--- title: "Deploy WAHA WhatsApp" description: "WhatsApp REST API for your apps, with webhooks. A Twilio alternative." category: "Automation" url: https://railway.com/deploy/whatsapp-rest-api-waha --- # Deploy WAHA WhatsApp WhatsApp REST API for your apps, with webhooks. A Twilio alternative. **[Deploy WAHA WhatsApp on Railway](https://railway.com/template/whatsapp-rest-api-waha)** Machine-readable deploy manifest (JSON, validated by TemplateCI): https://railway.com/deploy/whatsapp-rest-api-waha/manifest.json - **Creator:** blueorange - **Category:** Automation ## Template content ### WAHA https://raw.githubusercontent.com/devlikeapro/waha/refs/heads/core/logo.png - **Image:** devlikeapro/waha - **Public domain:** Yes ## Documentation # Deploy and Host WAHA WhatsApp HTTP API on Railway ![WAHA logo](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/devlikeapro/waha/HEAD/logo.png) WAHA (WhatsApp HTTP API) gives your apps a REST API for WhatsApp, with **7,600+ GitHub stars**: send text, media and buttons, receive messages through webhooks, and manage sessions from a dashboard. Twilio charges $0.005 per WhatsApp message on top of Meta's fees — WAHA on Railway runs for a few dollars a month with no per-message charges, and since v2026.6 every former Plus feature, including unlimited sessions, is free. --- ## What This Template Deploys | Service | Purpose | |---|---| | **WAHA** | WAHA REST API with Swagger docs, web dashboard and webhook delivery (`devlikeapro/waha`, public HTTPS domain). | | **Persistent Volume** | Mounted at `/local` — WhatsApp sessions stay logged in across restarts and redeploys. | One service. The API key, dashboard password and Swagger password are generated at deploy time, and sessions are restored automatically after every restart. --- ## About Hosting WAHA A WhatsApp integration needs a process that stays connected 24/7, persistent session storage so you don't rescan the QR code after every restart, HTTPS for webhooks, and protection for an API that can send messages as you. Run on a laptop, it drops whenever the machine sleeps. On Railway, WAHA stays online with its sessions on a volume, `WAHA_RESTART_ALL_SESSIONS` reconnects them on boot, and every endpoint requires the generated `X-Api-Key`. The dashboard and Swagger docs have their own generated passwords. **WAHA is unofficial.** It runs on WhatsApp Web, isn't affiliated with WhatsApp or Meta, and accounts can be restricted for automation or spam-like sending. For regulated or high-volume business messaging, use the official WhatsApp Business Platform instead. Typical cost: **~$3–8/month** on Railway, depending on the engine (the browser-based `WEBJS` engine uses more memory than `NOWEB`). Twilio adds $0.005 per message plus Meta's fees of around $0.0034 per utility or authentication template. --- ## Deploy WAHA in Under 5 Minutes 1. Click **Deploy on Railway** — WAHA starts with generated credentials (~2 minutes). 2. Open `/dashboard` on your Railway URL and sign in with `WAHA_DASHBOARD_USERNAME` and `WAHA_DASHBOARD_PASSWORD`. 3. Add the server with your `WAHA_API_KEY`, start the `default` session and scan the QR code with WhatsApp. 4. Open the Swagger docs and send a test message with `POST /api/sendText`. 5. Set a webhook URL on the session to receive incoming messages in your app. No Meta business verification. No per-message billing. No QR rescans after restarts. --- ## Common Use Cases - **Twilio WhatsApp alternative** — "whatsapp rest api self hosted" without per-message fees - **Notifications from your app** — order updates, alerts and reminders over WhatsApp - **Chatbots** — receive messages by webhook and reply from your backend - **n8n and Make automations** — WhatsApp nodes driven by WAHA's REST API - **Support inboxes** — connect WhatsApp to Chatwoot or your own helpdesk - **Multiple numbers** — run several sessions in one server, now free in Core --- ## Configuration | Variable | Required | Description | |---|---|---| | `WAHA_API_KEY` | 🔐 Auto-generated | Sent as the `X-Api-Key` header on every API request. | | `WAHA_DASHBOARD_USERNAME` / `PASSWORD` | 🔐 Auto-generated password | Login for `/dashboard`. | | `WHATSAPP_SWAGGER_USERNAME` / `PASSWORD` | 🔐 Auto-generated password | Login for the Swagger API docs. | | `WHATSAPP_DEFAULT_ENGINE` | Optional | `WEBJS` (headless browser) by default; `NOWEB` uses far less memory. | | `WAHA_RESTART_ALL_SESSIONS` | Optional | `True` — reconnect every session after a restart. | | `WAHA_MEDIA_STORAGE` | Optional | `LOCAL` by default; S3 or PostgreSQL for larger setups. | | `WHATSAPP_START_SESSION` | Optional | Session started on boot, `default`. | **Protect the API key.** Anyone with `WAHA_API_KEY` can send messages from your WhatsApp number — keep it server-side, never in browser code. --- ## WAHA vs. Alternatives | | WAHA on Railway | Twilio WhatsApp | WhatsApp Cloud API (Meta) | Evolution API | |---|---|---|---|---| | **Monthly cost** | ~$3–8 usage | $0.005 per message + Meta fees | Meta fees per template message | Free, you host it | | **Self-hosted** | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | | **Per-message fees** | ✅ None | ❌ Yes | ❌ Yes | ✅ None | | **Business verification needed** | ✅ No, scan a QR code | ❌ Yes | ❌ Yes | ✅ No | | **Multiple sessions** | ✅ Free since v2026.6 | ✅ Per sender | ✅ Per number | ✅ Yes | | **Account ban risk** | ⚠️ Unofficial client | ✅ Official | ✅ Official | ⚠️ Unofficial client | | **License** | ✅ Apache-2.0 | ❌ Proprietary | ❌ Proprietary | ⚠️ Custom license | --- ## Dependencies for WAHA Hosting - Railway account — Hobby ($5/month) runs one or two sessions; use `NOWEB` to save memory. - A WhatsApp account on a phone to scan the QR code. - A webhook endpoint (your app, n8n, Chatwoot) to receive messages. ### Deployment Dependencies - [WAHA GitHub](https://github.com/devlikeapro/waha) — source and releases - [WAHA Docs](https://waha.devlike.pro/docs/overview/introduction/) — API, engines and webhooks - [WAHA Swagger reference](https://waha.devlike.pro/docs/how-to/swagger/) — every endpoint - [Railway Volumes Documentation](https://docs.railway.com/volumes) — persistence ### Implementation Details The service runs the official `devlikeapro/waha` image with sessions stored under `/local/.sessions` on the volume and media in `/app/.media`. `WAHA_RESTART_ALL_SESSIONS=True` reconnects sessions after each deploy, so you only scan the QR code once. All API routes require `WAHA_API_KEY`; the dashboard and Swagger UI have separate generated credentials. Switch `WHATSAPP_DEFAULT_ENGINE` to `NOWEB` if memory is tight — it skips the headless browser that `WEBJS` runs. --- ## Frequently Asked Questions **What is WAHA?** An open-source server that turns WhatsApp into a REST API: send and receive messages, media and more over HTTP, with webhooks for incoming events. **How much does WAHA cost compared to Twilio?** About $3–8/month on Railway with no per-message fees. Twilio charges $0.005 per message plus Meta's template fees, which add up quickly at volume. **Why does my WhatsApp session keep logging out?** Keep the volume attached and `WAHA_RESTART_ALL_SESSIONS=True`, and don't log the device out from your phone. If WhatsApp ends the session, scan the QR code again in the dashboard. **Do I lose sessions when I redeploy?** No. Sessions are stored on the `/local` volume and reconnect automatically after each restart or redeploy. **Is WAHA Plus still required for multiple sessions?** No. Since v2026.6.1, every former Plus feature, including unlimited sessions, is in the free image. An optional $5/month Community tier supports the project. **Can my number get banned?** Yes, it's possible. WAHA uses WhatsApp Web, which WhatsApp doesn't officially support for automation. Avoid bulk unsolicited messages, and use the official Business Platform for critical workloads. --- ## Why Deploy and Host WAHA 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 WAHA on Railway, you get a self-hosted WhatsApp REST API with persistent sessions, webhooks and generated credentials, with no per-message fees. ## Similar templates - [N8N Main + Worker](https://railway.com/deploy/n8n-main-worker) — Deploy and Host N8N with Inactive worker. - [Evolution API with n8n](https://railway.com/deploy/evolution-api-with-n8n) — Automate WhatsApp workflows with Evolution API, n8n, and Postgres. - [Postgres Backup](https://railway.com/deploy/postgres-s3-backups) — Cron-based PostgreSQL backup to bucket storage Open this page in a browser: https://railway.com/deploy/whatsapp-rest-api-waha