Deploy and Host Evolution API Standalone on Railway

Evolution API Standalone is an ultra-light Evolution API deployment template for Railway. It runs Evolution API without external database or Redis services, making it a simple and low-cost option for users who want to quickly deploy a WhatsApp HTTP REST API backend with persistent volume storage.

About Hosting Evolution API Standalone

Hosting Evolution API Standalone on Railway gives you a fast way to run Evolution API with minimal infrastructure. This template does not include PostgreSQL, MySQL, or Redis. Instead, it focuses on a lightweight setup using the Evolution API service and a Railway volume for persistent instance-related files.

This setup is useful for demos, testing, personal projects, lightweight automation, or users who want the cheapest possible way to start using Evolution API. Railway handles service deployment, networking, environment variables, public domain setup, and persistent volume storage.

Because this template does not use an external database, it is best suited for simple usage, testing, and lightweight WhatsApp automation. For more reliable production workloads, consider using a database-backed Evolution API setup.

Common Use Cases

Running a lightweight WhatsApp REST API backend
Testing Evolution API quickly without database setup
Building simple WhatsApp automations for personal or small projects
Connecting WhatsApp workflows with n8n, Typebot, Chatwoot, or custom apps
Creating a low-cost starter environment before moving to a database-backed setup

Dependencies for Evolution API Standalone Hosting

Railway volume for persistent instance storage

Deployment Dependencies

Implementation Details

This template deploys Evolution API as a standalone service without PostgreSQL, MySQL, or Redis. It can use local cache and a mounted Railway volume to persist instance-related files.

PORT=8080
SERVER_URL=https://${{RAILWAY_PUBLIC_DOMAIN}}
AUTHENTICATION_API_KEY=${{secret(64, "abcdef0123456789")}}

CACHE_REDIS_ENABLED=false
CACHE_LOCAL_ENABLED=true

Persistent Volume Configuration

This template can use a Railway volume mounted into the Evolution API service to persist instance-related files.

Recommended volume configuration:

Mount Path: /evolution/instances
Initial Size: 5.00 GB
Resize: Live resize supported

The volume is mounted to the following directory inside the evolution-api service:

/evolution/instances

This mount is useful because Evolution API may store instance/session-related files in the instances directory. By using a persistent volume, the data in this path can remain available even when the service is redeployed or restarted.

The default volume size can start at 5.00 GB. Railway only charges for the amount of data stored, and the volume can be resized later using Live Resize when more storage is needed.

Important Notes

This template intentionally does not include PostgreSQL, MySQL, or Redis.

That makes the deployment lighter and cheaper, but it also means this setup is not designed for heavy production workloads. If your project requires stronger persistence, better scalability, or more reliable data handling, use a database-backed Evolution API deployment instead.

Use this standalone version when you want:

The simplest possible Evolution API deployment
Lower Railway resource usage
A quick testing or demo environment
A lightweight WhatsApp API backend for small automations

How to Access the Evolution API Manager

After the deployment is complete, Railway will generate a public URL for your Evolution API service. You can use this public URL to confirm that the API is running and to find the Manager URL.

Open the public URL of your Evolution API service.

You should see a response similar to this:

{
  "status": 200,
  "message": "Welcome to the Evolution API, it is working!",
  "version": "2.3.7",
  "clientName": "evolution_exchange",
  "manager": "http://XXXXXX.up.railway.app/manager",
  "documentation": "https://doc.evolution-api.com",
  "whatsappWebVersion": "2.3000.1040316331"
}

Copy the value from the manager field.

Example:
```
http://XXXXXX.up.railway.app/manager
```
Open the Manager URL in your browser.
When the Manager asks for the API Key Global, use the value of AUTHENTICATION_API_KEY from your Evolution API service.

You can find it in Railway by opening your Evolution API service, then going to the Variables tab.
Paste the AUTHENTICATION_API_KEY value into the API Key Global field.
Congrats, you are now inside the Evolution API Manager and can start creating or managing WhatsApp instances.

Create a WhatsApp Instance

After you are inside the Evolution API Manager, create a new WhatsApp instance.

Use this simple starter configuration:

Instance name: main
Channel: Baileys

The instance name main is recommended for a simple starter setup. If you use this Evolution API service later with n8n, Chatwoot, Typebot, or another automation tool, you can use main as the instance name in your API endpoint.

After creating the instance, open the connection or QR code page in the Manager.

Then scan the QR code using WhatsApp on your phone:

WhatsApp -> Linked devices -> Link a device -> Scan QR code

Wait until the instance status becomes connected.

After the instance is connected, you can test it by sending a WhatsApp message from another number to the connected WhatsApp account. If the message appears in the Evolution API Manager or the instance stays connected successfully, your Evolution API setup is ready to use.

You can now start using Evolution API as a WhatsApp HTTP REST API backend for automations, alerts, notifications, or integrations with tools such as n8n, Chatwoot, Typebot, or your own custom application.

Why Deploy Evolution API Standalone on Railway?

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

By deploying Evolution API Standalone on Railway, you get one of the simplest and lightest ways to start using Evolution API. It is ideal for testing, demos, personal automation, and small WhatsApp API workloads without running additional database or cache services.