Overview
ARM CPU Pods run on 64-bit ARM (aarch64) processors. They offer excellent performance-per-watt and cost efficiency for workloads that have ARM builds. This article explains when to choose them and how software compatibility works.
Why ARM
- Efficient: ARM cores deliver strong performance for their power draw, which can translate into lower plan prices for equivalent throughput.
- Modern images: ARM-native Ubuntu, Debian and AlmaLinux images are available.
- Growing ecosystem: Docker/OCI images, Node.js, Python, Go, Nginx, PostgreSQL and many others ship official aarch64 builds.
Compatibility caveats
- Software must have an aarch64 build. Check before you migrate:
bash
uname -m # arm64 / aarch64 on the Pod
dpkg --print-architecture # Debian/Ubuntu
- Some proprietary or x86-only binaries will not run. You can sometimes emulate x86 with QEMU, but performance suffers — prefer a native build.
- Container images must be multi-arch or explicitly arm64. Test with:
bash
docker pull --platform linux/arm64 your/image
Deploying an ARM Pod
- Open the ALYPOD Console at account.alypod.com.
- Click Deploy Pod and select an ARM (aarch64) plan.
- Choose an ARM-compatible OS template and finish the wizard.
- Verify the architecture after boot with
uname -m.
Ideal workloads
- Web servers, APIs and microservices.
- CI runners, containers and Kubernetes worker nodes.
- Databases, caches and message queues with ARM builds.
- Development and testing of ARM deployments.
Troubleshooting
- Problem: a package has no install candidate. Solution: the vendor publishes no arm64 build — search for an ARM alternative or use the emulation path sparingly.
- Problem: Docker image fails to start. Solution: the image is amd64-only; rebuild it for arm64 or choose a multi-arch tag.
Related articles
- [How to deploy a CPU Pod]
- [Shared CPU Pods explained]
- [Dedicated CPU Pods explained]
