Flux Apps Overview
Introduction to deploying decentralized applications on the Flux network.
Flux Apps Overview
Flux Apps are Docker-based decentralized applications that run across the globally distributed Flux network. Instead of relying on a single cloud provider or data center, your application is deployed on independently operated nodes spread around the world. This architecture delivers censorship resistance, high availability, and geographic redundancy without the complexity of managing multi-region infrastructure yourself.
Every Flux App is packaged as a standard Docker container image. If your application can be containerized — and virtually any modern application can — it can run on Flux. The network currently supports thousands of active applications ranging from simple static websites to full-stack APIs, databases, blockchain full nodes, game servers, and AI inference services.
Architecture & Multi-Instance Deployment
When you deploy an app on Flux, the network provisions multiple instances of your container across different nodes. By default, most applications run with 3 instances, though you can configure anywhere from 3 to 12 instances depending on your availability requirements. Each instance is an independent, fully functioning copy of your application running on a separate physical node in a different geographic location.
Node selection is handled by the FluxOS orchestration layer. When a new app deployment is registered on the Flux blockchain, eligible nodes evaluate whether they have sufficient resources (CPU, RAM, storage) to host the application. Nodes then submit bids, and the network algorithmically selects the best candidates based on resource availability, uptime history, geographic diversity, and benchmark scores. This ensures your app lands on reliable, well-distributed infrastructure.
App Lifecycle
- 1
Registration
The app specification is submitted as a transaction on the Flux blockchain. This includes the Docker image, resource requirements, port mappings, environment variables, and instance count. A registration fee in FLUX is paid at this stage.
- 2
Deployment
FluxOS nodes with available capacity detect the new app registration and pull the Docker image. The network selects nodes to host each instance based on resource matching and geographic distribution.
- 3
Running
Your app is live. Each instance runs independently with its own IP address. The Flux Domain Manager (FDM) provides automatic DNS resolution and load balancing across all healthy instances.
- 4
Renewal
Apps require monthly renewal payments in FLUX to remain active. Renewal costs are based on the resources your app consumes. You can renew manually or set up automatic renewal through the marketplace.
- 5
Expiration
If an app is not renewed within 22 hours after the expiry height, it is removed from the network. The container is stopped and deleted from hosting nodes, and the app name becomes available for reuse.
App Tiers & Node Tiers
Flux Apps are tiered to match the three classes of FluxNodes. Each tier provides different resource limits and pricing. Your app is deployed exclusively on nodes of the corresponding tier or higher.
| Tier | Max CPU | Max RAM | Max SSD | Node Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cumulus | 0.5 cores | 2 GB | 5 GB | Cumulus nodes |
| Nimbus | 2 cores | 8 GB | 50 GB | Nimbus nodes |
| Stratus | 4 cores | 16 GB | 200 GB | Stratus nodes |
Apps requiring more resources than a single Stratus instance provides can be deployed as multi-container compositions, splitting the workload across multiple cooperating instances.
Cost Model
Deploying an app on Flux costs FLUX tokens. The price is determined algorithmically based on the resources requested (CPU, RAM, storage), the number of instances, and current network utilization. Costs are paid upfront for one month at a time. A Cumulus-tier app with minimal resources might cost as little as 1-2 FLUX per month, while a Stratus-tier app with maximum resources could cost 50+ FLUX per month. The exact cost is calculated and displayed before you confirm deployment.
The FluxOS Marketplace
The primary interface for managing Flux Apps is the FluxOS marketplace at home.runonflux.io. This web dashboard lets you browse running apps, deploy new applications, monitor instance health, view logs, manage renewals, and configure custom domains. It connects to your Zel ID (the Flux identity system) to authenticate and authorize management actions.
What Runs Well on Flux
- •Static websites & SPAs — React, Vue, Angular apps served via Nginx or Caddy
- •REST & GraphQL APIs — Node.js, Python, Go, Rust backend services
- •Databases — MongoDB, PostgreSQL, Redis (with persistent storage)
- •Blockchain full nodes — Bitcoin, Ethereum, Flux, and many other chains
- •Game servers — Minecraft, Valheim, and other containerized game servers
- •AI & ML services — Inference endpoints, model-serving APIs, LLM wrappers
- •Monitoring tools — Grafana, Uptime Kuma, and observability stacks
- •Communication services — Matrix/Synapse servers, IRC bouncers, chat bots
Load Balancing & DNS
Every deployed Flux App receives a default hostname in the format <appname>.app.runonflux.io. The Flux Domain Manager (FDM) automatically resolves this hostname to all healthy instances using round-robin DNS. When a user connects to your app, their request is routed to one of the available instances. If an instance goes down, the FDM detects the failure through periodic health checks and removes the unhealthy instance from the DNS rotation, ensuring seamless failover.
For production workloads, you can configure custom domains with CNAME records pointing to your Flux hostname. SSL certificates are automatically provisioned via Let's Encrypt for both the default hostname and any custom domains you configure.
For applications that require sticky sessions or persistent connections (such as WebSocket-based apps), consider implementing session affinity at the application layer since Flux load balancing is DNS-based and does not support cookie-based sticky sessions natively.
Real-World Examples
The Flux network hosts a diverse ecosystem of production applications. Presearch, a decentralized search engine, runs its node network on Flux. KadenaSpaces uses Flux to host Kadena blockchain infrastructure. WordPress sites, Ghost blogs, and Nextcloud instances are popular self-hosted deployments. The Flux team itself runs critical infrastructure on the network, including block explorers, API endpoints, and the FluxOS dashboard. Multiple DeFi protocols and NFT platforms also leverage Flux for their frontend and backend services.
Flux Apps represent a paradigm shift from centralized cloud hosting. By combining Docker container standards with a decentralized node network and blockchain-based orchestration, Flux delivers a deployment experience that is familiar to developers while providing the resilience and censorship resistance that centralized platforms cannot offer.