How do I deploy Flask REST API + PostgreSQL CRUD on Railway?

You can deploy Flask REST API + PostgreSQL CRUD on Railway by clicking the "Deploy Now" button on this page. Railway will automatically set up all the necessary services and configurations for you.

What are the system requirements?

Railway handles all the infrastructure requirements. You only need a web browser to deploy and manage your application.

Is this template free to use?

Yes, this template is free to use within your existing Railway account.

Can I customize this template?

Yes, you can fully customize this template. After deployment, you will have full control of what you've deployed in your Railway project.

How do I get support for this template?

You can get support through our community forum: flask-rest-api-postgre-sql-crud-boilerp-e9095b6b, or click "Get template help" for this template for more assistance.

Deploy and Host Flask REST API + PostgreSQL CRUD Boilerplate on Railway

Flask REST API + PostgreSQL CRUD Boilerplate is a production-ready, single-file Python REST API built with Flask and SQLAlchemy. It provides full CRUD operations, pagination, health checks, CORS support, and automatic PostgreSQL integration — ready to deploy in one click with zero configuration.

About Hosting Flask REST API + PostgreSQL CRUD Boilerplate

Hosting this boilerplate involves deploying a Flask web server alongside a PostgreSQL database. Railway handles both seamlessly — the Postgres plugin auto-injects DATABASE_URL into the environment, and the app picks it up at startup. Gunicorn serves the app in production behind Railway's built-in proxy and HTTPS. The boilerplate auto-creates database tables on first boot, so there's no manual migration step. Nixpacks detects the Python project and installs dependencies from requirements.txt automatically. Scaling, logging, and restarts are managed by Railway, making it ideal for beginners who want a working API without managing infrastructure.

Common Use Cases

Backend API for apps that need persistent data storage and retrieval
Starter template for students learning REST API design, HTTP methods, and database-backed web services
Rapid prototyping of CRUD-driven projects before building out a full application

Dependencies for Flask REST API + PostgreSQL CRUD Boilerplate

Python 3.10+
PostgreSQL (provided by Railway's Postgres plugin)

Deployment Dependencies

Flask — lightweight Python web framework
Flask-SQLAlchemy — ORM for database models
Flask-Migrate — Alembic-based schema migrations
Flask-CORS — cross-origin request handling
Gunicorn — production WSGI server
psycopg2-binary — PostgreSQL adapter for Python

Implementation Details

The entire API lives in a single main.py file for simplicity. Railway's Postgres URLs use the postgres:// scheme, so the app auto-rewrites it to postgresql:// for SQLAlchemy compatibility:

if app.config["SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI"].startswith("postgres://"):
    app.config["SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI"] = app.config[
        "SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI"
    ].replace("postgres://", "postgresql://", 1)

Tables are created automatically on startup via db.create_all(), eliminating the need for manual migrations on first deploy.

NOTE

On visiting the URL after going live, you will not see a GUI, this is a REST API. Here is what you will see:

{"endpoints":{"health":"/health","item":"/api/items/","items":"/api/items"},"service":"Flask REST API Boilerplate","status":"running"}

Why Deploy Flask REST API + PostgreSQL CRUD Boilerplate 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 Flask REST API + PostgreSQL CRUD Boilerplate 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.