shinyapps.io is closing to new applications at the end of 2026, with all users migrating to Posit Connect Cloud (existing content auto-migrates in early 2027). This walkthrough explains why to move, then shows how to replicate a GitHub Actions-based deployment pipeline for Posit Connect Cloud: obtaining a Content ID, maintaining an renv.lock file with pak, generating a Posit Connect Cloud token, writing a full deploy.yml workflow, and configuring the required GitHub secrets and variables. It also covers extending the workflow for dev branch deployments and notes Posit's official migration tool for moving existing shinyapps.io content.
Table of contents
Why move to Posit Connect Cloud?Deploying content to Posit Connect CloudMigration and hosting adviceQuestions this post answers
Is shinyapps.io shutting down and do I need to migrate to Posit Connect Cloud?
Yes, Posit announced in January 2026 that shinyapps.io will close to new apps at the end of 2026, with all users moving to Posit Connect Cloud. Existing shinyapps.io content keeps working and will be automatically migrated in early 2027, or you can use Posit's provided migration tool to move and test content sooner. Track migration deadlines like the shinyapps.io shutdown on daily.dev before they catch your deployment off guard.
How do I deploy a Shiny app to Posit Connect Cloud using GitHub Actions instead of Git-backed deployment?
Obtain a Content ID from the app's default URL in Posit Connect Cloud settings, maintain an renv.lock file (using pak for faster restores), and generate Posit Connect Cloud client credentials. Then build a GitHub Actions workflow that installs pak, restores renv packages, authenticates with rsconnect::connectCloudClientCredentials, writes a .dcf config file with the Content ID, and calls rsconnect::deployApp with forceUpdate=TRUE. daily.dev helps developers wiring up CI/CD pipelines keep pace with platform migrations like this one.
What is the price difference between shinyapps.io and Posit Connect Cloud for custom domain hosting with SSL?
Custom domain with SSL required the highest $349/month Professional tier on shinyapps.io, but on Posit Connect Cloud the same capability is available starting at the $59/month Enhanced tier. Posit Connect Cloud also supports more content types beyond Shiny, including Streamlit, Bokeh, and Jupyter Notebooks, with unlimited Quarto and R Markdown hosting on all plans. Compare hosting tier changes like this on daily.dev when budgeting your next platform migration.