orchestration activity from Prefect's own web UI.
Separate Background Services
Prefect's background services run in their own container beside the API and UI, as in upstream's production Compose layout.
Ready Process Worker
Start immediately with a ready local-pool process worker for test and light trusted workflows.
Generated Authentication
Both the Prefect API and UI are protected with a generated credential from first boot, not left open.
Persistent Orchestration History
Flow runs, schedules and event data persist in PostgreSQL and Redis across restarts.
Yours To Extend
A dedicated server means you can register more deployments or run other services beside Prefect as your workflows grow.

Everything You Need To Run Your Orchestration 24/7

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

Prefect Server 3.8.5 deployed instantly
Generated API and UI authentication
Ready local-pool process worker
Persistent flow history and schedules
Free SSL certificate
Server backups and snapshots
Server security updates included
Choose your server region
Unused balance refunded

What You Can Do With Prefect Server

Run scheduled Python pipelines
Put a script on a cron schedule as a deployment and watch each run in the UI, so a nightly data job reports success or failure instead of dying quietly in a crontab.
Retry flaky steps automatically
Add retries and caching to tasks that call unreliable APIs, so a transient failure does not fail a whole pipeline and you can see which step needed retries.
Trigger workflows from events
Use event-based automations to start a flow when something happens, so downstream work begins as soon as upstream data lands, not at a fixed hour.
Keep orchestration data on your own server
Store deployments, run history and work-pool state in your own PostgreSQL database, so the metadata about your pipelines stays on infrastructure you control.

Prefect Server vs Alternatives

Prefect Cloud: Upstream also offers Prefect Cloud, a managed dashboard for tracking and monitoring workflow activity. A self-hosted Prefect Server is the open-source version that you run, update and back up yourself.
Airflow: Airflow has its own OneClick page. In a Prefect Server vs Airflow comparison, Prefect defines workflows as plain Python flows and tasks with decorators, and upstream makes no direct comparison.
Temporal: Temporal has its own OneClick page. Prefect Server is aimed at data and automation pipelines written in Python, with cron deployments, a built-in UI and work pools.
Node-RED: Node-RED has its own OneClick page. Prefect Server orchestrates code you write in Python rather than wiring visual nodes, and records every flow run in its UI.

Simple Pricing. Everything Included.

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

Cloud VPS 6 GB

Cloud VPS 16 GB

More headroom for heavier flow volume and more concurrent runs.

$59.99per month

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

Get started

Cloud VPS 24 GB

Prefect Server alongside a larger self-hosted data 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 we provision, patch, monitor and restore. Billed monthly with no lock-in — delete the server and the unused balance comes back to your account. Prefect itself is free under the Apache-2.0 licence.

Docker hosting

Already Have a Server? Bring Your Own

Connect any VPS — DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS, Hetzner or bare metal — and deploy Prefect Server 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 Workflow Control Plane?

Prefect Server 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.

How much RAM does Prefect Server need?

The template floor is 2048 MB of RAM, 2 CPU cores and 10 GB of disk for light workloads, covering five services. The 6 GB plan clears it, but sustained production use needs more capacity, especially for the worker that runs your flow code.

Can you self-host Prefect Server with Docker?

Yes. This template covers prefect server docker hosting end to end: the upstream image pinned by digest, PostgreSQL 14, Redis 7, background services, a process worker, two volumes and HTTPS.

How do I sign in to Prefect Server?

When the UI asks for an API authentication string, enter the generated username and password from your credentials in the form username:password. Basic authentication protects both the API and the UI, so keep those credentials private.

Can anyone register and run flows on Prefect Server?

No account system exists, and access needs the generated credentials. Treat anyone who holds them as trusted: the process worker runs flow code on the server, so do not give them to untrusted users or let them submit flows.

Is Prefect Server an alternative to Prefect Cloud?

It is the open-source side of the same product. Upstream describes Prefect Cloud as a managed dashboard, while the self-hosted server is run by you, with your own database, upgrades and backups.

How do I schedule a flow on Prefect Server?

Create a deployment for your flow with a cron schedule, targeting the local-pool work pool, and run it from the UI or CLI to confirm it completes. Upstream supports scheduling, retries, caching and event-based automations.

Is Prefect Server free?

Yes. Prefect is Apache-2.0 licensed, so the server software is free. Your cost is the Cloud VPS, which makes this a Prefect Server cloud install of your own, separate from the hosted Prefect Cloud.

How do I back up Prefect Server?

Back up postgres_data, which holds flow, deployment, work-pool and run state, together with redis_data, which holds event-messaging data, and keep the rendered environment with them. Pause new submissions first and test a restore.

Backup and restore Docker apps

How do I upgrade Prefect Server?

Prefect Server stays on its pinned 3.8.5 images until a newer template version is adopted. Copy both volumes and the environment beforehand, read the migration notes and move every Prefect service together.

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.