Seeds are virtual servers (also called cloud servers, VPS, or VMs) in our dataforest Cloud. They function like standalone servers – without you having to manage physical hardware. With Seeds, you get full control over operating system, applications, and configurations, while we take care of the underlying infrastructure.

Seeds provide the ideal infrastructure for a wide variety of use cases. They can be flexibly scaled and adapted to your specific requirements, whether for small projects or complex enterprise applications.

• Hosting websites, web applications, and e-commerce platforms with optimal performance
• Operating databases, containerized applications, and complex microservices
• Development environments, CI/CD pipelines, and test infrastructures for agile teams

The Cloud offers numerous benefits such as cost savings (no investment in hardware), flexibility (pay-as-you-grow), scalability (easy adjustment to growing requirements), and increased security (physical unauthorized access in high-security data centers is practically impossible compared to company-owned server rooms).

Cloud providers invest heavily in security, as this is a central part of their business model. They often offer better protection than many companies can implement themselves, with encryption, regular updates, and comprehensive security measures such as housing servers in high-security data centers. However, it is important to choose a trustworthy provider and review your own security measures such as access control and data protection policies.

We will provide additional cloud locations based on demand from our customers and prospects. You can request additional locations in our platform.

In the dataforest Cloud, there are no minimum terms and no cancellation periods. Seeds (and add-ons) are billed on an hourly basis – as soon as you destroy them, billing stops. Please note that you must actively delete your Seed to effectively stop billing. Simply shutting it down or not using the service is not sufficient.

No. On the first of each month, we invoice you exactly for the services you used in the previous month and automatically charge them to your payment method.

Currently, we offer SEPA direct debit and credit card payment. All major card providers are supported. Due to the postpaid principle, payment by bank transfer is currently not available.

As a new customer, you can create five Seeds. The limit is regularly recalculated automatically by the system, so you can create more and more Seeds over time.

We consider traffic not on the basis of a single Seed, but for your entire team and the past calendar month based on the cumulative total traffic of all Seeds. With each Seed you book, your team's inclusive traffic increases proportionally from the order time until the end of the month. Only outbound traffic is consumption-relevant. Inbound traffic is not considered. Additional consumption is billed at a charge. Please refer to the respective product for the price per TB.

Tokens are an additional currency in the dataforest Cloud that you can redeem to pay for your Seeds partially or in full. You receive these, for example, through our social media channels or newsletters as part of promotional campaigns. Tokens must be redeemed before the invoice for the previous month is issued on the first of the month. Tokens cannot be applied to invoices that have already been issued.

For new customers, an advance invoice may be created to ensure smooth billing.

When is an advance invoice created?

Advance invoices are only for new customers who haven’t received an invoice from us yet. Whether and when we issue one depends on your effective consumption (monthly costs minus your tokens), once a threshold is reached. When it applies to you, we’ll send the advance invoice automatically.

What happens upon payment?

Upon successful payment, the invoice amount is automatically credited as tokens. These tokens are then automatically applied to your next regular monthly invoice and reduce the amount to be paid accordingly.

The advance invoice is automatically offset against the next regular billing.

Currently not.

A team is the central unit used to manage your resources, access, and billing in the dataforest Cloud.

Seeds, SSH keys, tokens, invoices, payment methods, and costs are always tied to the currently active team.

Yes. You can adjust team settings such as the team name and work with your team members on the same team resources. The ability to expand your team and invite additional members will be available in the future.