---
title: "Deploy tophbase"
description: "Supabase-compatible backend. No CLI, no Docker. Iterate MVP ideas faster"
category: "Starters"
url: https://railway.com/deploy/tophbase
---

# Deploy tophbase

Supabase-compatible backend. No CLI, no Docker. Iterate MVP ideas faster

**[Deploy tophbase on Railway](https://railway.com/template/tophbase)**

- **Creator:** Sergio L's Projects
- **Category:** Starters
- **Total deploys:** 4

## Template content

### toph-base

- **Source:** avocadocutter/toph-base
- **Start command:** `node apps/orchestrator/dist/cli/tophbase.js freshman --port $PORT --migrations-dir /app/migrations`

## Documentation

# Deploy and Host tophbase on Railway

I love Supabase. But spinning it up locally means Docker, a heavy CLI, and a cloud account before you can do anything. tophbase gives you a Supabase-compatible backend in one click: no CLI, no Docker, no external database. Postgres, REST API, Auth, Storage, and a built-in dashboard.

![tophbase dashboard](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/avocadocutter/toph-base/main/screenshot.png)

## About Hosting tophbase

Deploying tophbase on Railway gives you a persistent, hosted backend with a public URL. Railway provisions the service from the tophbase GitHub repo, builds it via Docker, and mounts a persistent volume at `/app/.tophbase` so your data survives restarts and redeployments. Point any Supabase JS client at it by swapping `SUPABASE_URL` to your Railway domain and using the publishable key printed in the deploy logs.

To move to real Supabase later, run `npx tophbase graduate --provider supabase`. It migrates your schema and data over.

## Why Deploy

No CLI to install, no Docker to run. You get a public URL, persistent storage, a built-in dashboard, and a Supabase JS-compatible API in under a minute.

For a typical app (SQL, REST API, email auth, RLS, extensions, storage), compatibility is ~95%. The main gaps are Realtime, OAuth, and Edge Functions (partial).

## Dependencies for tophbase

tophbase has no external service dependencies. The database runs inside the service itself and is persisted via a Railway volume.

### Deployment Dependencies

- **Persistent Volume** mounted at `/app/.tophbase`. Required for data to survive restarts. Add it via the Railway dashboard when deploying this template.

## Common Use Cases

- Spinning up a backend for a hackathon or side project without touching the Supabase CLI or Docker
- Running a Supabase-compatible API for a mobile or web MVP before committing to a production database
- Testing Supabase JS client integrations against a lightweight hosted backend
- Iterating on a schema and API locally with `npx tophbase freshman`, then deploying to Railway to share with others


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Open this page in a browser: https://railway.com/deploy/tophbase