![Paisa expense tracker Image](https://res.cloudinary.com/dojdzamvk/image/upload/v1761675194/cbbc6d7d-ee64-445c-a870-fa0ac23ea180_duxwdz.png "Paisa Self Hosted on Railway platform)

Deploy and Host Managed Paisa Service with one click on Railway

Paisa is an open-source personal finance management tool available on GitHub, designed to help individuals and small businesses track their income, expenses, budgets, and financial goals - all in one place. With Paisa, you gain full control over your financial data, ensuring privacy, transparency, and freedom from third-party dependency. It’s a modern alternative to traditional finance tracking tools, built with simplicity and security in mind.

About Hosting Paisa on Railway (Self Hosting Paisa on Railway)

Self-hosting Paisa allows you to manage your complete financial data locally or on your chosen cloud server. By hosting Paisa on Railway, you can store all transactions, categories, and user configurations under your control without relying on third-party financial apps that might sell or misuse your data. Paisa’s streamlined architecture ensures you get fast, privacy-first, and fully customizable money tracking with zero setup stress.

Why Deploy Managed Paisa Service on Railway

Deploying a managed Paisa service on Railway means you enjoy the benefits of automation, reliability, and simplicity. Railway takes care of the technical aspects - scaling, database management, and deployment - so you can focus purely on your personal finance goals. It combines the control of open-source Paisa with the convenience of a managed platform.

Railway vs DigitalOcean:

DigitalOcean requires manual setup, periodic backups, and manual scaling to host Paisa. On the other hand, Railway offers automatic scaling, easy deployment, and zero sysadmin effort - just connect your GitHub repository, and you’re good to go.

Railway vs Linode:

While Linode demands extensive configuration for hosting databases and managing security patches for Paisa, Railway automates all of these with built-in database management, continuous monitoring, and managed containers.

Railway vs Vultr:

Vultr users must configure environments manually for Paisa, dealing with command-line operations and OS updates. Railway eliminates this complexity, offering one-click Paisa deploy with built-in load management and intuitive setup.

Railway vs AWS Lightsail:

AWS Lightsail users often face network complexity, manual scaling, and setup hurdles. Railway provides a smooth experience with pre-configured environments for hosting Paisa, enabling faster deployments with lower learning curves.

Railway vs Hetzner:

Hetzner offers cost efficiency but demands server management expertise. Railway’s managed environment removes the sysadmin tasks, providing instant Paisa deploy capabilities and automated maintenance.

Common Use Cases

Here are 5 common use cases for Paisa:

Personal Budget Management: Track your monthly income, expenses, and savings in one dashboard.
Small Business Accounting: Manage cash flow, invoices, and client payments without costly accounting software.
Expense Categorization: Tag and analyze your expenses to understand spending habits.
Goal Tracking: Set financial goals like saving for a vacation or building an emergency fund and monitor progress.
Data Privacy and Security: Host Paisa yourself to keep sensitive financial data under your control.

Dependencies for Paisa hosted on Railway

To host Paisa on Railway, you’ll need a supported SQL database such as PostgreSQL or MySQL, a Node.js or Python runtime (depending on the version you choose), and a web server environment for serving the dashboard.

Deployment Dependencies for Managed Paisa Service

A managed Paisa service comes preconfigured with a compatible database, runtime, and secure storage. Railway handles version control, scaling, and backups automatically, ensuring zero downtime and easy management.

Implementation Details for Paisa (Open Source Finance Dashboard)

To deploy Paisa, set the following environment variables:

PAISA_DB_HOST
PAISA_DB_USER
PAISA_DB_PASSWORD
PAISA_DB_NAME
PAISA_SECRET_KEY

These variables help Paisa connect securely to your chosen database. Once configured, you can launch your financial dashboard in minutes.

How does Paisa look against other finance tracking platforms

Paisa vs Mint

Mint is a proprietary finance tracking app that collects user data and requires third-party integration. Paisa, on the other hand, is fully open-source and self-hosted, giving you complete control over your data without ads or trackers.

Paisa vs YNAB (You Need A Budget)

YNAB is subscription-based and closed-source, while Paisa is free and open-source. YNAB focuses on strict budgeting systems, whereas Paisa offers flexibility with expense tracking, visualization, and full customization.

Paisa vs Firefly III

Firefly III is another great open-source finance tool, but Paisa emphasizes simplicity, modern UI, and quick deployment with Railway - making it beginner-friendly and easier to host.

Paisa vs GNUCash

GNUCash is a desktop-based accounting software with advanced accounting features but lacks modern web access. Paisa is web-based, mobile-friendly, and integrates easily with Railway’s managed hosting.

How to use Paisa?

Deploy Paisa on Railway or your preferred VPS.
Set up your database credentials using environment variables.
Access your Paisa dashboard via your Railway app URL.
Add accounts, categories, and budgets as per your needs.
Track transactions daily and monitor your financial growth with visual analytics.

How to self host Paisa on other VPS?

Clone the Repository

Get the source code from GitHub:

git clone https://github.com/paisa-org/paisa.git

Install Dependencies

Move to the project folder and install dependencies:

npm install

Configure Environment Variables

Set your database credentials and security key in .env:

PAISA_DB_HOST=localhost
PAISA_DB_USER=root
PAISA_DB_PASSWORD=yourpassword
PAISA_DB_NAME=paisa
PAISA_SECRET_KEY=supersecretkey

Start the Paisa Application

Run the application:

npm start

Access the Dashboard

Visit http://localhost:3000 or your VPS public IP in a browser and start managing your finances.

With Railway, all of this setup is automatic - just click Deploy Now! and your Paisa instance will be live within minutes.

Features of Paisa

Open-source and Privacy-First: Full control of your financial data.
Real-Time Expense Tracking: View and categorize expenses instantly.
Budget Visualization: Charts and graphs for better financial insights.
Goal Management: Set and monitor personal financial goals.
Multi-Account Support: Track different bank or wallet accounts.

Official Pricing of Paisa Cloud Service

Paisa is completely free and open-source for self-hosted users. You only pay for hosting resources (e.g., Railway plan, database, or storage). For managed cloud plans, pricing may vary depending on usage and database needs. Typically, a small personal instance costs $5–$10 per month when hosted on Railway - making it far cheaper than most paid budgeting tools.

[Updated Oct’25]

Self hosting Paisa vs Paid Finance Apps

Self-hosting Paisa gives you unlimited control, zero subscription fees, and 100% data privacy. Paid finance apps, while convenient, often include data tracking, advertisements, and limited export options.

Monthly Cost of Self Hosting Paisa on Railway

Hosting Paisa on Railway generally costs around $5–$10 per month for a small instance, including the app and database. Storage upgrades or backups may increase this slightly, but it remains budget-friendly compared to most SaaS solutions.

System Requirements for Hosting Paisa

Node.js 18+
PostgreSQL or MySQL
512MB RAM (minimum)
Railway or VPS account
Basic environment variable setup

![Paisa DashBoard Image](https://res.cloudinary.com/dojdzamvk/image/upload/v1761679396/paisa_dashboard_iutwlf.jpg "Deploying Paisa on Railway platform)

FAQs

What is Paisa?

Paisa is a free, open-source personal finance tracker that helps users manage expenses, track budgets, and analyze spending patterns securely.

How do I self host Paisa?

You can self-host Paisa by deploying it on platforms like Railway, setting up a compatible database, and configuring environment variables.

What are the key features of Paisa?

Key features include expense tracking, budget management, savings goals, real-time reports, and privacy-focused hosting.

How do I deploy Paisa on Railway?

Just click the Deploy Now button on the Railway Paisa template page, set your environment variables, and Railway handles the rest.

What are the dependencies for Paisa hosting?

Paisa requires a SQL database (MySQL/PostgreSQL), a Node.js runtime, and a basic web server configuration.

What are the common use cases for self-hosted Paisa?

Personal budgeting, small business accounting, expense analysis, and financial goal tracking.

How does Paisa deployment on Railway compare to other VPS providers?

Railway simplifies deployment with zero manual setup, built-in database management, and auto-scaling - unlike manual VPS setups.

What is the difference between self-hosting Paisa and using paid finance apps?

Self-hosting Paisa ensures privacy and full control with no recurring charges, while paid apps often come with subscriptions and data sharing.

How much does it cost to self host Paisa on Railway?

Usually between $5–$10 per month for small personal use cases.