---
title: "Deploy Appwrite | Open Source Firebase Alternative"
description: "Self Host Appwrite: auth, DB, storage, realtime, functions & more"
category: "Other"
url: https://railway.com/deploy/appwrite
---

# Deploy Appwrite | Open Source Firebase Alternative

Self Host Appwrite: auth, DB, storage, realtime, functions & more

**[Deploy Appwrite | Open Source Firebase Alternative on Railway](https://railway.com/template/appwrite)**

- **Creator:** Heimdall
- **Category:** Other
- **Total deploys:** 8

## Template content

### MariaDB https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/homarr-labs/dashboard-icons/svg/mariadb.svg

- **Image:** mariadb:10.11

### Worker-Deletions https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/homarr-labs/dashboard-icons/svg/appwrite.svg

- **Image:** appwrite/appwrite:1.9.0
- **Start command:** `worker-deletes`

### Appwrite-Console https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/homarr-labs/dashboard-icons/svg/appwrite.svg

- **Image:** appwrite/console:7.8.26

### Worker-Databases https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/homarr-labs/dashboard-icons/svg/appwrite.svg

- **Image:** appwrite/appwrite:1.9.0
- **Start command:** `worker-databases`

### Nginx https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/homarr-labs/dashboard-icons/svg/nginx.svg

- **Image:** nginx:alpine
- **Start command:** `/bin/sh -c 'echo "Starting custom config..." && echo "$NGINX_CONF_B64" | base64 -d > /etc/nginx/conf.d/appwrite.conf && : > /etc/nginx/conf.d/default.conf && RESOLVER=$(awk "/^nameserver/ {print \$2; exit}" /etc/resolv.conf) && case $RESOLVER in *:*) RESOLVER=[$RESOLVER] ;; esac && sed -i "s|__RESOLVER__|$RESOLVER|g" /etc/nginx/conf.d/appwrite.conf && echo "Config applied, starting nginx..." && exec nginx -g "daemon off;"'`
- **Public domain:** Yes

### Appwrite https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/homarr-labs/dashboard-icons/svg/appwrite.svg

- **Image:** appwrite/appwrite:1.9.0

### Redis-zZ2r 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"`

### Appwrite-Realtime https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/homarr-labs/dashboard-icons/svg/appwrite.svg

- **Image:** appwrite/appwrite:1.9.0
- **Start command:** `realtime`

### Worker-Mails https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/homarr-labs/dashboard-icons/svg/appwrite.svg

- **Image:** appwrite/appwrite:1.9.0
- **Start command:** `worker-mails`

## Documentation

![Appwrite logo](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSSHK8YswEW9NfIadLmyN0Sv4kNhvNvgTIYZg&s)

# Deploy and Host Appwrite on Railway

[![Deploy on Railway](https://railway.com/button.svg)](https://railway.com/deploy/appwrite?utm_medium=integration&utm_source=template&utm_campaign=generic)

Self-host Appwrite on Railway for a complete open-source Backend-as-a-Service with authentication, databases, file storage, serverless functions, and real-time WebSocket subscriptions — no vendor lock-in, no per-API-call fees.

This Railway template pre-configures Appwrite 1.9.0 with MariaDB, a Railway-managed Redis, three Swoole workers, the Appwrite Console, and an Nginx reverse proxy that unifies the API, Console, and WebSocket under a single public domain.

![Appwrite Railway architecture](https://res.cloudinary.com/asset-cloudinary/image/upload/v1776609067/appwrite_railway_arch_rdx9sd.png)

## Getting Started with Appwrite on Railway

Open the Nginx service domain — the single public URL fronting the whole stack. You'll land on the Appwrite Console sign-in page. Click **Sign Up** to create the first account (it becomes root admin; further signups are blocked by `_APP_CONSOLE_WHITELIST_ROOT=enabled`). Create your first **Project**, copy its Project ID, then integrate your app with the Appwrite SDK.

```
npm install -g appwrite-cli
appwrite login --endpoint https://${{Nginx.RAILWAY_PUBLIC_DOMAIN}}/v1
appwrite init project
```

![Appwrite Dashboard](https://res.cloudinary.com/asset-cloudinary/image/upload/v1776609067/Appwrite_dashboard_wgiv8g.png)

## About Hosting Appwrite

Appwrite is an open-source BaaS (55,000+ GitHub stars, BSD 3-Clause) that replaces Firebase, Supabase, or custom backend stacks.

- **Auth** — email, phone, magic URLs, 30+ OAuth2 providers
- **Databases** — document collections with schemas, indexes, queries
- **Storage** — uploads with transforms, compression, encryption
- **Functions** — serverless execution across 30+ runtimes
- **Messaging** — email, SMS, push via provider integrations
- **Realtime** — WebSocket subscriptions for live events

The template runs the same `appwrite/appwrite:1.9.0` image as API, Realtime, and workers with different start commands — matching Appwrite's docker-compose architecture.

## Why Deploy Appwrite on Railway

Deploy Appwrite on Railway in under 10 minutes and keep full data ownership without cloud-provider lock-in.

- Zero per-API-call or storage fees — pay Railway compute only
- Railway-managed Redis with auth, backups, and private networking
- Unified single-domain routing via Nginx reverse proxy
- Cross-service variable references keep secrets clean and rotatable
- Automatic TLS termination at Railway's edge — no cert management

## Common Use Cases for Self-Hosted Appwrite

- **Mobile app backends** — auth, push notifications, and storage for iOS, Android, Flutter, and React Native apps
- **SaaS product backends** — multi-tenant projects, team management, webhooks, and role-based access control
- **Real-time collaboration tools** — live document editing, chat apps, and dashboards using WebSocket subscriptions
- **Internal tools and admin panels** — data management UIs, reporting, and audit-logged workflows

## Dependencies for Appwrite

- **Appwrite API** (`appwrite/appwrite:1.9.0`) — PHP/Swoole REST and GraphQL API on port 80
- **Appwrite Console** (`appwrite/console:7.8.26`) — static SvelteKit SPA on port 80
- **Appwrite Realtime** (`appwrite/appwrite:1.9.0`) — Swoole WebSocket server (`startCommand: realtime`)
- **Worker-Databases / Worker-Deletions / Worker-Mails** — background job consumers
- **MariaDB** (`mariadb:10.11`) — relational database for all Appwrite data
- **Redis-zZ2r** (Railway-managed Redis) — cache, pub/sub, queues, rate-limiting
- **Nginx** (`nginx:alpine`) — reverse proxy unifying API, Console, and Realtime

### Environment Variables Reference for Appwrite on Railway

| Variable | Service | Description |
|----------|---------|-------------|
| `_APP_DB_ADAPTER` | Appwrite + workers | Must be `mariadb` — default is `mongodb` |
| `_APP_DOMAIN` | Appwrite + workers | Public-facing domain (Nginx URL) |
| `_APP_OPENSSL_KEY_V1` | Appwrite + workers | Server-side encryption key (64 hex chars) |
| `_APP_REDIS_USER` / `_APP_REDIS_PASS` | Appwrite + workers | Auth for Railway-managed Redis |
| `_APP_OPTIONS_ROUTER_PROTECTION` | Appwrite + workers | Must be `disabled` when using a reverse proxy |
| `_APP_CPU_NUM` / `_APP_WORKER_PER_CORE` | Realtime | Caps Swoole worker count to avoid Railway thread limits |
| `_APP_CONSOLE_WHITELIST_ROOT` | Appwrite | `enabled` locks signups after the first admin |
| `_APP_STORAGE_LIMIT` | Appwrite | Max upload size in bytes (30MB default) |

### Deployment Dependencies

- **Docker Hub:** [appwrite/appwrite](https://hub.docker.com/r/appwrite/appwrite), [appwrite/console](https://hub.docker.com/r/appwrite/console)
- **GitHub:** [appwrite/appwrite](https://github.com/appwrite/appwrite) (55,000+ stars)
- **Docs:** [appwrite.io/docs](https://appwrite.io/docs)
- **Runtime:** PHP 8.2 + Swoole, SvelteKit (Console), Nginx (Console and reverse proxy)

## Hardware Requirements for Self-Hosting Appwrite on Railway

| Resource | Minimum | Recommended |
|----------|---------|-------------|
| CPU | 2 vCPUs | 4 vCPUs |
| RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage | 10 GB | 50 GB+ |
| Runtime | Docker 20+ | Docker 24+ |

Appwrite spreads load across 9 containers. The Realtime service is capped at 4 Swoole workers to stay within Railway's per-container thread limits.

## Self-Hosting Appwrite with Docker

Minimal Docker Compose for local development and reference:

```
services:
  appwrite:
    image: appwrite/appwrite:1.9.0
    environment:
      _APP_DB_ADAPTER: mariadb
      _APP_DB_HOST: mariadb
      _APP_REDIS_HOST: redis
    depends_on: [mariadb, redis]
  mariadb:
    image: mariadb:10.11
    environment:
      MYSQL_DATABASE: appwrite
  redis:
    image: redis:7.4-alpine
```

On Railway, use cross-service refs like `${{MariaDB.RAILWAY_PRIVATE_DOMAIN}}` instead of hostnames:

```
git clone https://github.com/appwrite/appwrite.git && cd appwrite
docker compose up -d
```

## How Much Does Appwrite Cost to Self-Host on Railway?

Appwrite is 100% free and open-source under BSD 3-Clause — no license fees, no per-API charges, no feature gates. On Railway, you pay compute only ($10–30/month for light traffic). Appwrite Cloud's Pro plan starts at $25/month per organization with caps; self-hosting removes those limits.

## FAQ

**What is Appwrite and why self-host it on Railway?**
Appwrite is an open-source BaaS for auth, databases, storage, functions, and real-time. Self-hosting on Railway gives you data ownership, no usage fees, and a private deployment.

**What does this Appwrite Railway template deploy?**
Nine services: Appwrite API, Console, Realtime, three workers (Databases, Deletions, Mails), MariaDB, a Railway-managed Redis, and an Nginx reverse proxy unifying them under one domain.

**Why does Appwrite need both MariaDB and Redis?**
MariaDB stores persistent data (users, projects, collections, file metadata). Redis handles sessions, cache, Realtime pub/sub, rate-limiting, and async job queues.

**How do I connect my app to self-hosted Appwrite on Railway?**
Install the Appwrite SDK, set the endpoint to `https:///v1`, and paste your Project ID. All SDK methods work identically to Appwrite Cloud.

**Why is `_APP_DB_ADAPTER=mariadb` required in this template?**
The `appwrite/appwrite:1.9.0` image defaults to MongoDB. Without `_APP_DB_ADAPTER=mariadb`, Appwrite speaks MongoDB wire protocol to MariaDB and crashes.

**How do I enable OAuth login in self-hosted Appwrite?**
In the Console, go to **Auth → Settings**, enable the provider, paste the OAuth client ID and secret, and add your Nginx callback URL.


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