Deploy OpenProject

Deploy and Host OpenProject on Railway

OpenProject is an open-source project management platform for teams that need planning, collaboration, task tracking, agile workflows, roadmaps, time tracking, and project reporting in one place. It provides a web-based workspace for managing projects across traditional, agile, and hybrid methodologies.

About Hosting OpenProject

This template deploys the official OpenProject all-in-one container on Railway.

The deployment includes the OpenProject web application together with its internal PostgreSQL database, Memcached cache, background workers, and supporting processes inside a single Railway service.

A persistent Railway volume is mounted at /var/openproject so application assets and the internal PostgreSQL database can survive service restarts and redeployments.

Railway Public Networking exposes the OpenProject web interface over HTTPS while the application itself listens internally on port 80.

This deployment is designed to provide a simple self-hosted OpenProject setup without requiring separate database, cache, worker, or storage services.

Common Use Cases

• Project planning and task management
• Agile and Scrum project management
• Kanban boards and work packages
• Product roadmap management
• Gantt charts and project scheduling
• Team collaboration and project documentation
• Time tracking and effort management
• Issue and bug tracking
• Portfolio and multi-project management

Dependencies for OpenProject Hosting

• Railway persistent volume mounted at /var/openproject
• Railway Public Networking targeting container port 80
• Persistent SECRET_KEY_BASE for OpenProject application security

Deployment Architecture

OpenProject
│
├── OpenProject Web Application
├── PostgreSQL
├── Memcached
├── Background Workers
├── Cron / Scheduled Jobs
│
├── Railway Volume
│   └── /var/openproject
│       ├── assets
│       └── pgdata
│
└── Railway Public Networking
    └── HTTP :80

The database and cache are bundled inside the OpenProject all-in-one image, so no additional PostgreSQL, Redis, or Memcached Railway services are required.

Persistent Storage

This template mounts a Railway volume at:

/var/openproject

The parent directory contains OpenProject persistent application data, including uploaded assets and the internal PostgreSQL database.

Using the parent directory also allows both storage locations to persist through a single Railway volume.

Do not remove or recreate the volume unless you intentionally want to reset the OpenProject installation.

Initial Login

After deployment, open the Railway-generated public domain.

The default OpenProject administrator credentials are:

Username: admin
Password: admin

Change the default administrator password immediately after your first login.

OpenProject vs Alternatives

OpenProject is particularly suitable when you need more comprehensive project management capabilities than lightweight Kanban applications while retaining the ability to self-host the platform.

Important Notes

• This template uses the official OpenProject all-in-one Docker image.
• PostgreSQL and Memcached run inside the same container as OpenProject.
• Railway Public Networking should target port 80.
• The Railway volume should remain mounted at /var/openproject.
• Keep SECRET_KEY_BASE persistent between redeployments.
• RAILWAY_RUN_UID=0 is used to avoid common Railway volume permission issues.
• This all-in-one architecture prioritizes deployment simplicity over service-level scalability.
• For larger or production-critical environments, OpenProject can also be deployed using separate application, worker, cache, and PostgreSQL services.

Why Deploy OpenProject 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 OpenProject 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.