--- title: "Deploy EspoCRM" description: "Salesforce alternative. Full stack: web app, background jobs, WebSockets" category: "Other" url: https://railway.com/deploy/espo-crm --- # Deploy EspoCRM Salesforce alternative. Full stack: web app, background jobs, WebSockets **[Deploy EspoCRM on Railway](https://railway.com/template/espo-crm)** - **Creator:** A3A - **Category:** Other - **Total deploys:** 1 ## Template content ### MySQL https://devicons.railway.app/i/mysql.svg - **Image:** mysql:9.4 - **Start command:** `docker-entrypoint.sh mysqld --innodb-use-native-aio=0 --disable-log-bin --performance_schema=0 --innodb-buffer-pool-size=1G` ### espocrm https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/homarr-labs/dashboard-icons/svg/espocrm.svg - **Source:** https://github.com/gridalpha/espocrm-railway - **Public domain:** Yes ## Buckets - **espocrm-files** ## Documentation ![EspoCRM logo](https://www.espocrm.com/images/espocrm-logo.svg) # Deploy and Host EspoCRM on Railway EspoCRM is an open source CRM that keeps accounts, contacts, leads, opportunities, cases and email in one place, behind a fast single-page interface and an entity manager that adds your own fields and layouts without code. Sales teams, agencies and support desks run it as a self-hosted alternative to Salesforce or HubSpot, with the data in a database they own and no per-seat licence. Deploy EspoCRM on Railway with the database, background job daemon, real-time WebSocket server and attachment storage already wired together. The template builds from [gridalpha/espocrm-railway](https://github.com/gridalpha/espocrm-railway) on the official `espocrm/espocrm` image: managed MySQL holds the CRM data, a Railway bucket holds uploaded files, and a volume keeps your customisations. To self-host EspoCRM elsewhere, the Docker instructions below do the same by hand. ![EspoCRM Railway architecture](https://res.cloudinary.com/rroe4rtk/image/upload/v1786823986/9ae34f75-3bdf-4640-8846-581dfc620b98.png) ## Getting Started with EspoCRM on Railway Set `ESPOCRM_ADMIN_USERNAME` and `ESPOCRM_ADMIN_PASSWORD` before you deploy — there are no default credentials, and that account is created once on first boot. The first deployment installs the schema and registers the scheduled jobs, which takes a couple of minutes; once the service is healthy, open the public URL and sign in. Create an Account, then a Contact and an Opportunity against it, to confirm records save and relate. To check the whole stack, upload a file to a Document record and download it again — that exercises object storage — then open Administration → Scheduled Jobs, click any job and watch its Log fill with `Success` rows. That log proves the daemon is running; without it, email fetching, reminders and mass emails never fire. Invite your team from Administration → Users: EspoCRM has no public signup. ![EspoCRM account record with billing details and activity stream](https://res.cloudinary.com/rroe4rtk/image/upload/v1786793127/espocrm-account-record.png) ![EspoCRM document record holding an uploaded service agreement file](https://res.cloudinary.com/rroe4rtk/image/upload/v1786793128/espocrm-document-attachment.png) ![EspoCRM scheduled job log showing successful background runs](https://res.cloudinary.com/rroe4rtk/image/upload/v1786793129/espocrm-scheduled-job-log.png) ## About Hosting EspoCRM EspoCRM is a PHP application running behind Apache with a MySQL or MariaDB database. Self-host it when customer records should not sit in a vendor's cloud, when you want unlimited users without per-seat pricing, or when you need custom entities a SaaS CRM charges extra for. - Accounts, contacts, leads, opportunities and a drag-and-drop pipeline - Cases, a knowledge base and a customer portal for support - Two-way email: IMAP/SMTP inboxes, templates, mass email and campaigns - Entity Manager for custom entities, fields, relationships and layouts - Reports, dashlets, calendar, target lists and workflow automation - REST API, webhooks, LDAP auth and two-factor authentication Three roles run here: the web application serving the UI and REST API, a job daemon running scheduled work such as email fetching and reminders, and a WebSocket server pushing live notifications to open tabs. The daemon and WebSocket server read the same customisations you make in Entity Manager, so they run alongside the web process, as on a single server. ## Why Deploy EspoCRM on Railway One deploy gives you a running CRM instead of a server to administer. - Managed MySQL, object storage and a volume provisioned with the app - No Apache, PHP or cron configuration to maintain - Private networking between app and database by default - Managed TLS, custom domains and HSTS on the public URL - Redeploys from Git, with schema migrations applied on boot ## Common Use Cases - A sales team tracking pipeline and forecasts without Salesforce seat costs - An agency running client accounts and support cases in one system - A support desk handling cases from a shared inbox with a knowledge base - A back office syncing CRM records into internal tools over the REST API ## Dependencies for EspoCRM - **EspoCRM** — built from [gridalpha/espocrm-railway](https://github.com/gridalpha/espocrm-railway) on `espocrm/espocrm:latest` (Apache + PHP 8.4) - **MySQL** — Railway managed MySQL 8.0+, private only, holding every CRM record - **Object storage bucket** — attachments and email files - **Volume** — `/data`, holding configuration, logs and UI-created customisations The app creates its own database and a least-privilege user on first boot, so nothing is provisioned by hand. ### Environment Variables Reference | Variable | Description | Required | |----------|-------------|----------| | `ESPOCRM_ADMIN_USERNAME` / `_PASSWORD` | First administrator, created on first boot | Yes | | `ESPOCRM_SITE_URL` | Public URL of the instance | Yes | | `ESPOCRM_DATABASE_NAME` / `_USER` / `_PASSWORD` | The app's own database credentials | Yes | | `ESPOCRM_DATABASE_ADMIN_URL` | Provisions that database and user at boot | No | | `ESPOCRM_CONFIG_USE_WEB_SOCKET` | Enables real-time notifications | No | | `ESPOCRM_S3_BUCKET` / `_REGION` / `_ENDPOINT` | Attachment storage; unset keeps files on the volume | No | | `ESPOCRM_TIME_ZONE` | Default timezone, seeded at install | No | | `ESPOCRM_DAEMON_ENABLED` | Runs the job daemon, default `true` | No | Any other setting uses the image's `ESPOCRM_CONFIG_` convention, such as `ESPOCRM_CONFIG_LANGUAGE`. ### Deployment Dependencies - [espocrm/espocrm](https://hub.docker.com/r/espocrm/espocrm) · [github.com/espocrm/espocrm](https://github.com/espocrm/espocrm) (AGPLv3) · [docs.espocrm.com](https://docs.espocrm.com) - Runtime: PHP 8.3–8.5, MySQL 8.0+ or MariaDB 10.3+ ## Server Requirements to Self-Host EspoCRM | Resource | Minimum | Recommended | |---|---|---| | CPU | 1 vCPU | 2 vCPU | | RAM | 1 GB | 2–4 GB | | Storage | 5 GB | 20 GB plus object storage | | Runtime | PHP 8.3, MySQL 8.0 | PHP 8.4, MySQL 8.4+ | EspoCRM is one of the lighter open source CRMs. Raise memory past a few dozen users or before large imports, and keep attachments in object storage so the volume is never the limit. ## How to Self-Host EspoCRM Outside Railway The official image needs a database and three persistent directories: ``` services: espocrm-db: image: mariadb:latest environment: MARIADB_ROOT_PASSWORD: change-me MARIADB_DATABASE: espocrm MARIADB_USER: espocrm MARIADB_PASSWORD: change-me-too volumes: [espocrm-db:/var/lib/mysql] espocrm: image: espocrm/espocrm environment: ESPOCRM_DATABASE_HOST: espocrm-db ESPOCRM_DATABASE_USER: espocrm ESPOCRM_DATABASE_PASSWORD: change-me-too ESPOCRM_ADMIN_USERNAME: admin ESPOCRM_ADMIN_PASSWORD: change-me-three ESPOCRM_SITE_URL: "http://localhost:8080" volumes: &espo - espocrm-data:/var/www/html/data - espocrm-custom:/var/www/html/custom - espocrm-cc:/var/www/html/client/custom ports: ["8080:80"] espocrm-daemon: # runs scheduled jobs; not optional image: espocrm/espocrm entrypoint: docker-daemon.sh volumes: *espo volumes: {espocrm-db: , espocrm-data: , espocrm-custom: , espocrm-cc: } ``` Bring it up and watch the first boot install the schema: ``` docker compose up -d && docker compose logs -f espocrm ``` ## Is EspoCRM Free? The self-hosted edition is free and open source under AGPLv3 with no user limit — on Railway you pay only for the infrastructure it consumes. Official extensions including the Advanced Pack, Sales Pack and the Google, Outlook and VoIP integrations are free too. EspoCRM's own cloud runs $15–$69 per user per month with seat minimums. ## EspoCRM vs SuiteCRM vs Odoo CRM | | EspoCRM | SuiteCRM | Odoo CRM | |---|---|---|---| | Licence | AGPLv3 | AGPLv3 | LGPLv3 (community) | | Footprint | Light — 1–2 GB RAM | Heavier | Heaviest, full ERP | | Interface | Modern single-page app | Dated, SugarCRM lineage | ERP-shaped | | Best for | A focused, fast CRM | Deep customisation | Shops already on Odoo | Pick EspoCRM when you want a CRM rather than a platform: quicker to learn, cheaper to run, and Entity Manager still covers most custom-field needs without code. ## FAQ **What is EspoCRM?** An AGPLv3-licensed open source CRM written in PHP, covering accounts, contacts, leads, opportunities, cases and email, self-hostable with no licence fee or seat limit. **What does this Railway template deploy?** The EspoCRM web app, its job daemon and its WebSocket server, plus managed MySQL, an object storage bucket and a volume for configuration and customisations. **Why does the template include a MySQL database?** EspoCRM keeps every record — accounts, emails, custom entities, audit history — in a relational database, and supports MySQL 8.0+ or MariaDB. Its PostgreSQL support stops at version 15, so MySQL is the right choice. **Are there default login credentials for self-hosted EspoCRM?** No. The administrator is created on first boot from `ESPOCRM_ADMIN_USERNAME` and `ESPOCRM_ADMIN_PASSWORD`, so set both before deploying. **How do I know the background jobs are actually running?** Open Administration → Scheduled Jobs, click any job and check its Log panel. Successful runs appear on schedule, and EspoCRM raises an admin notification when cron has not run. **Can I add custom fields and entities to self-hosted EspoCRM without code?** Yes — Administration → Entity Manager creates entities, fields, relationships and layouts through the UI, and each one is exposed over the REST API with webhooks. Those definitions live on the volume, so keep it attached when you redeploy. ## Similar templates - [Rocky Linux](https://railway.com/deploy/rocky-linux) — [Jul'26] Hosted Rocky Linux 9 workspace with SSH and persistent storage. 🚀 - [Foundry Virtual Tabletop](https://railway.com/deploy/X5tR6G) — A Self-Hosted & Modern Roleplaying Platform - [Letta Code Remote](https://railway.com/deploy/letta-code-remote) — Run a Letta Code agent 24/7. No inbound ports, just deploy. Open this page in a browser: https://railway.com/deploy/espo-crm