--- title: "Deploy NewsNest" description: "Self-hosted news reader with optional AI ranking" category: "Other" url: https://railway.com/deploy/deploy-newsnest-reader --- # Deploy NewsNest Self-hosted news reader with optional AI ranking **[Deploy NewsNest on Railway](https://railway.com/template/deploy-newsnest-reader)** Machine-readable deploy manifest (JSON, validated by TemplateCI): https://railway.com/deploy/deploy-newsnest-reader/manifest.json - **Creator:** onepush - **Category:** Other ## Template content ### newsnest https://api.iconify.design/mdi/rss.svg - **Image:** ghcr.io/onepush-dev/newsnest:0.7.1 - **Health check:** /health - **Public domain:** Yes ## Documentation # Deploy and Host self hosted NewsNest on Railway This template runs NewsNest, a self-hosted news reader that gathers your RSS and Atom feeds into one front page and can optionally rank stories against your interests with an AI key you add later. ## About Hosting NewsNest open-source software on Railway (self hosted NewsNest template) NewsNest is an MIT-licensed, self-hosted news reader that gathers your RSS and Atom feeds, GitHub release feeds and OPML imports into one front page. This is independent community packaging of Lucifix/newsnest and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the upstream author. ## Why Deploy NewsNest, the self-hosted news reader on Railway If you already run FreshRSS, NewsNest is worth a look for a different reason: it ranks stories against your interests and folds duplicate coverage into one card, with AI ranking optional and only if you add a key. 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 NewsNest 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. ### Railway vs Other Hosting Providers and VPS for NewsNest self hosting Choosing where NewsNest runs means weighing Railway against the usual alternatives. | Provider | What You Get with Railway | What You Get with the Other Provider | | --- | --- | --- | | DigitalOcean | The app, a public domain, a /health check and one volume at /newsnest, with no server to patch. | A Droplet you manage yourself, including Docker, the volume, firewall and HTTPS. | | AWS | The same single service and volume already wired, with only the password needed to log in. | Broad control over networking and storage, with more configuration to own. | | Hetzner | A managed deploy of the one container with its persistent volume and no shell access needed. | Low-cost servers where you run Docker Compose and handle backups and upgrades yourself. | ## Common Use Cases for hosted NewsNest - **Personal news front page:** Point NewsNest at your RSS and Atom feeds and it folds them into one stream, merging duplicate stories so the same event does not show up five times. - **Tracking software releases:** Add GitHub release feeds for the tools you run, or import an OPML file from another reader, and get new versions alongside your news. - **Reading on your phone:** Install the app to your home screen from the web interface, which opens full screen like a native app. - **Catching broken feeds:** The status page flags sources that fail or go silent, so you know when a feed needs replacing. - **Ranked reading with your own AI key:** Add an Anthropic or OpenAI-compatible key and NewsNest scores each story for topic, importance and personal fit, so the most relevant items surface first. ## Dependencies for NewsNest Docker hosted on Railway This template runs NewsNest as one Railway service with one persistent volume. The SQLite database and feed list live on that volume, so keep a single replica. Sign-in uses one shared password that Railway generates, and AI ranking is optional. ### Deployment Dependencies for Managed NewsNest Service (one container with SQLite) The template deploys one service, newsnest, on port 8080 with a public domain and one volume at /newsnest holding config/ and data/. Railway checks /health before routing traffic. ### Implementation Details for NewsNest (unmodified NewsNest 0.7.1 image plus a Railway start script) Implementation: ghcr.io/onepush-dev/newsnest:0.7.1 is the unmodified upstream ghcr.io/lucifix/newsnest:0.7.1 image plus railway-start.sh. Changing NEWSNEST_PASSWORD signs every device out. ## How does NewsNest compare against other tools ### NewsNest vs FreshRSS (FreshRSS Alternative) - **Ranking:** NewsNest can score each story against your written interests with an AI key you add, while FreshRSS is a feed reader where you sort and filter entries yourself. Without a key, NewsNest still collects and shows your feeds. - **Grouping:** NewsNest folds the same story from several outlets into one card, which is useful if you follow many newsrooms. - **Where FreshRSS wins:** it is a mature, widely used self-hosted reader with a long track record, so it may suit you better if you want a traditional reader without AI features. ### NewsNest vs Miniflux (Miniflux Alternative) - **Interest scoring:** NewsNest ranks stories by topic, importance and personal fit when you add an AI key, whereas Miniflux focuses on fast, minimal reading of feeds you manage directly. - **Feed sources:** NewsNest accepts RSS and Atom feeds, GitHub release feeds and OPML imports in one place. - **Where Miniflux wins:** it is a lightweight, focused reader that many people run for years with little attention, which suits a simple reading workflow. ### NewsNest vs a hosted news reader (Hosted News Reader Alternative) - **Data location:** NewsNest keeps your feed list, ratings and database on your own server, while a hosted reader stores them with its provider. - **Control:** you choose the sources and can read the interest file and scoring reasons for every story. - **Where a hosted reader wins:** it needs no server, updates and backups of your own, so it is simpler if you do not want to run anything. ### NewsNest with Docker vs Railway (Docker Alternative) - **Setup:** Docker means you run the container on a machine you manage, while Railway deploys the same unmodified upstream image as a service with a volume at /newsnest. - **Persistence:** on either platform, keep one replica, since NewsNest uses SQLite and an in-process scheduler. - **Where Docker wins:** running it yourself gives full control over the host, networking and update timing. ## How to use NewsNest on Railway? 1. Open the public URL for your service. You will be redirected to /login. 2. Enter the value of NEWSNEST_PASSWORD from the newsnest Variables tab. Changing this password later signs every device out. 3. Edit your feeds and interests in the UI. The first start seeds upstream example config with 13 sources, so you can replace them with your own. 4. Without an AI key, your feeds are still collected and shown. You can add ANTHROPIC_API_KEY or OPENAI_API_KEY later if you want AI ranking. 5. Set TZ if you want local time instead of UTC. 6. Keep one replica. NewsNest uses SQLite and an in-process scheduler, so running several replicas against the same volume is not supported. Check that the app is healthy at the health endpoint: ``` /health ``` ## How to self host NewsNest on other VPS Services (NewsNest self hosting guide) ### Clone the Repository Clone the upstream project onto your server, then move into its folder. Use the upstream repository, which ships a Docker Compose file and a sample config. ```bash git clone https://github.com/Lucifix/newsnest.git cd newsnest ``` ### Install Dependencies Install Docker with the Compose plugin on your VPS. Create the config and data folders before the first start so Docker does not create them as root. ```bash mkdir -p config data ``` ### Configure Environment Variables Copy the example environment file and set a password for the web UI. Upstream warns not to expose the app without authentication, so set `NEWSNEST_PASSWORD` before you start it. Add `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` or `OPENAI_API_KEY` only if you want AI ranking. ```bash cp .env.example .env # edit .env: set NEWSNEST_PASSWORD=your-password ``` ### Start the NewsNest Application Start the container, then open `http://your-domain:3095` and log in with your password. If the app is reachable from the internet, put it behind an HTTPS reverse proxy. ```bash docker compose up -d ``` On a VPS you manage the server, the volumes and the upgrades yourself, while Railway handles the hosting, the domain and the health checks for you. ## Pricing and License of NewsNest (NewsNest pricing) NewsNest is open-source software released under the MIT license, so you can self-host it for free. Feeds work without any AI key, so you can run NewsNest on infrastructure alone and add model usage later if you want scoring. ## NewsNest hosted vs self hosted comparison (Pricing, features, costs, and more) NewsNest is free MIT-licensed software, and the upstream project describes no hosted plan. Self-hosting on Railway means you pay Railway for the compute and volume you use. Any AI usage is billed by your provider, and feeds work without a key. ### Monthly cost of self hosting NewsNest on Railway Railway bills on usage, so the monthly cost depends on RAM, CPU, volume size and any other services you run. ### System Requirements for Hosting NewsNest on a VPS NewsNest runs as one container with SQLite and an in-process scheduler, so keep one replica and a persistent volume at /newsnest. Sizing depends on how many feeds you follow and whether you enable AI ranking. ## Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) ### How do I sign in to NewsNest? Open the public URL, which redirects you to /login. Enter the NEWSNEST_PASSWORD value from the newsnest service Variables tab. ### Do I need an AI key to use NewsNest? No. Feeds are collected and shown without a key, and AI ranking is optional. You can add ANTHROPIC_API_KEY or OPENAI_API_KEY later if you want stories scored. ### What happens if I change NEWSNEST_PASSWORD? Changing it signs every device out, so you will need to log in again with the new password on each one. ### What is seeded on first start? On first start the wrapper copies upstream's example config, which includes 13 sources, into the config directory if it is empty. You can add, remove or edit feeds in the UI afterwards. ### What should I back up? Back up the /newsnest volume, which holds both config and data. Keep it in sync so you can restore your feeds, interests and story history. ## Similar templates - [Rocky Linux](https://railway.com/deploy/rocky-linux) — Hosted Rocky Linux 9 workspace with SSH and persistent storage. 🚀 - [Foundry Virtual Tabletop](https://railway.com/deploy/X5tR6G) — A Self-Hosted & Modern Roleplaying Platform - [Letta Code Remote](https://railway.com/deploy/letta-code-remote) — Run a Letta Code agent 24/7. No inbound ports, just deploy. Open this page in a browser: https://railway.com/deploy/deploy-newsnest-reader