How do I deploy MySQL 8 or Any Version on Railway?

You can deploy MySQL 8 or Any Version 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: my-sql-any-version-3e4b5f06, or click "Get template help" for this template for more assistance.

Deploy and Host

Deploy this repository as a new service on Railway. The service runs MySQL in a container and persists data to a volume. Configure MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD (required) and optionally MYSQL_VERSION, MYSQL_DATABASE, and MYSQL_CONFIG in the service variables.

About Hosting

This template is hosted as a Docker-based service on Railway. MySQL runs from the official Docker image; the version is chosen via the MYSQL_VERSION build variable. Data is stored in a volume mounted at /var/lib/mysql. Use Railway's TCP Proxy if you need to connect from outside Railway.

Why Deploy

Choose your MySQL version – Set MYSQL_VERSION (e.g. 8.0.35, 8.0.40, 5.7) instead of being locked to a single version.
Memory presets – Use MYSQL_CONFIG to choose between low, normal, or high memory profiles, or define custom settings.
Simple setup – Set MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD and optionally the database name; no extra config required.
Persistent data – Attach a volume at /var/lib/mysql so data survives redeploys.
General-purpose config – utf8mb4 and a strict sql_mode suitable for most applications.

Memory Presets

Control MySQL memory usage via the MYSQL_CONFIG variable:

Preset	RAM (idle)	Use case
`low`	~100-200MB	Development, low-traffic apps, cost savings
`normal`	~300-400MB	Standard production workloads
`high`	~500-700MB	High-traffic, performance-critical apps

If MYSQL_CONFIG is not set, MySQL uses its built-in defaults.

Shortname Reference

Shortname	MySQL Option	Description
`ibps`	innodb_buffer_pool_size	InnoDB buffer pool (main memory consumer)
`kbs`	key_buffer_size	MyISAM index cache
`toc`	table_open_cache	Number of open tables cache
`tcs`	thread_cache_size	Cached threads for reuse
`tts`	tmp_table_size	Max size of internal in-memory temp tables
`mhts`	max_heap_table_size	Max size of MEMORY tables
`ilbs`	innodb_log_buffer_size	InnoDB log buffer
`mc`	max_connections	Maximum simultaneous connections
`qcs`	query_cache_size	Query cache size (MySQL 5.7 only)
`qct`	query_cache_type	Query cache type (MySQL 5.7 only)
`ifc`	innodb_flush_log_at_trx_commit	Flush behavior (1=safe, 2=fast)
`ilfs`	innodb_log_file_size	InnoDB log file size
`sbs`	sort_buffer_size	Sort buffer per connection
`rbs`	read_buffer_size	Read buffer per connection
`rrbs`	read_rnd_buffer_size	Random read buffer
`jbs`	join_buffer_size	Join buffer per connection

You can also pass custom settings: MYSQL_CONFIG=ibps=64M,mc=75,tcs=6 or use full MySQL option names: MYSQL_CONFIG=innodb_buffer_pool_size=64M,max_connections=50

Common Use Cases

Backend database for web apps (Node, PHP, Python, etc.)
Development or staging MySQL when you need a specific version (e.g. 8.0 for Magento 2.4)
Low-memory MySQL for hobby projects or cost-sensitive deployments
Any project that needs MySQL with a configurable version on Railway

Dependencies for

This template provides a MySQL server. Your application (or other services) depend on it for database storage.

Deployment Dependencies

MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD (required) – Root password for MySQL. Set this in the service variables before or at deploy; the container will not start without it.
Volume – Add a volume mounted at /var/lib/mysql for persistent data. Without it, data is lost on redeploy.
MYSQL_VERSION (optional) – Docker image tag (e.g. 8.0.35, 5.7). Default: 8.0.35.
MYSQL_DATABASE (optional) – Database name created on first run. Default: railway.
MYSQL_CONFIG (optional) – Memory preset (low, normal, high) or custom config. If not set, MySQL uses its defaults.