Self-hosting (optional)¶
Sistemo Cloud is the product we build and support day to day — managed EU hosts, dashboard, API keys, prepaid billing, image catalog, snapshots, multi-tenant isolation.
The open-source engine (Apache-2.0) runs Firecracker microVMs on your Linux + KVM. It is free forever. Feature sets are not identical: Cloud gets continuous product work (wallet, catalog, snapshots API, dashboard); self-host is the runtime for people who need data on their own infra.
| Cloud (recommended) | Self-hosted (optional) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs the hosts | We do (EU) | You (Linux + KVM) |
| Setup | Sign up + API key | Install one binary |
| Cost | Prepaid — €5 free · €30 trial with a card | Free forever |
| Current state | Private beta — request an invite | Behind the cloud engine — see the note below |
| Isolation | Firecracker microVMs | Firecracker microVMs |
| Best for | Shipping agent/sandbox workloads today | Data residency, full host control |
Self-hosting is not currently recommended
The open-source engine has fallen behind the cloud one and is not developed in step with it, so versions, commands and features here may not match what you get. It is still the right answer if code or data must stay on your hardware — just go in knowing it lags.
When to self-host¶
- Code or data must stay on your hardware.
- You want to inspect or embed the open-source runtime.
Otherwise use Cloud — zero ops, same microVM isolation model.
Point the SDK at your own host¶
The SDK speaks plain REST. If you run a self-hosted control plane:
export SISTEMO_BASE_URL=https://your-own-host:8000
export SISTEMO_API_KEY=… # from your self-hosted setup
Do not assume every Cloud-only feature (prepaid wallet, managed catalog, multi-tenant cloud networking) exists on a self-hosted install.
Install path¶
Next: Core concepts · Cloud quickstart