Deploy and Host Directus CMS with Railway

Transform any SQL database into a full-featured CMS with REST and GraphQL APIs. Pre-configured content collections included!

About Hosting Directus CMS

Hosting Directus CMS on Railway provides a complete content management infrastructure with minimal configuration. The template automatically provisions a PostgreSQL database, Redis cache, and S3-compatible bucket storage, all connected via Railway's private network for secure, zero-egress communication. Directus runs on Node.js and connects to your database to provide a visual interface and automatic API generation. File uploads and media assets are stored in Railway's scalable S3-compatible bucket storage, ensuring files persist across deployments and work seamlessly with multiple instances. The CMS template is automatically applied on first deployment, giving you pre-configured collections for pages, articles, categories, and more. All services are pre-configured with best practices, including caching, WebSocket support, S3 storage, connection pooling, and security settings. Railway handles scaling, monitoring, and deployment automatically, so you can focus on creating content rather than managing infrastructure.

Common Use Cases

• Content Management Systems (CMS) — Power websites, blogs, and content platforms with a flexible headless CMS and pre-configured content collections
• Headless CMS for Websites — Deploy a complete CMS backend with pages, articles, and media management ready to use
• Content-First Applications — Build content-driven applications with REST and GraphQL APIs for Next.js, Nuxt, Astro, and SvelteKit
• Multi-Channel Content Delivery — Manage content once and deliver it to websites, mobile apps, and marketing platforms
• Editorial Workflows — Enable content teams to create, manage, and publish content without technical knowledge

Dependencies for Directus CMS Hosting

This template automatically sets up and configures all necessary components:

• Node.js Runtime — Required for Directus execution
• PostgreSQL Database — Configured with private network connections (zero egress fees)
• Redis Cache — Configured with private network connections for caching, WebSocket support, and performance
• S3-Compatible Bucket Storage — Railway's scalable cloud storage for files, media assets, and uploads (persists across deployments, supports multi-instance scaling)

All components are automatically provisioned and linked during deployment. Inter-service communication uses Railway's private network by default, providing secure, fast connections with no egress fees. The CMS template is automatically applied after the initial admin user is created.

Deployment Dependencies

• Directus Official Website
• Directus Documentation
• Directus Community
• Directus GitHub Repository
• Directus Starter Templates — Frontend starters for Next.js, Nuxt, Astro, and SvelteKit

Implementation Details

CMS Template: The template automatically applies the official Directus CMS backend template on first deployment. This includes pre-configured collections for pages, articles, categories, authors, and more, giving you a production-ready content structure out of the box. You can customize or extend these collections as needed.

Private Network Communication: All communication between Directus, PostgreSQL, and Redis occurs over Railway's private network. Databases and cache services are not accessible from outside the private network by default, which eliminates egress fees, improves security, and provides faster internal connections. To access your database externally (such as connecting from local development tools), navigate to the database service settings and enable TCP proxying using port 5432 for PostgreSQL or port 6379 for Redis. The TCP proxy can be disabled at any time to restrict external access.

S3-Compatible Bucket Storage: The template automatically configures Railway's S3-compatible bucket storage for file uploads and media assets. Files are stored in Railway's scalable cloud storage, which provides several advantages:

• Persistent Storage: Files persist across deployments and container restarts
• Multi-Instance Support: Shared storage enables horizontal scaling with multiple Directus instances
• Zero Configuration: S3 credentials, bucket name, region, and endpoint are automatically configured via Railway's service variables
• Secure Access: Buckets are private by default, and Directus serves files through its API for secure access control
• S3-Compatible: Works with standard S3 tools and clients, making it easy to migrate or integrate with other S3-compatible services
• Automatic Setup: S3 storage is automatically configured via the bootstrap script when admin credentials are provided

The S3 storage is automatically configured when you deploy the template with a Bucket service. All file uploads, media assets, and user-generated content are stored in the bucket, ensuring your data is safe and accessible even during deployments or scaling operations.

WebSocket Support: Real-time features are enabled by default, allowing for live updates in the admin panel and real-time collaboration. This requires Redis to be configured, which is automatically set up by the template.

Frontend Integration: This template works seamlessly with frontend starter templates from directus-labs/starters, including Next.js, Nuxt, Astro, and SvelteKit. Deploy your frontend on Railway alongside Directus, or use Vercel/Netlify and connect via the public API.

Why Deploy Directus CMS on Railway?

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 Directus CMS 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.