Name: Deploy Kanzo Kanban for AI Agents
Availability: InStock
Author: onepush

Deploy and Host self hosted Kanzo (Kanban for AI Agents) on Railway

Kanzo is an open-source kanban board that doubles as an MCP server, so coding agents can read tasks, move cards and comment alongside you. It suits developers wanting shared boards their agents can update without a SaaS account.

About Hosting Kanzo open-source software on Railway (self hosted Kanzo template)

Kanzo is an open-source kanban board with an MCP server, released under AGPL-3.0, and this template runs the upstream v0.4.1 release binary behind a password gate.

Why Deploy Kanzo, the open-source kanban board on Railway (Railway Free Trial)

Trello hosts your board on its servers, and its plans set the limits. Self-hosting on Railway starts with a trial, but after that, costs are usage-based and depend on your workload. As the operator, you also handle backups and updates.

Railway is a singular platform to deploy your infrastructure stack. Railway will host your infrastructure so you don't have to deal with configuration, while allowing you to vertically and horizontally scale it.

By deploying Kanzo on Railway, you are one step closer to supporting a complete full-stack application with minimal burden. Host your servers, databases, AI agents, and more on Railway.

Railway vs Other Hosting Providers and VPS for Kanzo self hosting

Self-hosting Kanzo means choosing where its binary and /data volume run. This table compares Railway with three options.

Provider	What You Get with Railway	What You Get with the Other Provider
DigitalOcean	A managed deploy with a generated login password, a persistent /data volume and HTTPS handled for you.	A Droplet you control fully, where you install Kanzo, set up TLS and login, and keep the OS updated.
AWS	One project with the Kanzo service and its volume, set up in the dashboard.	EC2 and EBS options, but you assemble the instance, storage and access rules yourself.
Hetzner	A template deploy with usage-based resources you can adjust inside Railway.	Low-cost servers with full root access, where you manage the Kanzo install, updates and backups.

Choose Railway when you want the template to handle deployment, and a VPS when you want direct control of the hardware.

Common Use Cases for hosted Kanzo

Shared project tasks: Your team shares one board on Railway, so everyone sees the same cards.
Coding-agent task updates over MCP: Agents connect to the board over HTTP with a bearer token, take tasks, move cards and leave comments as they work.
Visual planning: You sort the backlog into columns, tag tasks and mark which ones are for you, then let agents pick up the rest.
Cross-machine board access: Reach the same board from a laptop, desktop or phone browser, since it lives on Railway.
Human review of agent work: Agents move finished work to review, and you check their comments and changes before marking the task done.

Dependencies for Kanzo Docker hosted on Railway

This section covers what the Railway template runs. The gate in front of the board is added by the community packaging, not upstream Kanzo, which has no logins of its own.

Deployment Dependencies for Managed Kanzo Service (one binary app, Caddy and cookie gate; /data volume with KANZO_HOME)

The service runs one Kanzo binary behind Caddy, which handles the public port and a cookie gate that asks for the password before the board loads.

Implementation Details for Kanzo (onepush-dev/kanzo:0.4.1 wraps upstream verified release binary with public auth)

The image onepush-dev/kanzo:0.4.1 wraps the upstream v0.4.1 release binary and adds the public auth layer. KANZO_USERNAME defaults to admin and KANZO_HOME defaults to /data in the image, so you normally leave them alone.

How does Kanzo compare against other tools

Kanzo vs Trello (Trello Alternative)

Where Trello wins: Trello has a long track record, many integrations, and an interface most teams already know.
Where Kanzo fits: Kanzo runs as one small program you host yourself, so the board and its data stay on infrastructure you control.
Agent access: Kanzo exposes the board over MCP, so coding agents can take tasks, move cards and leave comments.

Kanzo vs Plane (Plane Alternative)

Where Plane wins: Plane is a broader project management suite with more planning features like cycles and roadmaps.
Where Kanzo fits: Kanzo stays deliberately small, focused on a kanban board that you and your agents share.
Footprint: Kanzo is a single binary with SQLite, with fewer moving parts.

Kanzo vs a Markdown task file (Markdown Task File Alternative)

Where a Markdown file wins: A plain file is simple, lives with your code, and needs no server.
Where Kanzo fits: Kanzo gives you a visual board, status columns and search across projects that a flat file does not.
Shared edits: Kanzo handles changes from you and your agents through one board, while several agents editing one file can collide.

Kanzo on a VPS vs Railway (Railway Alternative for Kanzo)

Where a VPS wins: A VPS gives you full control of the operating system and lets you tune the setup freely.
Where Railway fits: Railway handles the container, HTTPS endpoint and persistent volume, skipping most server administration.
Persistence: On Railway, keep one replica for local persistent state and store the board under the /data volume with KANZO_HOME.

How to use Kanzo on Railway?

Once the deploy finishes, these steps get you to a working board.

Open your Railway public domain and sign in as admin with the KANZO_PASSWORD value from your service variables. This password also protects remote MCP access, so treat it like any other credential and do not paste it into shared notes or public issues.
Create a project on the board, then add a few tasks so your agents have something concrete to pick up.
Point your MCP client at https://your-domain/mcp and send the header Authorization: Bearer KANZO_PASSWORD, replacing the value with your real password.
Share the board by its URL, not by the LAN Share and Join feature, which is built for computers on one local network and does not apply to a Railway-hosted instance.
Check that the service is up by requesting the health endpoint:

https://your-domain/healthz

If the health check responds, the board and MCP endpoint are ready for daily use.

How to self host Kanzo on other VPS Services (Kanzo self hosting guide)

Clone the Repository

Get the upstream source at the pinned release so you know which version you are running.

git clone --branch v0.4.1 https://github.com/emanuele-em/kanzo.git
cd kanzo

Install Dependencies

Docs-derived VPS steps, not tested as part of this Railway template. Follow the upstream install docs in the repo README. The simplest route is the release binary installer, which adds kanzo to your PATH. Check the version afterward with kanzo --version.

curl -LsSf https://github.com/emanuele-em/kanzo/releases/latest/download/kanzo-installer.sh | sh
kanzo --version

Configure Environment Variables

Kanzo keeps its data in a folder set by KANZO_HOME. Point it at a directory you control, and keep settings such as the port in config.toml inside that folder.

export KANZO_HOME=/var/lib/kanzo

Start the Kanzo Application

Start it locally first and confirm the board loads. Before exposing it to a network, add TLS and an authentication layer, because Kanzo has no logins of its own.

kanzo --no-open

Railway handles the build, the public HTTPS endpoint, the persistent volume and the cookie gate for you, so this manual path is only needed on your own VPS.

Official Pricing of Kanzo (Kanzo pricing)

Kanzo is open-source under the AGPL-3.0 license and free to self-host. This template includes only the board, so no extra service adds to the bill.

Kanzo hosted vs self hosted comparison (Pricing, features, costs, and more)

Kanzo stores tasks in storage you control, with no paid SaaS account. You pay only for infrastructure.

Monthly cost of self hosting Kanzo on Railway

Railway bills by usage, so cost depends on RAM and CPU use, the /data volume size and attached services. Check the dashboard after a few days of activity.

System Requirements for Hosting Kanzo on a VPS

Kanzo runs as one small binary behind Caddy and a cookie gate, keeping its data in a single /data volume set by KANZO_HOME.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What login do I use for the board?

The board uses the username admin and the password you set in KANZO_PASSWORD. This single shared gate is the only login the template provides. Kanzo itself has no logins; the gate is added by this template.

How do I connect an MCP client to my hosted Kanzo?

Point your client at https://your-domain/mcp over HTTP and send the header Authorization: Bearer followed by the same KANZO_PASSWORD value. Keep that password secret, since anyone holding it can read and change your board.

What should I back up?

Back up the /data volume, which holds the KANZO_HOME folder and the board database.

Can I use LAN Share with Kanzo on Railway?

No. LAN Share and Join are designed for computers on your local network, so on Railway you connect through the public URL instead.

Does the update button survive a redeploy?

No. An in-app update replaces the binary only inside the running container, so it is LOST on redeploy and the pinned image version returns. Your data is kept because it lives on the /data volume. For a lasting upgrade, update the pinned image version in the template or service and redeploy.

Are separate user accounts included?

No. There is one shared gate protected by KANZO_PASSWORD, so everyone with that password has the same access. The template does not provide separate accounts or RBAC.