What’s a simple managed service for hosting a Docker container?

Another approach is to rent a small Hetzner VPS and install Coolify. Coolify provides a friendly deployment interface and takes care of much of the application management, while still giving you the flexibility of Docker. You would still have some responsibility for the underlying server, though, so it isn’t completely hands-off.

A Docker-ready VPS reduces the initial setup, but it doesn’t eliminate server administration. You’d still be responsible for updates, firewall rules, backups, and security. If avoiding all of that is the main goal, a platform such as Fly.io or Railway is probably a better fit than a plain VPS.

Railway, Heroku, and Fly.io are all reasonable choices for a simple container deployment. Fly.io in particular handles much of the setup through its command-line tool, while still letting you deploy a fairly standard Docker image.

DigitalOcean has managed container and application-hosting options, although the cost may be closer to $10–$15 per month depending on the setup. It’s a good option if you prefer a more conventional cloud provider and predictable infrastructure.

Fly.io could work well for this. It’s pay-as-you-go, and a small instance can cost around $5 per month or less, especially if you configure it to stop when it isn’t being used. Deployment mainly involves a Dockerfile and a small configuration file, so you don’t have to rewrite the application for a proprietary framework.