Launch offerNew accounts: we double your first deposit of $100 or more, up to $250 bonus.Claim my bonus
LiteKeep
Sign inDeploy a server
Browse the docs Getting started

Getting started

Deploy your first server

The four steps of deploying a LiteKeep server: location, plan, image (Linux, Windows Server or a one-click app) and access, then what happens until it is ready.

Last updated 27 October 2026

Open Deploy and make four choices: location, plan, image, and how you log in (an SSH key or a root password). Name the server and press Deploy. Your server is usually ready within 15 minutes, and billing starts only when it is.

Before you start

  • Your email must be confirmed (how).
  • Want to log in with a key? Add it to your account first under SSH keys.
  • No balance yet? That’s fine: if your balance is short, the deploy button becomes Add $X and deploy and takes you through a deposit first.

The four steps

  1. Location. Pick a country. Every plan costs the same in every country.
  2. Plan. Choose a family (Lite, Traffic Lite, Vault, Forge or Forever Keep), then a size. On Lite plans you can tick Pay for a year (Keep) and get months free instead of paying by the hour. Compare sizes on the pricing page.
  3. Image. Linux (free), Windows Server (licence extra, needs a plan with 2 GB RAM or more) or One-click apps. The full list is in operating systems and apps.
  4. Access and name. Choose your SSH key or Root password, shown once, then a server name using lowercase letters, numbers and hyphens.

Review and deploy

The review panel shows the price lines for your choices. For a Keep or Forever Keep there is a Promo code box. Press Deploy followed by your server’s name.

For an hourly server we hold 48 hours of its price from your balance (at least $1) while it is created; the hold is released when the server is ready. If the server can’t be created, nothing is charged. More in your balance: cash, bonus and holds.

When it is ready

Most servers are ready within 15 minutes, and we email you when yours is. Its page in Servers shows the IPv4 address and the SSH command to connect.

If you chose a root password, it appears once on the server’s Overview under Your root password. Copy it somewhere safe, tick I’ve saved it somewhere safe and press Done, forget it: our copy is then deleted and can’t be shown again.

If something goes wrong

  • “Confirm your email before deploying a server”: open the confirmation link we emailed, or resend it from the console.
  • The Deploy button stays grey: the server name isn’t valid yet. Use only lowercase letters, numbers and hyphens.
  • Windows Server can’t be picked: the plan has less than 2 GB of RAM. Choose a bigger size.
  • It is taking longer than usual: we email you if a server is delayed. If it can’t be created, we email you and the hold goes straight back to your balance.