Deploy and Host XChan on Railway

XChan is a web app for pairing two devices and sending an ephemeral secret (for example a password from a computer you already have to a machine you are setting up). Each browser creates a non-exportable P-256 key pair. Pairing exchanges public keys through the server. Messages are ECIES-encrypted. The server is a relay only.

About Hosting XChan

Hosting XChan is a single Node process. Pairing is one FIFO queue for everyone on that instance, so use one replica and do not run a public multi-tenant deployment. There is no database: identity keys and channels live in the browser, and the server does not store keys, channels, or messages. No environment variables are required. Railway should attach a public HTTP domain. The included Dockerfile builds with npm ci / npm run build and starts with npm start.

Common Use Cases

Send a password from an already-authenticated computer to a machine you are setting up
Self-host a private pairing relay for two of your own devices
Move a short secret between a laptop and a phone without email or chat

Dependencies for XChan Hosting

Node.js runtime (provided by the Dockerfile)
No database, Redis, or object storage

Deployment Dependencies

XChan source on GitHub

Why Deploy XChan 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 XChan 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.