Deploy and Host self hosted Pulse (Observability) on Railway

This template deploys the unmodified community Pulse image as one password-protected Railway service.

About Hosting Pulse open-source software on Railway (self hosted Pulse template)

This template runs the unmodified upstream rcourtman/pulse:6.8.0 Community image, packaged as ghcr.io/onepush-dev/pulse:6.8.0 with a small start wrapper and a volume at /data.

Keep one replica, since configuration, encrypted node credentials and metrics history live on that volume. This is independent community packaging of rcourtman/Pulse v6.8.0. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Pulse project or Proxmox Server Solutions, and Proxmox is used here only to name platforms the software can monitor.

Why Deploy Pulse, the self-hosted homelab monitoring dashboard on Railway

Checking each host in its own UI means logging into every node separately, and nothing warns you about a failed backup or a filling disk.

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 Pulse 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 Pulse self hosting

Provider	What You Get with Railway	What You Get with the Other Provider
DigitalOcean	A template with a generated admin password, a public HTTPS domain and a /data volume.	A Droplet you manage yourself, with full OS control but your own updates.
AWS	A template with the health check and restart policy already set, and no VPC setup first.	Broad services for hosting Pulse on EC2 or containers, with more setup before first login.
Hetzner	Managed deployment with a public domain and HTTPS, so you sign in and add endpoints.	Low-cost servers where you install Pulse and control the host network.

Pulse on Railway sits outside your LAN, so plan how it will reach your hosts.

Common Use Cases for hosted Pulse

Watching a Proxmox homelab from one place: Pulse can monitor Proxmox VE, Backup Server and Mail Gateway through a read-only API token, showing nodes, guests, storage and backups.
Keeping an eye on Docker and Kubernetes: Install the Pulse agent on Docker or Podman hosts and Kubernetes clusters to see containers and workloads beside your Proxmox systems.
Checking a TrueNAS box and standalone machines: Pools and disks from TrueNAS, plus health from Linux, Windows and macOS machines, sit in the same password-protected view.
Trying early-access vSphere monitoring: You can add vSphere as an early-access source, but validate it against your own vCenter before relying on it.
Getting alerted when something needs attention: Set thresholds for CPU, memory, disk and temperature, and use metric history to spot a filling disk or a failed backup.

Dependencies for Pulse Docker hosted on Railway

Pulse on Railway runs as one service, so there is no separate database to provision.

Deployment Dependencies for Managed Pulse Service

The service listens on port 8080 behind a public HTTPS domain, mounts a volume at /data, checks /api/health with a 300 second timeout, and restarts with the Always policy. Keep one replica because state lives on that volume.

Implementation Details for Pulse

The image is ghcr.io/onepush-dev/pulse:6.8.0, the unmodified upstream rcourtman/pulse:6.8.0 Community image plus railway/start.sh. The wrapper prints a sign-in hint in the deploy logs and, if setup is pending after PULSE_AUTH_PASS is cleared, prints the one-time bootstrap token, then execs the upstream /docker-entrypoint.sh. Baked values are FRONTEND_PORT=8080, PULSE_AUTH_USER=admin, PULSE_TRUSTED_PROXY_CIDRS=100.64.0.0/10 for the Railway edge proxy (Pulse may log a harmless warning that this CIDR is broad), and PULSE_DEPLOYMENT_METHOD=docker_run. The admin account is pre-created from PULSE_AUTH_PASS, so a stranger cannot claim the instance.

Two template variables are generated or referenced, with no inputs:

PULSE_AUTH_PASS is a 24 character password for the pre-created admin user. Pulse hashes it at startup. Copy it from the Variables tab to sign in. Clearing it returns Pulse to first-run setup, and the wrapper prints the bootstrap token in the deploy logs.
PULSE_PUBLIC_URL defaults to the Railway HTTPS domain and is used in links, notifications and agent install commands. Change it if you add a custom domain.

If you rotate the password in the Pulse UI, the deployment-supplied PULSE_AUTH_PASS still takes precedence, so update the Railway variable too.

How does Pulse compare against other tools

Pulse vs Checking Each Host in Its Own UI (Pulse Alternative)

Single pane of view: Pulse pulls Proxmox, Docker, Kubernetes, TrueNAS and standalone machines into one dashboard.
Cross-system alerts: One notification path can cover thresholds across platforms, while a per-host UI usually only warns about its own system.
Where native UIs win: Each platform's own interface is more detailed for day-to-day administration.

Pulse vs a Local Docker or LXC Install of Pulse (Local Install Alternative)

Network reach: A local install reaches private addresses directly. Pulse on Railway is not on your LAN, so expose monitored APIs securely or install the Pulse agent on each host.
Setup effort: Railway handles the container, HTTPS domain, volume and restarts from one template. A local install means you manage the host yourself.
Where local wins: Metric history stays on hardware you control, and monitoring keeps working during an internet outage.

Pulse With Docker vs Railway (Railway Alternative)

Control: Plain Docker gives you full control over the host and firewall. Railway manages the platform through variables, volumes and health checks.
Deploy path: The template sets port 8080, the /data volume, the health check and restart policy. Keep one replica because state lives on one volume.
Where Docker wins: A self-managed Docker host can reach your LAN without agents.

How to use Pulse on Railway?

Open the public domain and sign in as admin with PULSE_AUTH_PASS from the Variables tab. The deploy logs also show a sign-in hint.
Add infrastructure in Settings, Infrastructure. Railway is not on your LAN, so either expose the APIs you monitor securely or install the Pulse agent on each host so it connects out over HTTPS to PULSE_PUBLIC_URL.
Proxmox VE, PBS and PMG can be monitored with a read-only API token when those APIs are reachable. Docker, Kubernetes and standalone machines typically need the agent.
Update PULSE_PUBLIC_URL if you add a custom domain. Keep PULSE_AUTH_PASS and one replica. The health check is /api/health.
This packaging is the Community MIT image. Pulse Pro is a separate commercial product and is not included.

How to self host Pulse on other VPS Services (Pulse self hosting guide)

Clone the Repository

Clone the upstream project and check out the pinned release.

git clone https://github.com/rcourtman/Pulse.git your-domain-pulse
cd your-domain-pulse
git checkout v6.8.0

Install Dependencies

On a VPS you need Docker, or a Linux host for the installer.

docker run -d --name pulse -p 7655:7655 \
  -v pulse_data:/data \
  -e PULSE_DEPLOYMENT_METHOD=docker_run \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  rcourtman/pulse:v6.8.0

Configure Environment Variables

For a new local install, leave auth unset and finish bootstrap-token setup in the browser.

Start the Pulse Application

Pulse listens on port 7655 by default.

Pricing and License of Pulse (Pulse pricing)

Pulse Community edition is MIT-licensed, so you can self-host this image on Railway without a licence fee. Pulse Pro is a separate commercial product and is not included.

What you do pay for is the infrastructure it runs on.

Pulse hosted vs self hosted comparison (Pricing, features, costs, and more)

This template packages the Community edition (MIT).

Monthly cost of self hosting Pulse on Railway

Railway bills on usage, so the monthly cost depends on RAM, CPU, the size of the /data volume, and other services in the project.

System Requirements for Hosting Pulse on a VPS

A VPS needs Linux with Docker or the Linux installer, plus memory and disk for the metrics history you keep.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do I sign in to Pulse on Railway?

Open the public domain as admin with the PULSE_AUTH_PASS value from the Variables tab.

How do I add hosts to monitor?

Open Settings, Infrastructure, then add your systems. Railway is not on your LAN, so expose the APIs you monitor securely or install the Pulse agent so it connects out over HTTPS to PULSE_PUBLIC_URL.

Will Pulse on Railway see my LAN?

No, not directly. Ping and other checks from this service cannot reach private LAN addresses. Reachable APIs can be added directly; Docker, Kubernetes and standalone machines typically need the agent.

What if I clear PULSE_AUTH_PASS?

Pulse falls back to first-run setup, and the start wrapper prints the one-time bootstrap token in the deploy logs.

What if I change the password in the Pulse UI?

Also update PULSE_AUTH_PASS on Railway, because the deployment-supplied value takes precedence.

Is this affiliated with Pulse or Proxmox?

No. This is independent community packaging of rcourtman/Pulse v6.8.0, and it is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Pulse project or Proxmox Server Solutions.

What should I back up?

Back up the volume at /data, and keep PULSE_AUTH_PASS (or the current password, if you rotated the Railway variable).