---
title: "Deploy AFFiNE | Open Source Notion, Miro Alternative on Railway"
description: "Self Host AFFiNE. Docs, whiteboards, databases, auto migrations &  more"
category: "CMS"
url: https://railway.com/deploy/affine-notion-alternative
---

# Deploy AFFiNE | Open Source Notion, Miro Alternative on Railway

Self Host AFFiNE. Docs, whiteboards, databases, auto migrations &  more

**[Deploy AFFiNE | Open Source Notion, Miro Alternative on Railway on Railway](https://railway.com/template/affine-notion-alternative)**

- **Creator:** Heimdall
- **Category:** CMS
- **Total deploys:** 19

## Template content

### Redis https://cdn.sanity.io/images/sy1jschh/production/0ce0bfdcfbdbf69662b1116671f97c2dd788b655-157x157.svg

- **Image:** redis:8.2.1
- **Start command:** `/bin/sh -c "rm -rf $RAILWAY_VOLUME_MOUNT_PATH/lost+found/ && exec docker-entrypoint.sh redis-server --requirepass $REDIS_PASSWORD --save 60 1 --dir $RAILWAY_VOLUME_MOUNT_PATH"`

### pgvector https://devicons.railway.app/postgres

- **Image:** pgvector/pgvector:pg18
- **Start command:** `/bin/sh -c "unset PGPORT; docker-entrypoint.sh postgres --port=5432"`
- **Public domain:** Yes

### Affine https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/homarr-labs/dashboard-icons/svg/affine-light.svg

- **Image:** ghcr.io/toeverything/affine:stable
- **Public domain:** Yes

## Documentation

![AFFiNE logo](https://affine.pro/overview/Draw.jpg)

# Deploy and Host AFFiNE on Railway

[![Deploy on Railway](https://railway.com/button.svg)](https://railway.com/deploy/affine-notion-alternative?referralCode=QXdhdr)

AFFiNE is an open-source, privacy-first all-in-one workspace that combines docs, whiteboards, and databases into a single canvas — a self-hostable alternative to Notion + Miro. Self-host AFFiNE on Railway and keep every page, edge, and knowledge base on infrastructure you control, with pgvector-backed Postgres, Redis caching, and an HTTPS-terminated public domain configured out of the box.

This Railway template pre-configures three services for a production-ready AFFiNE deployment: the AFFiNE server (`ghcr.io/toeverything/affine:stable`), a Postgres 16 instance with pgvector for AI and embeddings (`pgvector/pgvector:pg16`), and Railway's managed Redis cache with AUTH enabled. Database migrations run automatically via Railway's pre-deploy command, and the public URL is wired through `AFFINE_SERVER_EXTERNAL_URL` so internal links resolve to your Railway domain.

![AFFiNE Railway architecture](https://res.cloudinary.com/asset-cloudinary/image/upload/v1776782257/affine-railway-architecture_jtkyzk.png)

## Getting Started with AFFiNE on Railway

After the Railway template finishes deploying, open the public URL of the AFFiNE service — the first request redirects to `/admin/setup` for the initial admin account bootstrap. Use the `AFFINE_ADMIN_EMAIL` and `AFFINE_ADMIN_PASSWORD` values from the template's environment variables to complete setup. Once inside, create a workspace, invite teammates by email, and start building docs or whiteboards. Install the AFFiNE desktop or mobile app and point it at your Railway URL to sync across devices.

![AFFiNE dashboard screenshot](https://res.cloudinary.com/asset-cloudinary/image/upload/v1776782258/affine-dashboard_uvy2kw.png)

## About Hosting AFFiNE

AFFiNE ships a single real-time collaborative canvas where Markdown docs, Kanban boards, data tables, and infinite whiteboards live side-by-side. Every block is bi-directional, so a database row can also be a page, and a whiteboard element can also be a document.

Key features:
- Block-based editor with Markdown, slash commands, and rich embeds
- Infinite whiteboards with shapes, connectors, handwriting, and mind maps
- Databases with Kanban, grid, list, and calendar views
- Real-time multi-player collaboration with CRDT-backed sync
- Local-first architecture — data syncs to your own server, not a SaaS
- AI copilot hooks (optional, requires pgvector and external LLM keys)

Architecture is a NestJS backend (`affine`) fronted by HTTP, a Postgres database with the pgvector extension for embeddings, and a Redis cache for sessions and job coordination.

## Why Deploy AFFiNE on Railway

Railway gives self-hosted AFFiNE the plumbing it needs without YAML wrestling:

- Automatic HTTPS on a `*.up.railway.app` domain or your own custom domain
- Managed Postgres + Redis wired via `${{Postgres.*}}` / `${{Redis.*}}` references
- Persistent volumes for AFFiNE uploads and Postgres data
- Pre-deploy command runs migrations before the app starts
- One-click redeploys when the AFFiNE upstream image updates

## Common Use Cases

- Internal company wiki and knowledge base with whiteboard-driven RFCs
- Product design hub combining docs, diagrams, and feature databases in one view
- Student or research notes with linked references and visual study maps
- Async planning workspace for distributed teams — docs, boards, and Kanban in one URL

## Dependencies for AFFiNE

- **AFFiNE server** — `ghcr.io/toeverything/affine:stable` (NestJS monolith, port 3010)
- **Postgres with pgvector** — `pgvector/pgvector:pg16` (data + embeddings)
- **Redis** — Railway managed Redis (AUTH enabled, `REDIS_URL` auto-wired)

### Environment Variables Reference

| Variable | Purpose |
|---|---|
| `AFFINE_SERVER_EXTERNAL_URL` | Public URL used for share links and OAuth callbacks |
| `AFFINE_ADMIN_EMAIL` / `AFFINE_ADMIN_PASSWORD` | Bootstrap admin credentials on first boot |
| `DATABASE_URL` | Postgres connection string (with pgvector) |
| `REDIS_SERVER_HOST` / `REDIS_SERVER_PORT` | Redis cache coordinates |
| `AFFINE_INDEXER_ENABLED` | Toggle search indexer (Manticore/ES) — off by default |
| `MAILER_HOST`, `MAILER_PORT`, `MAILER_USER`, `MAILER_PASSWORD`, `MAILER_SENDER` | Optional SMTP for invites and password reset |

### Deployment Dependencies

- Runtime: Node.js 22 inside the AFFiNE Docker image
- Source: [github.com/toeverything/AFFiNE](https://github.com/toeverything/AFFiNE)
- Docker image: [ghcr.io/toeverything/affine](https://github.com/toeverything/AFFiNE/pkgs/container/affine)
- Official self-host docs: [docs.affine.pro/self-host-affine](https://docs.affine.pro/self-host-affine)

## Hardware Requirements for Self-Hosting AFFiNE

| Resource | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 1 vCPU | 2 vCPU |
| RAM | 1 GB | 2 GB |
| Storage (AFFiNE volume) | 2 GB | 10 GB |
| Storage (Postgres volume) | 2 GB | 10 GB |
| Runtime | Node.js 22 (bundled in image) | Node.js 22 |

A solo workspace with a few thousand blocks fits comfortably in 1 GB RAM. Teams with dozens of concurrent editors should raise the AFFiNE service to 2 GB and Postgres to 1 GB.

## Self-Hosting AFFiNE

On Railway, the template handles service creation, volume attachment, and variable wiring. The equivalent docker-compose snippet looks like this:

```
services:
  affine:
    image: ghcr.io/toeverything/affine:stable
    ports: ["3010:3010"]
    depends_on: [postgres, redis]
    environment:
      AFFINE_SERVER_EXTERNAL_URL: https://affine.example.com
      DATABASE_URL: postgresql://affine:pw@postgres:5432/affine
      REDIS_SERVER_HOST: redis
      AFFINE_INDEXER_ENABLED: "false"
    volumes:
      - affine_data:/root/.affine
```

Run the one-off migration before the main process starts:

```
docker run --rm --env-file .env \
  ghcr.io/toeverything/affine:stable \
  node ./scripts/self-host-predeploy.js
```

## How Much Does AFFiNE Cost to Self-Host?

AFFiNE core is open-source (MIT) and free to run on any infrastructure, including Railway. There is a hosted AFFiNE Cloud with free and Pro tiers (around $8/user/mo for teams), but nothing in the self-hosted image is paywalled — you pay only Railway's standard usage for the AFFiNE, Postgres, and Redis services plus the attached volume storage. A small workspace typically stays under $10/mo on Railway.

## FAQ

**What is AFFiNE and why self-host it?**
AFFiNE is an open-source workspace that blends docs, whiteboards, and databases. Self-hosting on Railway keeps notes, workspaces, and attachments on infrastructure you own, rather than a third-party SaaS.

**What does this Railway template deploy?**
Three services — the AFFiNE server (`ghcr.io/toeverything/affine:stable`), a pgvector-enabled Postgres 16 (`pgvector/pgvector:pg16`), and a Railway-managed Redis cache. Volumes are attached for AFFiNE uploads and Postgres data.

**Why does AFFiNE need pgvector specifically?**
AFFiNE uses pgvector for AI-assisted features (semantic search, embeddings). Railway's default Postgres image does not include the extension, so this template ships `pgvector/pgvector:pg16` to keep AI paths working out of the box.

**How do I enable email invites and password reset in self-hosted AFFiNE on Railway?**
Set the `MAILER_HOST`, `MAILER_PORT`, `MAILER_USER`, `MAILER_PASSWORD`, and `MAILER_SENDER` variables on the AFFiNE service with SMTP credentials (Resend, SendGrid, Mailgun, etc.). Redeploy and the invite/reset flows will send mail.

**Can I connect the AFFiNE desktop app to my Railway deployment?**
Yes. Install AFFiNE Desktop from the official releases, open settings, switch the server to the Railway public URL, and log in with your admin credentials.

**How do I back up AFFiNE on Railway?**
Snapshot the Postgres volume using `pg_dump` against the `DATABASE_PUBLIC_URL`, and download the `/root/.affine/storage` volume contents for uploaded assets. Both volumes are independently snapshottable from the Railway dashboard.

**Is AFFiNE production-ready?**
AFFiNE is pre-1.0 (currently v0.26.x). It is stable for small teams and individuals but expect breaking changes between minor versions — pin the image tag if you need absolute stability.


## Similar templates

- [Libredesk - Complete Setup](https://railway.com/deploy/libredesk-complete-setup) — [Jul'26] Complete self-hosted omnichannel customer support desk.
- [Paperless-ngx](https://railway.com/deploy/paperless-ngx-3) — Document management with OCR on Railway with PostgreSQL and Redis
- [Instatic CMS - Postgres](https://railway.com/deploy/instatic-cms-postgres) — Design, build and manage powerful static sites from state-of-the-art CMS

Open this page in a browser: https://railway.com/deploy/affine-notion-alternative