How to use the ServerKit VPS template at Hostinger

ServerKit is a free, open-source server control panel for managing web applications, databases, Docker containers, domains, SSL certificates, and security on a virtual private server (VPS). The ServerKit VPS template at Hostinger installs the panel for you, so you can start managing your server from a web dashboard right away. This article explains how to install the template, log in to the ServerKit panel, and set up a custom panel domain.

Step 1 – Install the ServerKit template

1. Log in to Hostinger dashboard and go to VPS, then click Manage next to your VPS.
2. In the sidebar, go to OS & Panel → Operating System.
3. Select the ServerKit template from the list of applications. The template is available for Ubuntu 24.04 and Ubuntu 26.04.
4. In the Create panel password window, enter a panel password or click Generate to create one automatically, then click Change OS.

The panel password you set here is the password you will use to log in to the ServerKit panel, so save it in a secure place.

Step 2 – Log in to the ServerKit panel

Once the installation is complete, open your browser and go to your VPS IP address, for example:

http://185.185.185.185

You can find the IP address of your VPS in Hostinger dashboard, in the VPS overview. On the ServerKit login page, enter the following credentials:

• Username: admin.
• Password: the panel password you created during the template installation.

Step 3 – Manage your server with ServerKit

After logging in, you can use the ServerKit panel to manage your VPS without using the command line. From the dashboard, you can:

• Deploy PHP, Python, Node.js, and Docker applications, including over 60 one-click application templates such as WordPress, Ghost, Nextcloud, and n8n.
• Manage MySQL and PostgreSQL databases with the built-in SQL console.
• Manage domains and DNS zones, and provision SSL certificates through Let’s Encrypt.
• Monitor CPU, memory, disk, and network usage in real time.
• Protect the server with firewall rules, Fail2ban, malware scanning, and two-factor authentication.
• Schedule cron jobs and set up backup policies.

Step 4 – Set a custom panel domain (optional)

By default, the ServerKit panel is available at your VPS IP address. To access it using a domain instead:

1. Point your domain to the VPS by creating an A record with your VPS IP address as the value, for example panel.domain.tld pointing to 185.185.185.185.
2. In the ServerKit panel, open Settings → System, or go directly to http://185.185.185.185/settings/system.
3. Scroll down to the Panel Domain section.
4. Enter your domain, for example panel.domain.tld, and confirm the change.

From then on, you can open the ServerKit panel using your domain instead of the IP address.

Keeping ServerKit up to date

To update ServerKit to the latest version, connect to your VPS via SSH or the browser terminal in Hostinger dashboard and run:

sudo serverkit update

Updates are atomic: ServerKit backs up its database, deploys the new version, runs a health check, and rolls back automatically if anything fails.

That’s it! Your VPS is now running ServerKit, and you can deploy and manage applications directly from its web dashboard.

Additional resources

• ServerKit Documentation