Deploy and Host Kaneo Project Management on Railway

Kaneo is an open-source, self-hosted project management app for organizing team projects and day-to-day work. This Railway template deploys Kaneo with a persistent PostgreSQL database in one project. The application combines its web interface and API in one service, so you can open a private Kaneo workspace without wiring separate web and API containers yourself.

Use this template to self-host Kaneo for project planning, Kanban boards, tasks, and team collaboration. Kaneo also offers list, calendar, and Gantt views, plus task descriptions, comments, labels, subtasks, dependencies, custom fields, and time tracking. The exact features available depend on the Kaneo version deployed.

About Hosting Kaneo Project Management

The template contains two Railway services: the Kaneo application and Railway's PostgreSQL service. The Kaneo container serves the web app on port 5173 and routes API requests through /api. Railway supplies the public domain and private service networking. The PostgreSQL database uses a persistent volume mounted at /var/lib/postgresql/data and stores Kaneo accounts, workspaces, projects, tasks, and other database records.

Kaneo does not need a separate API service or Redis for this single application service. The application container itself does not need a persistent volume for normal database-backed project data. Optional S3-compatible object storage is required for file uploads; this template does not configure a bucket, so core project and task features work without uploads.

After deploying, open the generated Kaneo domain and create the first account. Keep DISABLE_REGISTRATION=false during initial setup. Once the workspace owner is registered, set it to true and redeploy the Kaneo service to prevent open account creation. Invite additional users through the workspace.

Common Use Cases

Self-host a project management workspace for a small team
Organize software projects with Kanban boards, tasks, priorities, and deadlines
Plan work with list, calendar, or Gantt views
Keep project data in a Railway PostgreSQL database that survives application restarts
Use an open-source project manager on Railway instead of operating a separate server

Dependencies for Kaneo Project Management Hosting

Kaneo combined web and API container: ghcr.io/usekaneo/kaneo:latest
Railway PostgreSQL with persistent storage
A Railway public domain for the Kaneo web interface

Deployment Dependencies

Implementation Details

The application service uses the combined Kaneo image, introduced in Kaneo 2.6.0. It exposes port 5173; Railway health checks use /api/health.

The template configures these core values using Railway references and a generated authentication secret:

PORT=5173
KANEO_CLIENT_URL=https://${{RAILWAY_PUBLIC_DOMAIN}}
DATABASE_URL=${{Postgres.DATABASE_URL}}
AUTH_SECRET=${{secret(64)}}
DISABLE_REGISTRATION=false
DISABLE_GUEST_ACCESS=true

KANEO_API_URL is not required for the combined image. It derives the API route from KANEO_CLIENT_URL and serves requests through /api.

First login and private registration

Deploy the template and open the Kaneo public domain.
Create the first user account while DISABLE_REGISTRATION is false.
Set DISABLE_REGISTRATION to true on the Kaneo service and redeploy it.
Invite teammates from the workspace when needed.

DISABLE_GUEST_ACCESS=true keeps guest access disabled. Registration can remain available for users who have valid workspace invitations, according to Kaneo's configuration.

PostgreSQL persistence and file uploads

The PostgreSQL service uses Railway's standard PostgreSQL environment variables and a persistent volume at /var/lib/postgresql/data. Keep the database service and volume when updating or restarting Kaneo; the application's project records are stored in PostgreSQL. The application container can be replaced without using its filesystem as the database.

Kaneo supports S3-compatible storage for files attached to task descriptions and comments. The template does not provision or configure S3 storage. Without it, you can use the project manager, but file uploads are unavailable. Configure the storage settings only if your team needs attachments.

FAQ

What is the Kaneo template on Railway?

It is a self-hosted Kaneo project management deployment with one combined web/API service and a persistent Railway PostgreSQL database.

Is Kaneo a Kanban project management app?

Yes. Kaneo supports Kanban boards and also provides list, calendar, and Gantt views for organizing projects and tasks.

Does the template include PostgreSQL?

Yes. It provisions a Railway PostgreSQL service connected to Kaneo through DATABASE_URL, with a persistent data volume.

Do I need to provide an API key to deploy Kaneo?

No. Kaneo does not require an AI provider key for its normal project management features. Railway generates the authentication secret and supplies the database connection.

Can I create a private Kaneo workspace?

Yes. Create the first account after deployment, then set DISABLE_REGISTRATION=true and redeploy to stop open registration. Guest access is disabled by the template default.

Are task attachments enabled by default?

No. File uploads require S3-compatible object storage, which is optional and is not provisioned by this template. Projects, boards, and tasks can still be used without uploads.

Where is Kaneo data stored when the app restarts?

Kaneo's structured project data is stored in the persistent PostgreSQL volume. The app container can restart or be replaced while the database remains attached to the project.

Why Deploy Kaneo Project Management on Railway?

Railway connects the Kaneo application to PostgreSQL, generates the authentication secret, provides private networking, and makes the web interface available through a public domain. This gives you a self-hosted Kaneo project manager with persistent database storage and a short setup path. You retain control of the Railway project, its variables, the database, and the lifecycle of your workspace.