Getting started
UpCloud is a European cloud provider. You can run Cloud Servers, storage and private networks on UpCloud, as well as managed services such as Kubernetes, databases and object storage. You manage your resources in the Control Panel, through the API, or with tools such as the UpCloud CLI and Terraform.
You pay for UpCloud in advance by adding funds to your account balance. Most resources are then billed by the hour from that balance, and the charges stop when you delete them.
This section covers your account, billing and the basics of the platform. For step-by-step instructions on each product, see the guides.
First steps
- Sign up and start your free trial. Accounts explains how to sign up, and Free trial explains how to start the trial and what it includes.
- Secure your account. Account security covers passwords, two-factor authentication and, if you use Workspaces, your sign-in methods.
- Deploy your first Cloud Server and connect to it. The Cloud Server quick start guide walks you through both. For other ways to connect, such as Remote Desktop or the console, see Connecting to your Cloud Server.
- Add funds before the trial ends. Services you deploy during the trial are removed when it ends, unless you've added funds to your account. Adding balance to your UpCloud account explains how.
In this section
- Accounts: signing up, account balance, account security, audit logs, subaccounts and the removal of inactive accounts.
- Workspaces: working in UpCloud as a team, with everyone signing in to their own account.
- Billing: billing details, payment methods, bonus credits and taxes.
- Free trial: what the trial includes, how long it lasts and what happens when it ends.
- UpCloud Essentials: the features included at no extra cost, and their limits.
- Support: how to contact support.
- Locations: the locations you can deploy in.
- Shared responsibility: how responsibility for security and maintenance is shared between UpCloud and you.
- Encryption: how your data is encrypted at rest, and how to use your own keys.
- Cloud Computing Glossary: common cloud terms explained.
- Getting Started FAQ: common questions about the free trial, accounts and billing, the API, GDPR and support.