Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

What is UnboundBytes?

UnboundBytes is a self-hosted SaaS platform that lets you deploy and manage popular applications (like Vaultwarden, Seafile, Immich, and OnlyOffice) on your own infrastructure with enterprise-grade features built in:

Secure credential management
Automatic verified backups
Health monitoring and alerts
One-click deployment
No vendor lock-in

You own all the infrastructure and data.

How much does it cost?

UnboundBytes offers four tiers:

Free: $0/mo (0 active resources, community support)
Starter: $9/mo (1 deployment, 1 device, 5 apps, 25 GB)
Pro: $29/mo (3 deployments, 5 devices, 50 apps, 100 GB)
Business: $199/mo (10 deployments, 25 devices, unlimited apps, 1 TB)

New accounts start with a 14-day free trial of the Starter plan. See the Pricing page for full details and annual pricing.

What do I need to get started?

A Linux server (Ubuntu 22.04+, Debian 12+, RHEL 9+ recommended)
At least 4GB RAM and 20GB disk space
Docker installed and running
A stable internet connection

Is my data safe with UnboundBytes?

Yes. Your application data never touches our servers - it only runs on your infrastructure. We use encrypted credential management so we never see your passwords or API keys. All communication between your device and our control plane is cryptographically signed.

Can I use UnboundBytes for production?

Yes. UnboundBytes is production-ready with verified backups, health monitoring, and multi-tenant isolation. Business-tier customers receive an SLA guarantee.

Can I self-host UnboundBytes itself?

Not currently. The UnboundBytes control plane (portal and orchestrator) is a managed service we operate. Your applications run on your infrastructure, but the control plane runs on our servers.

Is there a SLA (Service Level Agreement)?

Business-tier customers receive a formal SLA. All other plans operate on a best-effort basis with community or email support depending on the tier. See the Pricing page for support details by plan.

Account & Authentication

Visit portal.unboundbytes.com and click “Sign Up”. You’ll be guided through creating an account and setting up your first device.

What authentication methods are supported?

Currently we support:

Email and password
GitHub account
Google account

We use OIDC for secure authentication.

Can I have multiple accounts?

You can create multiple accounts with different email addresses. Each account has its own set of devices and applications. If you want multiple people to manage the same infrastructure, you’ll need to share access to one account (coming soon: team features).

How do I change my password?

Go to your account settings
Click “Change Password”
Enter your current password and new password
Click “Update”

You’ll need to sign in again with the new password.

Can I delete my account?

Yes. Go to Settings and click “Delete Account”. This will:

Remove your portal account
Delete your application deployments
Remove your device enrollment
Your local files remain (stored on your device)

Warning: This action cannot be undone.

Device Setup

What systems does the agent support?

The agent runs on Linux distributions:

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and 24.04 LTS (recommended)
Debian 12+ (Bookworm and newer)
RHEL/CentOS/Rocky/AlmaLinux 9+

Windows and macOS support is planned for a future release.

How do I install the agent?

Sign in to the portal
Go to Devices → “Add Device”
Select your operating system
Download the agent binary
Run the executable
Copy the pairing code it displays
Go to /pair in the portal and enter the code
Your device will be enrolled when the status changes to “Activated”

Can I run multiple agents on the same server?

No. Only one agent per device. If you need multiple instances, use separate servers.

Does the agent require admin/root privileges?

Yes. The agent needs elevated privileges to:

Install Docker containers
Access system resources
Manage networking

On Linux, the agent process runs as root or with sudo.

Can I run the agent in a container or virtual machine?

Yes. The agent can run in:

Docker containers (requires Docker-in-Docker)
Virtual machines (KVM, VirtualBox, Hyper-V, etc.)
Cloud instances (AWS, DigitalOcean, Linode, etc.)

Just ensure the agent has the resources it needs and Docker is available inside the container/VM.

How much bandwidth does the agent use?

The agent uses:

Idle: ~5MB/hour for regular health checks
During deployment: ~1-10 MB depending on app size
During backup: ~1 MB for configuration, more for data
During operation: Depends on your applications

Most users see <1GB/month of UnboundBytes control plane traffic (separate from app traffic).

Can I run the agent behind a firewall or NAT?

Yes. The agent doesn’t require incoming ports. It initiates outbound connections to our control plane. Standard home networks and corporate firewalls work fine as long as outbound traffic is allowed.

Applications

What applications can I deploy?

We support 48 applications including:

Vaultwarden - Password manager
Seafile - File sync and sharing
Immich - Photo management
OnlyOffice - Office suite
And many more…

See the full app catalog

Can I deploy custom applications?

Not yet. We’re planning support for custom Docker images and Compose files. For now, you’re limited to our pre-configured app catalog.

Can I run multiple instances of the same app?

Yes. You can deploy multiple instances of any application:

Multiple password managers on different devices
Multiple file sharing instances
Multiple photo backup apps
Etc.

Each instance is independently managed and backed up.

How much storage does each application need?

Storage requirements vary:

Vaultwarden: 100MB for config + your passwords
Seafile: 1GB config + your storage allocation
Immich: 500MB config + your photo storage
OnlyOffice: 1GB config + your documents

Plan for 2-5x the data size for backups.

Can I backup only configuration without data?

Yes. When creating a backup, you can choose:

Configuration only - Docker Compose, .env files (~100MB)
Configuration + Data - Everything including application data

Configuration-only backups are much faster and use less storage.

How do I update applications?

Applications are automatically updated when you:

Click “Update” in the app menu
Or new versions are released (automatic updates coming soon)

Updates don’t affect your data - configuration and database are preserved.

Can I migrate applications between devices?

Yes. Use backups:

Create a backup on the source device
Create a deployment on the destination device
Restore from the backup
Your application will run on the new device with all data

This typically takes 10-30 minutes.

Backups & Recovery

How often are backups created?

Backups are created:

Automatically when you update applications
Automatically when you restart applications
Manually, whenever you want
Scheduled (coming soon)

You can create manual backups anytime from the portal.

How long are backups kept?

Default retention:

Free / Starter: 7 days
Pro: 30 days
Business: 90 days

You can manually delete backups anytime.

How much storage do backups use?

Backups are compressed, so they typically use:

Configuration only: ~50-100MB
With data: Varies by application and data size

Example: A Seafile app with 10GB of files might create a ~8GB backup.

Can I download backups to my computer?

Not yet. Backups are stored in our secure cloud storage. You can restore them to your infrastructure. Download support is coming.

How do I verify my backups actually work?

We automatically verify every backup:

Check that backup file exists
Validate checksum hasn’t been corrupted
Confirm size matches expected

You can also manually test restores by:

Restoring to a test device
Verifying data is complete
Re-backing up to ensure the process works

If a backup fails verification, can I still restore?

No. Failed backups are marked as unreliable. We recommend:

Don’t restore from failed backups
Create a new backup instead
Contact support if backups consistently fail

Can I restore to a different device?

Yes. You can restore any backup to any device running the agent. This is useful for:

Recovering from hardware failure
Migrating to new infrastructure
Testing disaster recovery

Custom Domains

Can I use a custom domain instead of the default tunnel URL?

Yes. You can add a custom domain for any application:

Go to the application settings
Click “Add Domain”
Enter your domain name
Add a CNAME record to your DNS
Wait for DNS propagation and SSL verification

Once verified, you can access your app at your custom domain.

What’s the difference between a tunnel URL and custom domain?

Tunnel URL (default): Managed by us, works immediately, auto-renewed SSL
Custom domain: You bring your domain, you manage DNS, we auto-renew SSL

Both are equally secure. Use tunnel URLs for simplicity, custom domains for branding.

Do you charge extra for custom domains?

No. Custom domains are included with all plans.

How do I set up SSL/TLS certificates for custom domains?

Automatic. Once you add a CNAME record pointing to your tunnel URL, we automatically provision and renew SSL certificates. No additional configuration needed.

Can I use subdomains?

Yes. You can use:

app.yourdomain.com (subdomain)
yourdomain.com (apex domain via CNAME)
Multiple subdomains for different apps

Network & Security

Do I need to open any ports on my device?

No. The agent doesn’t require incoming ports. It uses outbound connections only to communicate with our control plane. Most firewalls allow outbound traffic by default.

Is traffic encrypted between my device and UnboundBytes?

Yes. All communication is:

Encrypted in transit: TLS 1.3 for all connections
Cryptographically signed: HMAC-SHA256 authentication on all agent requests
No plain credentials: Credentials are encrypted and stored in HashiCorp Vault

Can I use a VPN with UnboundBytes?

Yes. The agent works fine behind VPNs and proxies. No special configuration needed.

Does UnboundBytes see my application data?

No. Your data stays on your infrastructure. We only:

Store encrypted configuration (credentials, secrets)
Receive backup artifacts briefly for upload to storage
See basic health metrics (CPU, memory, response time)

We never see database content, files, or personal data.

Can I use a self-signed certificate for my device?

The agent supports self-signed certificates for local testing. In production, we recommend using proper certificates via custom domains.

Support & Troubleshooting

How do I get help?

Documentation: docs.unboundbytes.com
Portal Support: Submit tickets through the portal settings
Community: Join our Matrix community for peer support (Free and Starter tiers)
Email: support@unboundbytes.com (Pro and Business tiers)
Priority: Dedicated support queue (Business tier)

What information should I provide when reporting a bug?

Please include:

Device OS and agent version
Application type and version
Steps to reproduce the issue
Error messages or screenshots
Device and agent logs with timestamps

How long does it take to get support responses?

Response times depend on your plan:

Community (Free/Starter): Best-effort via Matrix
Email (Pro): Within 24 hours on business days
Priority (Business): Within 4 hours, 7 days a week

Can I export my data?

Yes. You can:

Download backups from cloud storage (coming soon)
Restore to a different device (maintains data)
Export from within each application (app-specific)

What happens to my data if you shut down UnboundBytes?

Your applications and data remain on your infrastructure. Even if UnboundBytes service disappears:

Your apps keep running
Your backups exist in cloud storage
You can restore to new infrastructure anytime

You maintain full control and ownership.

Billing & Plans

What payment methods do you accept?

We accept credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex) through Stripe.

Is there a free tier?

Yes. The Free tier ($0/mo) gives you access to the portal and community support, but with 0 active deployments, devices, or apps. It is available for evaluation and planning purposes.

Can I cancel my subscription anytime?

Yes. You can cancel anytime without penalty. Your applications and data remain on your infrastructure.

Do you offer annual billing?

Yes. Annual billing saves 16-22% compared to monthly:

Starter: $84/year ($7/mo)
Pro: $288/year ($24/mo)
Business: $2,004/year ($167/mo)

See the Pricing page for the full comparison.