Owncast
Self-hosted live video streaming server with built-in chat, running entirely on your own server.
- One-click install
- Managed HTTPS
- Secrets in panel
- Multi-app VPS
Get Owncast running in minutes
Install Owncast from the VPSnet Applications catalog, claim secrets in the panel, open when HTTPS is ready, and finish initial setup in the app — without SSH as the default path.
Order a server and install
Order Cloud VPS or VDS, or open an existing service. Install Owncast from Applications — safe defaults apply when the recipe allows.
Claim one-time secrets in the panel
Usernames and passwords appear once in the VPSnet panel after install. Copy them when the credentials window opens — they are never emailed.
Open when HTTPS is ready
Most apps use managed HTTPS on a *.vpsnet.cloud host. Wait until the certificate is active, then Open URL from the panel — certificate pending is not an install failure.
Complete initial setup in the app
Sign in with the secrets you claimed (or finish the in-app admin wizard). Complete one real job for Owncast. If you enabled Optional packs at install, finish each pack’s first-run inside the app. Restart, logs, update, and uninstall stay in the Applications panel.
Continue reading the full install guide → — numbered steps, configuration variables, NOTES, and troubleshooting for Owncast.
How to install Owncast on VPSnet
Managed install of Owncast from the Applications panel — credentials in-panel, HTTPS included.
- 01. Choose a plan for OwncastOpen the Owncast product page and note minimum and recommended vCPU, RAM, and disk. Order a new Cloud VPS or VPS, or use a running server that still has free capacity.
- 02. Install from ApplicationsIn the service panel open Applications → Owncast → Install. Leave VPSnet address selected unless you need another mode under Advanced access. This recipe version exposes no Additional settings or Optional packs. Click Install — defaults are enough. Save any one-time credentials shown after install. If the panel shows an Application runtime setup notice, Install still proceeds — there is no extra checkbox.
- 03. Save one-time credentialsWhen install finishes, the panel shows owner or admin credentials once. Copy them into your password manager immediately — they are never sent by email. If you closed the dialog too early, use the recovery path on that install in Applications.
- 04. Open the managed HTTPS URLWhen Owncast exposes a web UI, VPSnet assigns a *.vpsnet.cloud hostname. A short Certificate pending state is normal while DNS and SSL finish. When the status is active, use Open URL in Applications.
About the application
Owncast is a free, open source live video streaming server you run yourself — an independent alternative to commercial streaming platforms. Stream from OBS or any RTMP-compatible encoder using your private stream key while viewers watch the HLS broadcast and join the built-in chat on your own page, with every viewer connection and message staying on your server; Fediverse federation, directory listing and outbound notifications are optional, available when outbound access is enabled. Deploy it in one click as a managed application self-hosted on a VPSnet VPS (Firecracker microVM or Cloud VPS).
Server requirements
| Requirement | vCPU | RAM | NVMe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | 1 | 1 GB | 10 GB |
| Recommended | 2 | 2 GB | 20 GB |
Tested compatibility
| Server type | Operating system | Architecture |
|---|---|---|
| VPS | Almalinux 10 | x86_64 |
| VPS and Cloud VPS | Almalinux 9 | x86_64 |
| VPS | Centos stream 10 | x86_64 |
| VPS and Cloud VPS | Centos stream 9 | x86_64 |
| VPS and Cloud VPS | Debian 12 | x86_64 |
| VPS and Cloud VPS | Debian 13 | x86_64 |
| VPS | Rocky 10 | x86_64 |
| VPS and Cloud VPS | Rocky 9 | x86_64 |
| VPS and Cloud VPS | Ubuntu 22.04 | x86_64 |
| VPS and Cloud VPS | Ubuntu 24.04 | x86_64 |
| VPS and Cloud VPS | Ubuntu 26.04 | x86_64 |
| Cloud VPS | Almalinux 8 | x86_64 |
| Cloud VPS | Arch latest | x86_64 |
| Cloud VPS | Oracle 9 | x86_64 |
| Cloud VPS | Rocky 8 | x86_64 |
What you will configure
These are the customer-editable fields for this recipe version. In the install dialog they live under Additional settings (Basics and Optional packs). Access mode is a separate control above that section. Generated passwords and owner accounts appear once as secrets in the panel after install — they are not free-text catalog fields unless listed below.
This recipe version exposes no customer-editable configuration fields. Generated secrets still appear once in the panel after install when the recipe creates them.
Frequently asked questions
01How do I install Owncast on a VPSnet server?
Choose Owncast while ordering and it will be installed automatically as soon as the server is ready. On an active server, open Applications, select Owncast and choose Install. You may leave optional settings blank or change them before installation.
02What are the minimum requirements for Owncast?
The catalog lists a minimum of 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM and 10 GB NVMe for Owncast. Requirements may differ by server type; compare the table above.
03How can I access Owncast after installation?
During installation, you can use an automatically created VPSnet HTTPS address, choose a domain from your VPSnet account and enter its subdomain, provide an existing HTTPS address, open it through the server public IP over HTTP or keep the application private.
04How do I manage Owncast after installation?
In Applications, you can start, stop or restart Owncast, check its health and review recent activity. The same actions are available through the API and MCP.