HomeBox Hosting

1. Open your pod URL and register the first user account, then sign in.
2. Disable user registration in settings after creating your account if you do not want other visitors to sign up.
3. Create locations such as rooms, shelves and boxes, then add items with their details and attachments.
4. Optional: export a sample CSV to see the expected columns, adapt your existing spreadsheet and use the CSV import guide. Attachments must be added separately after import.

The quick-start guide covers first registration. You can then organize records and create labels from the web interface.

No. PikaPods sets up and runs HomeBox for you, including OS and app updates and HTTPS. You won't touch Docker or a server. Your files and database stay accessible if you ever want to move them elsewhere.

Yes. Open your pod URL in a modern browser on your phone, tablet or computer; the documentation describes a web interface rather than a separate native client. You can manage inventory and print or download labels from the browser. Keep your pod URL reachable from the device you are using.

Core inventory, search and browser/PDF label printing need no third-party account. Optional outgoing email requires your own SMTP provider and credentials. BarcodeSpider product lookups require a separate API token, and any provider charges are separate from PikaPods; see the configuration reference.

Direct server-side label printing also needs an administrator-configured print command and a reachable printer. Without it, use browser printing or downloads instead, as explained in the label guide.

Set up incremental backups to S3 in your pod settings for automatic nightly snapshots, or download your files and database yourself. We keep whole-server backups for server failures, but they aren't a per-pod restore service, so your own backup is what protects your data.

You can use HomeBox instead of Sortly. PikaPods runs it for you, and you can move your files and database elsewhere.

Both let you catalog items with photos, locations and QR labels. Sortly is a hosted inventory service aimed largely at businesses, with limits and features set by plan. HomeBox is built for personal belongings, runs on your pod, and uses CSV imports and exports to move records in or out.

No. You add prepaid credit and your pods are billed by the hour from that balance, rounded up to full hours. There are no contracts or minimum terms: delete a pod anytime and billing stops. Optional automatic top-ups keep your pods running without manual payments.

You do. And you're in full control. If you ever want to download, migrate, edit or delete your data, just enable file and database access for your pod and it will be right there.

Yes. HomeBox is part of our Green Heart program, so part of the revenue from every deployed pod goes to the project.