Why Host Dify on a VPS?
Using the cloud version of Dify means entrusting your prompts, your business data and your API keys to a third-party server, with limits on the number of applications and the models you can access. By self-hosting Dify on a VPS, you remove these constraints: no monthly usage-based subscription, no sensitive data sent outside, and the freedom to connect any model provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, Ollama locally, etc.). It is the ideal solution for teams that want to build robust AI pipelines in an environment under their control.
What You Can Do With Dify
- Create custom chatbots and AI agents connected to your own data sources (RAG)
- Orchestrate multi-step workflows combining several language models and external tools
- Connect Dify to OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, Mistral, or a local model via Ollama
- Expose your AI applications via a REST API or an embeddable widget for your site
- Manage your team's access with a system of roles and workspaces
- Track usage logs, per-model costs and the performance of your pipelines
Install Dify on Your ServOrbit VPS
Order a ServOrbit Cloud VPS
Go to the /vps-cloud page and choose a plan suited to your usage. Dify requires at least 2 vCPU, 4 GB of RAM and 20 GB of storage to run properly. Select Ubuntu 22.04 LTS as the operating system, then complete the order. Your VPS is provisioned in under a minute.
Access the Marketplace in the client area
Log in to your ServOrbit client area, then navigate to the Marketplace section from your VPS dashboard. The Marketplace lists all applications available for 1-click installation, organised by category. Find Dify in the Artificial Intelligence category.
Start the Dify installation
Click the Dify card, check the prerequisites shown, then click 'Install'. The installation script automatically deploys Dify via Docker Compose (dify-api, dify-worker, dify-web, PostgreSQL, Redis and Weaviate containers). The operation usually takes between 3 and 5 minutes depending on the VPS resources.
Access the Dify interface and create your admin account
Once the installation is complete, Dify is reachable via http://[YOUR-VPS-IP] on port 80 (or https if you have configured a domain name with SSL). On first access, Dify prompts you to create an administrator account by entering your email address and a password. This account will be the owner of your instance.
Connect a language model and create your first application
In Dify's settings (icon at the top right), go to 'Model Providers' and add your OpenAI, Anthropic or any other supported provider's API key. You can also point to a local Ollama instance on your network. Once the model is configured, click 'Create Application' to start your first AI workflow or chatbot.
To secure your Dify instance, place it behind an Nginx reverse proxy with a Let's Encrypt certificate and restrict access to port 80/443 via your VPS firewall. Also consider enabling ServOrbit automatic backups to protect the PostgreSQL database that stores your applications and conversation histories.
The Official Documentation
For advanced configuration, tool-specific options and version changes, refer to the official Dify documentation. This guide covers going live on a ServOrbit VPS; the vendor's documentation remains the reference for fine-tuning.
