Deploy and Host Managed Homarr Dashboard with one click on Railway

Homarr is a free, open-source dashboard and homepage management tool available on GitHub. It lets you organize and access all your apps, services, and integrations from a single, clean dashboard. Unlike traditional dashboards, Homarr is designed to be lightweight, visually appealing, and extremely customizable. Whether you are a home server enthusiast running Homarr Docker or an enterprise experimenting with Proxmox integration, Homarr makes managing your digital environment seamless.

With Homarr, you get a central dashboard that integrates with apps like Sonarr, Radarr, Plex, Jellyfin, and more. You can monitor your services, reset your password securely, and deploy it on Docker with just a few commands.

About Hosting Homarr on Railway (Self Hosting Homarr on Railway)

You can self host Homarr to take full control of your dashboard, integrations, and customization without depending on third-party platforms. Homarr requires no steep learning curve; thanks to its Docker support and docker-compose setup, you can have it running in minutes.

When you deploy Homarr on Railway, all the heavy lifting—like server setup, scaling, backups, and updates—is automated. You get a plug-and-play Homarr dashboard, with complete freedom to integrate all your services while Railway handles infrastructure.

Why Deploy Managed Homarr Service on Railway

Hosting Homarr on Railway combines self-hosted control with the ease of a managed cloud platform. You don’t need to maintain VPS servers, patch operating systems, or manage disk space manually. Railway automates everything, letting you focus on customizing your dashboard and integrations.

Railway vs DigitalOcean

On DigitalOcean, you must spin up a droplet, install Docker, configure ports, and manage Homarr’s backups. With Railway, you skip all sysadmin work: Homarr deploys instantly, scales automatically, and keeps your docker homarr instance running without interruptions.

Railway vs Linode

Linode requires manual patching, firewall setup, and docker-compose configuration. Railway, on the other hand, packages Homarr inside managed containers, making setup effortless for beginners.

Railway vs Vultr

With Vultr, you handle service monitoring, networking, and storage for Homarr. Railway takes care of all this in the background, letting you focus on your Homarr dashboard experience.

Railway vs AWS Lightsail

AWS Lightsail provides power but comes with added networking complexity and manual scaling tasks. Railway simplifies it all by providing one-click Homarr installs with zero maintenance burden.

Railway vs Hetzner

Hetzner is powerful and cost-effective but expects you to manage every detail. Railway’s Homarr deploy is beginner-friendly, automated, and designed for people who want less sysadmin work and more dashboard magic.

Common Use Cases

Here are 5 common ways Homarr is used:

1. Media Server Hub Integrate Plex, Jellyfin, Sonarr, Radarr, and NZBGet into a single dashboard for quick access.

2. Server Monitoring Use Homarr integrations to monitor CPU, RAM, disk usage, or container health.

3. Smart Home Control Connect Home Assistant, Proxmox VMs, or IoT devices to your Homarr dashboard.

4. Team Productivity Add links to apps like Nextcloud, GitLab, Mattermost, or Outline to create a unified productivity homepage.

5. Bookmark & Quick Launch Center Use Homarr as your start page with customizable widgets, search bars, and app launch shortcuts.

Dependencies for Homarr Hosted on Railway

Homarr is designed to run smoothly in Docker containers, making deployment straightforward.

Deployment Dependencies

• Docker & Docker Compose – the easiest way to install Homarr.
• Persistent Storage – for saving configuration, widgets, and password resets.
• Environment Variables – like HOMARR_PORT and HOMARR_STORAGE_PATH to configure setup.

Implementation Details

In a docker-compose.yml file, you’ll typically define:

• volumes for persistent storage
• ports to expose the Homarr dashboard
• restart: unless-stopped for reliability

On Railway, these settings are auto-managed, so you don’t worry about containers stopping unexpectedly.

How Does Homarr Look Against Other Dashboard Tools (Alternatives)

Homarr vs Homepage

Homarr vs Homepage is a common debate. Homepage offers a static, YAML-driven dashboard with great simplicity. Homarr, on the other hand, provides a live UI editor, integrations, and a more dynamic, widget-based experience.

Homarr vs Organizr

Organizr is more feature-heavy but requires more setup. Homarr is lighter, modern, and ideal for users who want quick dashboards without bloated features.

Homarr vs Heimdall

Heimdall is another dashboard option, but it’s more static. Homarr provides dynamic widgets, integrations, and a smoother customization process.

Homarr vs Dashy

Dashy offers many customization options but relies heavily on YAML files. Homarr balances simplicity with flexibility by allowing drag-and-drop dashboards.

Homarr vs Flame

Flame is lightweight but lacks advanced integrations. Homarr bridges the gap between simplicity and deep integration.

How to Use Homarr?

1. Deploy Homarr on Docker or Railway.
2. Access your dashboard in a browser (e.g., http://localhost:7575).
3. Add apps and integrations like Plex, Sonarr, Radarr, or Proxmox.
4. Customize with themes, icons, and widgets.
5. Save changes to persistent storage so you don’t lose them after restarts.

How to Self Host Homarr on Other VPS?

Clone from GitHub

git clone https://github.com/ajnart/homarr.git

Run with Docker Compose

Create a docker-compose.yml with volumes and ports.

Configure Integrations

Set up environment variables for services you want to connect (e.g., Proxmox, Plex).

Start Homarr

Run docker-compose up -d to bring your Homarr dashboard online.

Features of Homarr

• Drag-and-drop dashboard builder
• Integrations with Plex, Radarr, Sonarr, Proxmox, Home Assistant, and more
• Password reset & secure login
• Widget support (weather, search, monitoring, etc.)
• Themes and customization
• Lightweight Docker setup
• Community-driven updates on Homarr GitHub

Homarr Alternatives

• Homepage – YAML-based lightweight dashboard.
• Organizr – Advanced media management dashboard.
• Dashy – Highly customizable but config-heavy.
• Heimdall – Simple homepage with static tiles.
• Flame – Lightweight but minimal features.

FAQs

What is Homarr?

Homarr is an open-source dashboard tool that helps you manage and launch all your apps and services from a single interface.

How do I install Homarr with Docker?

You can run Homarr using Docker or Docker Compose with just a few lines in a docker-compose.yml file.

Can I integrate Homarr with Proxmox?

Yes, Homarr supports Proxmox integration, letting you monitor VMs directly from your dashboard.

How do I reset my Homarr password?

Go to the login screen, click reset password, and follow the instructions. With persistent storage enabled, your new credentials remain saved.

What are the system requirements?

Homarr requires Docker, minimal CPU/RAM, and persistent storage for configs.

How does Homarr compare to Homepage?

Homarr offers live UI editing and dynamic widgets, while Homepage is YAML-driven and more static.

Where can I find the source code?

The official code is available on the Homarr GitHub repository.

Pricing (Self Hosting vs Paid)

Homarr itself is 100% free and open source.

• Self Hosting on Railway: costs ~$5–10/month for base hosting, depending on storage and scaling.
• Other VPS (DigitalOcean/Linode): requires $6–12/month plus manual sysadmin tasks.

Railway’s pricing remains competitive because you pay only for what you use, with no hidden sysadmin overhead.

Deploy Now on Railway

The fastest way to get started is to click Deploy Now above and launch Homarr with zero configuration hassle.