This is the hands-on companion to how app hosting works. We'll go from an empty account to a running server in a few minutes, then point you at the guide for whatever you're actually building.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| You need | A Falix account |
| Time | About ten minutes |
| Plan | Any — applications run on free and premium alike |
1. Open the create page
From your server list, click Create server. You'll see two tabs: Games and Applications. You want Applications.
2. Choose an application
The Applications tab is split into Languages (Node.js, Python, Java, Go, PHP…), Databases (MongoDB, PostgreSQL, Redis) and Software (ready-made tools). Pick the one that matches what you're building — if you're following a language guide, pick that language. Not sure yet? Node.js is the friendliest place to start.
Your choice decides what happens when you press Start, so it matters; how app hosting works explains why. And because applications run on both free and premium, you don't need to pay to try this.
3. Create the server
Give it a name and create it. Falix builds the container and installs your chosen runtime. When it's done you land on the server, with the whole menu — Console, File Manager, Settings and the rest — down the side.
4. Open the Console and press Start
Go to the Console page and press Start. What you're checking is that the console comes alive and shows output. This is the loop you'll use forever: press Start, read the console.
🎯 Good to know: On a brand-new, empty server there's nothing to run yet, so the app will start and then stop again — that's expected, not a failure.
5. Give it something to run — deploy a template
The fastest way to see a real, working app is a one-click template: a small set of known-good starter files. There are two ways to deploy one:
- From a guide page — many guides have a Use this template button that deploys straight onto your server.
- From the Templates page — every server has a Templates page in its menu; browse the starters and deploy from there.
The template writes its files into your server folder (only overwriting files with the same name), and then you press Start again. This time the console shows a real app running. One-click templates explains exactly what happens — including the warning you'll see if a template needs to switch your server to a different application.
6. On the free plan, mind the timer
A free server runs on a session timer and stops when it runs out. Head to the Timer page to top it up: you'll solve a quick captcha, and each extension adds hours back on. Keeping your app online has the full story.
💡 Tip: It's normal to do this a few times a day — and premium removes the timer entirely.
Verify it works
You've got a working first server if the Console shows output when you press Start, and — after deploying a template — you can see your app's own messages there. If it's a web app, the Network page shows the address to open in a browser.
Change, pause, or delete it later
Your first server won't be your last, so it's worth knowing how to change or get rid of one. Everything below lives on the Settings page.
- Change what it runs. The application's variables — which file to start, the runtime version, and so on — are editable on every plan. (Editing the full startup command is premium-only.)
- Switch to a different application. Also in Settings, but this reinstalls the server and wipes its files, so back up anything you want to keep first. The panel warns you before it does it.
- Pause it. Just stop it — or, on free, let the timer run out. A stopped server keeps all its files and stays in your server list, and you can start it again any time. Stopping deletes nothing; there's no cost to leaving a server sitting stopped.
- Start over clean. Settings → Danger → Reinstall rebuilds the server. Tick "Delete all files before reinstalling" for a truly fresh box; the panel offers to take a backup first.
- Delete it for good. Settings → Danger → Delete Server. You type the server's exact name to confirm (plus your 2FA code if you use 2FA). This is permanent — once deleted, the files are gone and can't be recovered. Only the server's owner sees this button.
Troubleshooting
- Starts, then stops right away — on an empty server that's normal (nothing to run). After a template, if it still stops instantly, read the console from the top: When your server won't start.
- Deployed a template but files didn't change — a template only overwrites files with matching names; the templates guide covers this.
Next steps
Now pick your language and build something real: