support@build.io
1. Getting Started
1.1 What is Build.io?
Secure PaaS for Modern Applications
Build.io is a robust PaaS for high performance teams, enhancing development with best practices in security, CI/CD and seamless GitHub integration.
Securely deploy your SaaS application
Build.io integrates seamlessly with the tools you already use. Authenticate through GitHub for quick deployment of your applications directly to Build.io.
Build.io detects the right buildpack for your project
Build.io automatically detects the right buildpack for your project, creating a secure build environment based on best practices. Utilizing the same buildpack recipes trusted by Google, Bloomberg, and thousands of other leading companies, Build.io ensures your app deployment is smooth and reliable.
Deploy with trust, scale and save money
Deploy your app with just one click using Build.io. Choose from both private and public cloud deployment options to suit your needs.
Everything you need to deploy your app
Build.io integrates seamlessly with the tools you already use. Authenticate through GitHub for quick deployment of your applications directly to Build.io.
Add-ons
Enhance your applications with our extensive range of add-ons including databases, caches, and more, all seamlessly integrated to boost performance and scalability.
SSL certificates
Automatically secure your applications with SSL Certificates from Build.io. Ensure encrypted connections and build trust with end-users from the first visit.
High Availability
Depend on Build.io’s robust architecture designed for high availability and resilience. Maintain performance and stability under any load conditions.
With all the advantages of cloud native buildpacks
At the core of Build.io are Cloud Native Buildpacks. Get all the advantages of buildpacks without any manual work.
Advanced caching
Robust caching is used to improve performance.
Reproducibility
Reproduces the same app image digest by re-running the build.
Modular / Pluggable
Multiple buildpacks can be used to create an app image.
Multi-language
Supports more than one programming language family.
Heroku Compatible
Heroku's most popular features are supported out of the box.
Reusability
Leverage prod-ready buildpacks from the community.
Security and Compliance: Trusted by hundreds of developers worldwide
Build.io is a managed service operating from Tier 4 data centers strategically located across major internet hubs in the US (East and West), Western Europe, and Japan.
Our team comprises core contributors to prominent security tools and projects, including Metasploit, Kubernetes, QVIP, and Cilium, all under the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF). With multiple CISSP-certified and Crest CRT-certified penetration testers on board, we prioritize your security at every level. Please reach out to our team to discuss our security and compliance.
1.2 How it works (high-level architecture)
Build.io takes your code and runs it in the cloud. You push your code, we handle the servers, networking, scaling, and deployments. This section explains the core concepts you'll encounter.
From Code to Running App
When you deploy to Build.io, the following happens:
Your code is sent to our build system, which detects your language and framework automatically.
We install your dependencies, compile assets if needed, and package everything into a lightweight container.
That container is then deployed to our infrastructure and starts receiving traffic.
You don't manage servers, operating systems, or container orchestration. You manage your code and configuration.
The Pipeline: Your Deployment Workflow
The pipeline is the heart of Build.io. It represents the journey your code takes from development to production, and it's designed around how modern teams actually work.
A typical pipeline has three stages:
Review Apps are temporary environments created automatically when you open a pull request. Each PR gets its own isolated app with its own URL, so your team can test and review changes before merging. When the PR is closed, the review app is destroyed automatically.
Staging is your pre-production environment. After code is merged to your main branch, it deploys here automatically. This is where you run final tests, QA checks, or demos before going live. Staging mirrors production as closely as possible.
Production is your live environment serving real users. When you're confident in what's running on staging, you promote it to production with a single click. This isn't a rebuild — the exact same container that ran on staging is deployed to production, eliminating "works on my machine" surprises.
Key Concepts
Apps are the core unit of deployment. An app is a single deployable codebase — typically one web service, API, or worker process.
Dynos are the lightweight containers that run your code. You can scale horizontally by adding more dynos, or vertically by choosing larger dyno sizes.
Buildpacks are scripts that detect your language, install dependencies, and compile your app. We provide official buildpacks for common languages, or you can use custom ones.
Config Vars are environment variables used to configure your app. Database URLs, API keys, and feature flags all belong here — not in your code.
Add-ons are managed services like databases, caching, monitoring, and logging that you can attach to your app with a single command.
What You Control vs. What We Manage
1.3 Quickstart guide (deploy your first app in 5 minutes)
Deploy your first app in under 5 minutes.
Prerequisites
You'll need:
- A Build.io account (sign up here and wait for us to enable your account)
- An existing application to deploy
1.3.1 Create an App
Locate the New + drop down button, next to your avatar on the top right of the page. Click New App from this menu:
On the page that opens, give the app a name, and set the region to us-east-1:
A new app will be created, and you will see the a new page, which various tabs along the top of the page.
1.3.2 Select a Stack
Click on the Settings tab. On this page, set the Stack to the latest Heroku stack if you want to build your app using the (recommended) buildpack approach:
1.3.3 Select necessary Buildpacks
Further down, on the same page, locate the Buildpacks section of the page and add any language/framework specific buildpacks that your application requires. This sample app is a ruby app, and so we will specify the full path the the GitHub repository of the official Heroku ruby buildpack:
1.3.4 Connect Git Repository
From the tabs at the top of the page, click on Deploy, then locate the Connection section. This is where you connect the App to a GitHub repository. Choose the GitHub Organization from the top box and then search for the name of a repo in the second box. In the list of results that is returned, click Connect to the desired repo:
Once this step is complete, the Connection section, will look like this, showing that the connection is working:
1.3.5 Deploy
Scroll to the bottom of this page to kick-off a Manual Deploy, choosing the relevant branch that you want to deploy. The process will begin when you click Deploy Branch:
You will be redirected to the Build page, which shows the App being built in real-time:
At any time, you can navigate back to the Overview tab, and see the main view of the App. Here you can see that the build succeeded (44s ago) and was then deployed (<1s ago). The “Go” link on this page (on the top right) will open you newly created App, ready to use:
And that’s it! You’ve deployed your first App to Build.io!
1.4 Supported languages and frameworks
Build.io supports the languages and frameworks your team already uses. If it runs in a container, it runs on Build.io. And if you've never touched a container in your life, chances are our buildpacks will handle everything automatically.
Not sure if your stack is supported? Most web applications work out of the box. If you run into issues, reach out to support@build.io and we'll help you get set up.
Official Buildpacks
We use industry-standard Cloud Native Buildpacks maintained by leading cloud providers. These buildpacks are battle-tested, regularly updated, and optimized for production workloads. These buildpacks are optimized for fast builds, small images, and production-ready defaults — no configuration required. These buildpacks receive regular updates for new language versions, security patches, and performance improvements.
Community Buildpacks
Beyond official buildpacks, you can use buildpacks from the broader Cloud Native Buildpacks community. This gives you access to support for additional languages, alternative runtimes, and specialized configurations.
Custom Buildpacks
If your stack has unique requirements, you can create your own buildpack or fork an existing one. Custom buildpacks give you full control over the build process while still benefiting from our deployment pipeline.
Container Deployments
Already have a Docker workflow? You can deploy any Docker image directly, bypassing buildpacks entirely. If it runs in a container, it runs on Build.io.