Purchase a Self-Managed VPS with Easypanel Installation

Easypanel is a modern server management platform that allows you to easily deploy, manage and monitor applications on your VPS. Its intuitive web-based dashboard allows you to manage your websites, databases, domains, SSL certificates and applications without requiring extensive server administration experience. Whether you are launching a personal project, hosting client websites or managing business applications, EasyPanel makes server management simple and allows you the flexibility and control of a Self-Managed VPS.

Why Use Easypanel?

Handling applications and websites on a server can be challenging, especially if you’re not comfortable with command-line tools. EasyPanel simplifies this process by offering a user-friendly interface to deploy and manage your projects from a single dashboard. When installed on a Bluehost Self-Managed VPS, Easypanel gives you greater control over your hosting environment while making common management tasks easier. You can deploy applications faster, manage server resources more efficiently, and scale your projects as your needs grow.

Uses of Easypanel

Easypanel can support a variety of hosting and application management needs, including:

Website Hosting: Host and manage one or multiple websites from a centralized dashboard.
Application Deployment: Deploy web applications quickly with minimal server configuration.
Database Management: Create and maintain your databases for your websites and applications.
Development and Testing Environments: Set up environments for development, staging, and testing projects.
Container Management: Manage containerized applications through an easy-to-use interface.
Domain and SSL Management: Connect domains and secure your websites with SSL certificates.
Server Monitoring: Monitor resource usage and server performance from a single location.

How to Purchase a Self-Managed VPS with Easypanel Installation

To set up and operate Easypanel effectively, start by getting a Self-Managed VPS Hosting plan from Bluehost, then proceed with the following steps:

Pre-configured Setup

Self-Managed VPS - Pre-configured Setup

New to VPS or not sure where to start? No worries! At the top of the Self-Managed VPS purchase page, you’ll see the Pre-configured Setup section. This handy feature is perfect if you’re feeling a bit unsure—just pick the type of project you want, like WordPress Site, AI Agent/Claude Code, Dev/Staging, or eCommerce Store. We’ll take care of the rest by automatically filling in the best plan, operating system, and template for you.

Super simple for beginners or anyone who just wants a quick setup
Instantly get the recommended settings for your project
Skip the guesswork and save time
You can still customize things later if you want

Give the Pre-configured Setup a try and get your Bluehost Self-Managed VPS up and running in no time!

In your browser, go to https://www.bluehost.com/vps-hosting.
Click the Choose Plan button under your preferred VPS hosting plan.

Important: Pricing is subject to change—please visit https://www.bluehost.com/vps-hosting for the current introductory/sign-up offer for Bluehost VPS Hosting. For the most up-to-date renewal pricing, visit your Bluehost Portal Renewal Center.
Select your preferred Data Center location.
On the Cart page, you can configure your server to fit your needs in the following section:
1. Hardware:
  1. Pre-selected:
    You can select a different Self-Managed VPS plan in this section.
  2. Configure:
    Click Configure to customize your package.
    
    Note that your changes help customize your plan, and the overall cost will adjust accordingly to fit your needs.
2. Software:
  1. Click the Application tab.
  2. Select Easypanel.
  3. In the pop-up, click Confirm.
Add-Ons: You can add Premium Support here, which gives you priority access to expert assistance and faster response times.
In the Advanced options:
- Extra IP's: You can add extra IP addresses for an additional fee.
  Pricing changes based on how many IPs you add.
- Hostname: Assign a custom hostname to easily identify your server. This is optional.
Next, select your preferred billing term and review your Order Summary, then click Continue to Checkout.
Do the following on the Checkout page:
If you're new with Bluehost:
1. Create your Bluehost account by using your email address or by connecting with your Google, Apple, or GitHub account — whichever you prefer!
2. Select your preferred payment method: credit card, Google Pay, or PayPal. Enter your billing information.
If you have an account with us, you will see your Bluehost login details when you are logged into your Bluehost Portal. If you are not logged in, please click the Log In link.
In the Shopping Cart section, you can still adjust your billing term if needed.
Review the items in your cart, add a Promo Code if you have one, and then click Submit Payment to complete the purchase.

After checkout, your Self-Managed VPS will begin setting up. Once it’s ready, you can find it under the Hosting tab in your Bluehost Portal.

The First-Boot Automation

If you spin up this server, an automated first-boot script executes the following:

Starts Docker and Swarm: It boots up the systemd Docker service and initializes Docker Swarm (which EasyPanel uses to manage containers).
Launches EasyPanel and Traefik: It fires up the EasyPanel management app container (listening on port 3000) and the Traefik reverse proxy (listening on ports 80 and 443).
Generates your Domain: It grabs your server's public IP address (e.g., 1.2.3.4) and creates a special domain using sslip.io (example: dashboard.1.2.3.4.sslip.io).
Secures it with SSL: Traefik uses that domain to instantly request a free, valid SSL certificate from Let's Encrypt over port 80.

Verify

Since you are currently logged into the terminal as root, you can run a quick health check before opening your browser. Paste these commands into your terminal:

Check running containers:

You should see easypanel and traefik listed with replicas showing 1/1.

 docker service ls

Example Output:

Last login: Tue Jun 23 22:19:24 2026 from 123.456.7.89
root@server-123456:~# docker service ls
ID             NAME                MODE         REPLICAS   IMAGE                        PORTS
uhhadq8vxc3e   easypanel           replicated   1/1        easypanel/easypanel:latest
wz76prp8as38   easypanel-traefik   replicated   1/1        traefik:3.6.7
root@server-123456:~#

Check open ports:

You should see lines showing that something is actively listening on ports 80, 443, and 3000.

ss -tulnp | grep -E '80|443|3000'

Example Output:


root@server-123456:~# ss -tulnp | grep -E '80|443|3000'
tcp   LISTEN 0      4096             0.0.0.0:443       0.0.0.0:*    users:(("docker-proxy",pid=1387,fd=8))              
tcp   LISTEN 0      4096             0.0.0.0:80        0.0.0.0:*    users:(("docker-proxy",pid=1370,fd=8))              
tcp   LISTEN 0      4096             0.0.0.0:3000      0.0.0.0:*    users:(("docker-proxy",pid=1627,fd=8))              
tcp   LISTEN 0      4096                [::]:443          [::]:*    users:(("docker-proxy",pid=1392,fd=8))              
tcp   LISTEN 0      4096                [::]:80           [::]:*    users:(("docker-proxy",pid=1374,fd=8))              
tcp   LISTEN 0      4096                [::]:3000         [::]:*    users:(("docker-proxy",pid=1631,fd=8))

Get your exact login URL: Run:
```
cat /etc/easypanel/dashboard-url
```

Access your EasyPanel Dashboard

After the configuration completes:

Log In via Your Browser:
```
https://dashboard.server-ip.sslip.io
```
Fallback Option: If the secure link ever encounters a temporary DNS delay, you can access the dashboard directly via HTTP at:
```
http://server-ip:3000
```
Important!
- Make sure you use https:// and include the trailing slash after your panel path.

Bypass the Browser Security Warning
EasyPanel uses a temporary self-signed SSL certificate, your browser will flag it. Click Advanced and then Proceed/Continue to bypass it safely.
Create Your Admin Account
Because this image does not ship with standard, insecure default passwords, your first visit will require you to secure the panel.
1. On the first screen, enter your Email Address.
2. Create a strong, secure Password.
3. Fill in the "How did you find EasyPanel?" section
4. Click Setup to finalize.
Once done, you will be routed to the Easypanel Dashboard:

You are now the master administrator of the cluster. From here, you can completely abandon the command line and deploy databases, applications, and manage custom domains entirely using EasyPanel's visual UI.

Additional Information and Example Documentation Output

You can run cat /root/README.md to see more information and useful commands:

Example Output:

root@server-123456:~# cat /root/README.md
# Easypanel

## Description

EasyPanel is a modern server management panel that lets you deploy and manage applications, databases, and services from a visual interface.

It supports Docker-based deployments, one-click app installs, custom domain management, and SSL automation, providing a streamlined way to run and monitor your server workloads without complex command-line setup.


## Services

| Service      | Description                                                        | Managed By |
| ------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------- |
| easypanel    | Web interface for managing applications (port 3000)                | docker     |
| traefik      | Reverse proxy and SSL termination for all traffic (ports 80, 443)  | docker     |
| docker       | Container runtime                                                  | systemd    |
| docker-swarm | Container orchestration                                            | docker     |
| ufw          | Firewall (allows 22, 80, 443, 3000)                                | systemd    |

## Stack

| Component         | Details                                    |
| ----------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| Container runtime | Docker Engine                              |
| Orchestration     | Docker Swarm                               |
| Reverse proxy     | Traefik (ports 80, 443)                    |
| Firewall          | UFW (SSH 22, HTTP 80, HTTPS 443, direct 3000) |
| Panel             | EasyPanel (port 3000)                      |

## First Boot

On first boot the image automatically:

1. Ensures Docker service is running
2. Confirms Docker Swarm is initialized
3. Verifies Easypanel service is active
4. Waits until Easypanel becomes available on port 3000
5. Detects the public IP and writes a Traefik dynamic config to `/etc/easypanel/traefik/config/custom.yaml`, routing `dashboard..sslip.io` -> `localhost:3000`
6. Traefik picks up the route immediately and obtains a Let's Encrypt certificate automatically via HTTP-01 on port 80

No default admin credentials are created during this process.

## Accessing EasyPanel

After first boot, access the dashboard at:

```
https://dashboard..sslip.io
```

For example, if your server IP is `1.2.3.4`:

```
https://dashboard.1.2.3.4.sslip.io
```

The Let's Encrypt certificate is obtained automatically by Traefik - no manual SSL setup required.

For direct fallback access (no SSL):

```
http://:3000
```

On first access:

- Enter your email address
- Set a password
- Complete the setup

This creates your admin account.

## Manage

From the panel you can:

- Deploy applications and databases
- Configure custom domains
- Monitor running services
- Manage SSL certificates (auto-provisioned via Traefik)

## Notes

- Traefik owns ports 80 and 443 for both the EasyPanel dashboard and all user-deployed applications
- The dashboard is served at `https://dashboard..sslip.io` - [sslip.io](https://sslip.io) is a wildcard DNS service that resolves `anything..sslip.io` to ``, enabling Let's Encrypt certificates without a registered domain
- Port 3000 provides direct HTTP access to EasyPanel (no SSL) - useful for private networks or debugging
- On private/local IPs, the sslip.io route is skipped and only direct port 3000 access is available

## Useful Commands

```
docker service ls
docker service logs easypanel --tail 50
systemctl status docker
ss -tulnp | grep -E '80|443|3000'
journalctl -t easypanel-firstboot -n 100 --no-pager
cat /etc/easypanel/dashboard-url
cat /etc/easypanel/traefik/config/custom.yaml
```

## Ports

| Port | Service                              |
| ---- | ------------------------------------ |
| 22   | SSH                                  |
| 80   | HTTP (Traefik - ACME challenge + redirect) |
| 443  | HTTPS (Traefik - dashboard + user apps)    |
| 3000 | EasyPanel UI (direct, no SSL)        |

## Links

- Documentation: [https://easypanel.io/docs](https://easypanel.io/docs)
- Docker documentation: [https://docs.docker.com](https://docs.docker.com)
- Traefik documentation: [https://doc.traefik.io/traefik/](https://doc.traefik.io/traefik/)
- sslip.io: [https://sslip.io](https://sslip.io)

Summary

Easypanel is an easy and efficient way to manage your applications, websites, databases and server resources through an intuitive web based dashboard. With Easypanel and a Bluehost Self-Managed VPS, server management is easier, while you still have the flexibility and control to customize your environment. Easypanel makes it easy to get started and grow your operations as your needs change, whether you are hosting websites, deploying applications or managing development projects.

Did you find this article helpful?