Deploy and Host One API on Railway

One API is a self-hosted LLM API management and key distribution system. It provides a unified interface to manage API keys from multiple providers such as OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek, and others, with built-in quota control and load balancing.

One-API

About Hosting One API on Railway

This template deploys One API using its default SQLite database for simplicity and ease of use. It is designed for quick deployment where users only need to set an admin password via the INIT_ROOT_PASSWORD environment variable before clicking deploy. The template is lightweight, requires minimal configuration, and is suitable for both personal use and small to medium production workloads. Railway automatically handles HTTPS, scaling, and monitoring.

Key Features of This Template

Self-hosted LLM API gateway and key management
Supports multiple providers (OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek, etc.)
Simple deployment — user only needs to set admin password before deploy
Uses SQLite by default (lightweight and no additional database required)
Built-in quota management, key rotation, and usage tracking
Easy to enable authentication on first deploy
Production-ready with Railway's automatic scaling and HTTPS

Comparison with Alternatives

Feature	This Template (One API on Railway)	Manual Self-Hosting	OpenRouter / LiteLLM Proxy	Custom Gateway
One-click deployment on Railway	✅ Yes	❌ No	✅ Yes	❌ No
Simple setup (no extra database)	✅ Yes (SQLite default)	❌ Manual	✅ Yes	❌ No
Simple admin password setup	✅ Yes (INIT_ROOT_PASSWORD)	❌ Complex	✅ Limited	❌ Complex
Multi-provider support	✅ Excellent	✅ Depends	✅ Good	✅ Depends
Quota & key management	✅ Built-in	❌ Manual	✅ Yes	❌ Manual
Automatic HTTPS & Scaling	✅ Fully managed	❌ Self-managed	✅ Yes	❌ Self-managed
Easy to self-host	✅ Very easy	❌ Difficult	✅ Easy	❌ Hard
Best for production workloads	✅ Good	❌ High maintenance	⚠️ Limited control	✅ Full control

Common Use Cases

Managing and distributing LLM API keys from multiple providers in one place
Building internal LLM gateways with quota control and usage tracking
Creating a unified API layer for teams or applications using different LLM providers
Self-hosting an alternative to paid API management services
Monitoring and rotating API keys to avoid rate limits and reduce costs

Dependencies for One API Hosting

SQLite (default database - no additional setup required)
(Optional) MySQL if you want to use external database instead of SQLite

Deployment Dependencies

Official One API Docker image (ghcr.io/songquanpeng/one-api:latest)
Environment variable INIT_ROOT_PASSWORD for initial admin setup

Implementation Details

This template is designed to be as simple as possible:

Initial Admin Password: Set INIT_ROOT_PASSWORD before deploying. This will be the password for the root user on first login.
Database: Uses SQLite by default. No additional database service is needed.
Default Login (after deployment):
- Username: root
- Password: The value you set in INIT_ROOT_PASSWORD

Important: After first login, immediately change the admin password from the dashboard for security.

Why Deploy One API on Railway?

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 One API 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.