Deploy Your First App in 5 Minutes on Sealos - A Beginner’s Guide

For many new developers, deploying an app to the cloud often feels like the hardest part of the journey. Between container orchestration, YAML files, networking configurations, and cost planning, the learning curve quickly becomes a wall. Sealos changes that.

Sealos is a cloud operating system designed to make cloud-native infrastructure as accessible as writing code. Instead of managing virtual machines, setting up Kubernetes, or provisioning databases manually, users can deploy full-stack applications in minutes with just a GitHub login. Whether you're a student building your portfolio, a hobbyist launching a side project, or someone exploring cloud platforms for the first time, this guide will walk you through how to deploy your first application on Sealos - no DevOps experience required.

From Signup to Deployment in Minutes

Getting started with Sealos doesn’t require installing CLI tools, managing SSH keys, or signing up with a credit card. All you need is a GitHub account. Once you visit sealos.io and click Get Started, you’ll be directed to the Sealos Console, where a workspace is created automatically upon logging in with GitHub.

This workspace is your private cloud environment. Here, you can deploy apps, manage resources, monitor deployments, and access templates - all within a graphical interface. For first-time users, the console offers a smooth entry point without hiding too much of the infrastructure detail. This balance between simplicity and transparency is what makes Sealos uniquely suited for cloud-native onboarding.

Choosing a Template That Works

Once inside the console, deploying an app is as simple as selecting a pre-configured template. These templates are full application blueprints that include the code, build instructions, runtime specifications, and necessary service configurations.

For example, if you want to deploy a personal blog, you can choose a static site template powered by Hugo. If you're interested in experimenting with web frameworks, the Next.js starter is a popular choice. There are also templates for deploying simple backend services, like a Python API built with FastAPI. All templates are designed to be production-ready, yet lightweight enough to run on Sealos’ free tier, especially the student plan.

Popular starter templates include:

• Hugo Static Site – great for personal blogs or portfolios.
• Next.js App – suitable for dynamic frontends with server-side rendering.
• Python FastAPI – a solid choice for simple APIs or chatbot backends.
• Flask/Docusaurus – for documentation sites or lightweight web tools.

What’s worth noting is that Sealos uses MicroVM technology under the hood - a modern virtualization method that ensures your apps start faster, consume fewer resources, and remain isolated from each other for better security. But as a user, you don’t need to configure any of this. The runtime decision happens automatically when you click “Deploy.”

Further reading: What Is a Micro VM (Micro Virtual Machine)?

What Happens When You Click Deploy

When you launch your first app, Sealos automatically pulls the code from the template’s repository, builds the container image, provisions necessary services (like storage or networking), and then starts the application inside a MicroVM.

This entire process is visible through the deployment logs in your console. You can follow the build steps, see error messages (if any), and track exactly when your application goes live. Once the deployment is complete, Sealos assigns a public domain to your app - you can open it immediately and see your application running in the browser.

There is no need to configure NGINX, obtain SSL certificates, or manage ingress controllers. Sealos takes care of those concerns by default. And if you need to redeploy, change configuration files, or integrate with your own GitHub repo, the console provides options for version control and automation.

MicroVMs: Speed and Security by Design

Behind the scenes, each application on Sealos runs inside a MicroVM - a lightweight virtual machine that blends the performance benefits of containers with the isolation of traditional VMs. While this architecture is largely invisible to the end user, it plays a critical role in ensuring both security and speed.

Unlike containers, which share the host kernel and can expose vulnerabilities in multi-tenant environments, MicroVMs boot with dedicated resources and hardened boundaries. This means your app runs in its own secure sandbox, unaffected by others on the platform. At the same time, MicroVMs avoid the overhead of full virtual machines, enabling near-instant startup times and efficient memory usage.

For beginners, this has practical consequences. You can deploy multiple apps, experiment freely, and scale gradually - all without worrying about conflicts, cold starts, or excessive latency. What feels like “just clicking deploy” is actually made possible by a sophisticated cloud-native runtime that’s been optimized for both simplicity and scale.

Beyond the First Deployment

While deploying a template is a great first step, Sealos encourages further customization. You can fork a template to your own GitHub repository, make edits, and then link it directly in the deployment flow. This allows you to work in your local development environment and ship changes with each Git push.

You can also explore the app’s environment settings, such as environment variables, persistent volume mounts, or startup commands - all accessible through the web UI. Sealos doesn't abstract away cloud-native concepts entirely; rather, it introduces them gradually, so users build confidence without being overwhelmed.

As your needs grow, you can add additional services like PostgreSQL, object storage, or event queues through the same workspace, using modular components that integrate seamlessly. This ensures your early learning projects can scale into real applications without needing to migrate infrastructure.

What If I Don’t Know Kubernetes?

If you're new to cloud platforms, it's natural to wonder how much technical background is required to use Sealos effectively. One common question is whether users need to learn Kubernetes or containerization tools beforehand.

The short answer is: no. Sealos is built for abstraction without compromise. While it runs a full Kubernetes cluster under the hood, you don’t need to write YAML files, configure Helm charts, or understand pods to get started. The platform handles service discovery, scaling, logging, and deployment orchestration for you - all through an intuitive interface. That said, if you want to explore deeper, Sealos also supports direct access to advanced configurations as your skills grow.

Another concern for some users is whether using templates limits creativity or flexibility. In reality, templates are just a starting point. You can fork any template repository, modify the codebase, connect custom services, and push updates - Sealos will rebuild and redeploy your changes automatically. The goal isn’t to lock users into pre-defined structures, but to remove friction from the initial setup so you can focus on development.

Further reading: What is kubernetes?

Start Building Without Barriers

Whether you're a student learning web development, a researcher building quick proofs of concept, or simply someone exploring cloud for the first time, Sealos offers a welcoming environment to deploy, iterate, and scale - without the headaches.

There’s no better way to understand cloud-native development than by experiencing it firsthand. Choose a template, connect your GitHub account, and deploy your app in minutes. And if you're still studying, the Cursor Student Plan gives you extended free access - so you can build without limits.

Further reading: Cursor Free Student Plan

Ready to try? Sign in now at Sealos.io and make your first deployment a real one.

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