Deploy and Host Joplin Server on Railway

Joplin Server is a self-hosted synchronization backend for the open-source Joplin note-taking app, allowing users to securely sync notes, notebooks, tags, and attachments across devices.

About Hosting Joplin Server

Hosting Joplin Server gives you full control over your note synchronization process. Instead of relying on cloud providers like Dropbox or OneDrive, Joplin Server lets you securely sync notes between devices through your own infrastructure. The server is lightweight, Docker-compatible, and connects to a PostgreSQL database for persistent storage. Railway simplifies this by offering managed PostgreSQL, zero-config deployments, and scalable infrastructure—making it ideal for developers who want private, cross-device syncing without the setup hassle of a traditional VPS or manual install.

Common Use Cases

• Syncing Joplin notes across desktop and mobile devices
• Self-hosted note storage with full data privacy
• Collaborating on secure markdown documents and attachments

Why Deploy

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 Joplin Server 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.

Dependencies for Joplin Server Hosting

• PostgreSQL database
• Docker-compatible deployment environment

Default Admin Login Credentials

For security reasons change this once you login.

• Username: admin@localhost
• Password: admin

How to Set Up Joplin App with Self-Hosted Joplin Server

To connect your Joplin app (desktop or mobile) to your Railway-hosted Joplin Server, follow the steps below.

Setup Instructions

1. Open the Joplin app (desktop or mobile).
2. Go to:
   • On Desktop: Tools → Options → Synchronization
   • On Mobile: Configuration → Synchronization
3. Set Synchronization Target to Joplin Server.
4. Fill in the required details:
   • URL: https://your-railway-app.up.railway.app
     (Replace with your actual Joplin Server URL)
   • Email: Your Joplin Server login email
   • Password: Your Joplin Server password
5. Click Check synchronization configuration to verify the connection.
6. If successful, click Apply or Save.
7. Finally, click Synchronize to begin syncing your notes.

Deployment Dependencies

• Joplin Server GitHub Repository
• Joplin Desktop App | Mobile App | Web Clipper

Troubleshooting

• If you see a 502 error when visiting the application, check the public network settings for the joplin server and make sure the correct port (as detected by Railway) is selected.