# Host Little App Cloud — full launch detail

> Resource-first app hosting from GitHub or public OCI images, with monthly
> usage-credit plans. Database Hosting (PostgreSQL first) is an approved
> managed PostgreSQL capability from the same usage wallet.

Source of truth: `src/lib/public-pricing.ts`, `src/lib/plan-limits.ts`,
`src/lib/plan-features.ts`, the portal APIs, and provisioning code in the Host
Little repository. Last reviewed 2026-09-04. Code and live-system checks take
priority if this document becomes outdated.

## 1. Plans

| Plan      | Monthly commitment | Monthly usage credit | New sale cadence |
| --------- | -----------------: | -------------------: | ---------------- |
| Developer |                 $5 |                   $5 | Monthly only     |
| Pro       |                $20 |                  $20 | Monthly only     |

- Plan payments become non-rollover credit against App Cloud resource usage.
- Usage beyond the credit is added to the invoice at the published rate card.
- Checkout charges the selected monthly commitment immediately. Eligible new
  Developer accounts receive one additional $5 launch credit after successful
  payment. The launch credit and monthly plan credit do not roll over and are
  not a free trial.
- Default workspace spend limits are $25 for Developer and $100 for Pro. The
  owner can raise the limit; alerts are sent at 50%, 80%, and 95%, and recorded
  usage at 100% suspends new app/database work.
- Legacy subscriptions can retain their original catalog and billing terms; they
  are not offered as new App Cloud plans.

## 2. Resource billing

| Resource               |           Rate | Metering basis                                         |
| ---------------------- | -------------: | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| CPU                    | $20/vCPU-month | Measured app runtime use                               |
| Memory                 |   $10/GB-month | Measured app runtime use                               |
| Persistent volume      | $0.15/GB-month | Provisioned app durable storage                        |
| Outbound data transfer |       $0.03/GB | Recorded outbound transfer                             |
| PostgreSQL compute     | $0.106/CU-hour | Enforced allocation while compute is active; $0 asleep |
| PostgreSQL storage     | $0.35/GB-month | Settled database storage                               |
| PostgreSQL recovery    | $0.20/GB-month | Encrypted recovery storage; not a PITR entitlement     |

- Usage is prorated from the resource ledger.
- The customer can set a monthly workspace spend limit in Billing. The limit does
  not increase automatically. The ledger can trail live activity, so usage can
  exceed the displayed limit before the next reading. App compute is suspended
  when recorded usage reaches the limit; persistent storage can continue accruing
  until it is deleted. Database Hosting uses the published PostgreSQL rates
  above.
- Billing shows the latest recorded ledger and the monthly credit. Stripe owns
  payment methods, invoices, and subscription state.

## 3. Source paths

### GitHub with Railpack

- GitHub OAuth handles customer sign-in. Repository access is a separate grant.
- Select a repository and production branch. Private repository access uses the
  separate Host Little GitHub App installation.
- Host Little uses Railpack to detect and build the app on the designated build
  server. The completed OCI image is published for runtime nodes to pull.
- A push to the selected branch can start a deployment. The new container must
  pass its HTTP health check before it receives traffic.
- GitHub projects can expose a selected, stable development branch environment.

### Public OCI image

- Image projects can be selected during first-project checkout or created from
  the active portal.
- The image must be public, Linux amd64-compatible, listen on `PORT=3000`, and
  bind to `0.0.0.0`. A digest is preferred over a mutable tag.
- Accepted sources are Docker Hub, GitHub Container Registry, Quay, and GitLab
  Container Registry. Customers build and publish the public image from their
  workstation or CI, then Host Little deploys it without another hosted build.
- The project overview lets a customer update the image reference, which starts a
  deployment, or redeploy the saved reference. GitHub build and development-only
  controls do not apply.

## 4. Runtime and regions

- Public launch service kind is `web`. Worker and cron creation are not available
  in the launch UI or API.
- Launch regions are US East, US West, and Europe. Placement is chosen during
  project creation and can reject only when safe capacity is unavailable.
- Every project receives a `hostlittle.app` URL. Custom domains and HTTPS are
  controlled from the project.
- Project controls include deployments, redacted logs, runtime readings, domains,
  environment variables, source controls, scheduled tasks where supported by the
  existing web runtime, settings, and self-service deletion.
- Each project runs in one selected launch region and exposes its current state in
  the portal.

## 5. Database Hosting

- Database Hosting public self-service is enabled for managed PostgreSQL.
- DB Alpha provides pooled trusted-TLS connections, 0.25 CU minimum compute,
  five-minute scale-to-zero, usage metering, encrypted logical backups,
  isolated restore copies, and a bounded SQL Workbench.
- Owners can reveal connections in the authenticated portal. Authorized local
  environment export can load an attached app's DATABASE_URL into local development;
  ordinary API and MCP metadata reads remain redacted.
- This document is never a connection or credential source.

## 6. Portal and self-service lifecycle

- Workspace: projects, analytics, team, billing, support, and account settings.
- Project: overview, deployments, environment variables, domains, logs, scheduled
  tasks, settings, and deletion.
- Image projects show their canonical image source and hide unsupported GitHub and
  development controls.
- Database status, usage, lifecycle, recovery, connection, and Workbench
  controls are available in managed PostgreSQL workspaces.
- Project deletion requires exact domain confirmation, queues cleanup, exposes
  cleanup progress, and removes connected runtime resources and attached database
  data. The owner should run and verify any required `pg_dump` export first.

## 7. API and coding agents

- The HTTP API covers account data, projects, environment variables, logs,
  and redeployment.
- Scoped write keys target one project and require approval unless an autonomous
  window is active. Full owner access keys (`owner:all`) cover every supported API
  operation across workspaces the issuing user currently owns, without per-action
  approval. They do not inherit admin/viewer memberships or platform-wide access.
- `GET /api/v1/account` reports the key access mode and owned workspace IDs.
  `GET /api/v1/projects` includes each project’s accountId. Keep the API key in
  local agent tooling, never in hosted app variables or build inputs.
- Owners can choose a key with no expiry; revocation, ownership removal, account
  status and project safety restrictions still apply.
- Reversible environment-variable changes have a bounded undo action. A deployment
  is not represented as an undoable write.
- Normal environment API reads and MCP responses redact secrets. Managed database
  aliases are read-only through the normal environment editor. Owner-issued
  database scopes support standalone create/list/get, operation polling,
  suspend/resume, credential rotation, backup-first deletion, and private local
  connection saving. MCP never returns a connection URI in tool content.
- `POST /api/v1/projects/:id/env/local` is a separate privileged local-development
  export: require `env:local` on a project-bound key or Full owner access. The
  request accepts `environment`, optional `keys`, and explicit `allowPartial`.
  It never accepts secret references. Values are audited by key name and returned
  with private/no-store headers. Managed DB aliases use the portal's public TLS resolver.
- The CLI supports local process injection, dotenv pulls, and the standalone
  PostgreSQL lifecycle; MCP stdio tools use the same public routes. Persistent
  database resize, SQL execution, and manual backup/restore are not public client
  capabilities yet.
- Install with `npm install -g https://hostlittle.com/downloads/hostlittle-cli-0.3.0.tgz`.
  Use `hostlittle mcp`, `hostlittle run --project ID -- COMMAND`, or
  `hostlittle env pull --project ID`. Node 22 or later is required. Keep API keys
  in private local tooling, not chat, hosted app variables, or build inputs.

## 8. Current launch scope

The public launch flow creates web services from GitHub or public OCI images in
US East, US West, or Europe. Database Hosting public self-service is enabled
for managed PostgreSQL. Worker or
cron service creation, private registries, scale to zero, preview apps,
multi-region database failover, bundled cache or object storage, and a published
SLA are outside the current product scope.

## 9. Guides

Current GitHub Railpack, public OCI image, and Database Hosting guides
are at https://hostlittle.com/guides.