Nodaro DocsSelf-hosting
Run Nodaro on your own server with Docker Compose. Compare the Community, Business and Cloud editions, and see what needs your own keys or a Cloud connection.
Self-hosting Nodaro means running the whole product — the visual editor, the REST API and the workers that run your workflows — on a server you control. One Docker Compose file starts Nodaro together with its own database, sign-in, media storage and job queues, so a fresh install needs no cloud account and no configuration. To generate images, video and audio, you then add your own model provider keys or connect the install to Nodaro Cloud.
Self-hosted AI generator explains why teams run Nodaro themselves, what it generates and what the fair-code license allows.
What you get
- The full editor and API. The same canvas, nodes, apps and REST API as Nodaro Cloud, served from your own domain. The OpenAPI 3.1 document of your install is at
/v1/openapi.json. - Everything bundled. The compose stack runs Postgres, sign-in, a data API, MinIO storage and Redis next to Nodaro. Media stays on your disk.
- No credits. The Community Edition has no credit system, no Nodaro fees and no watermark. You pay your model providers directly.
- A health screen.
/setupshows the state of the database, Redis, storage, the encryption key and your provider keys, without a sign-in. - One-command backups. A script saves the database, the media, the encryption key and your
.envin one archive.
Three editions
Nodaro has three editions, built from the same code. The EDITION variable selects one: community, business or cloud.
| Community | Business | Cloud | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Your server | Your server | app.nodaro.ai, managed by Nodaro |
| Admin panel | No | Yes | Yes |
| User management | No | Yes | Yes |
| Credits and billing | No | No | Yes |
| Surface profile | Ignored | Yes | Yes |
The published Docker image is the Community Edition. The Business edition's admin panel and user management are Enterprise features, and using Enterprise features in production requires a Nodaro Enterprise subscription. Read Editions and surface profiles to switch editions, and License for the terms.
Your own keys or a Nodaro Cloud connection
Nodes that call an AI model need a model provider. A self-hosted install gets one in two ways: your own provider keys, or a connection to a Nodaro Cloud account that bills in credits. Both can run side by side.
| What you want to run | What it needs |
|---|---|
| Standard image, video, speech, music and text models | Your provider keys, such as KIE_API_KEY, REPLICATE_API_TOKEN, ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, GEMINI_API_KEY or ELEVENLABS_API_KEY, or a Nodaro Cloud connection |
| AI Avatar and Cinematic Avatar | HEYGEN_API_KEY, or a Nodaro Cloud connection |
| Relight & Switch | BEEBLE_API_KEY, or a Nodaro Cloud connection |
| Web Scrape and Site Capture | APIFY_API_TOKEN, or a Nodaro Cloud connection |
| The Nodaro-exclusive nodes, such as Generate Video Pro, Edit Video Pro, Voice Changer Pro, Video Analysis and AI Audit | A Nodaro Cloud connection |
| Video and audio edits such as trimming and combining, and Render Video | Nothing: they run on your server |
| Generate 3D Scene and Edit 3D Scene | A text model key. The scene renders on your server. |
| Story → Video and 3D Render Pro | Not available on a self-hosted install |
Read Provider keys for what each key powers, and Connect to Nodaro Cloud for the connection.
How the pieces fit
A single container runs the web server, the API and the workers. Redis carries the work between them, Postgres keeps the data, and S3-compatible storage keeps the media.
The workers call your model providers, or Nodaro Cloud when the install is connected. Read Architecture for the processes, the queues and the authentication modes.
The path through this section
Install
Quickstart
Two commands to a running Community Edition, then a provider.
Requirements
Docker, the database, storage, ports and provider keys.
Install
The full setup: .env, secrets, migrations, storage, first sign-in.
Reverse proxy and HTTPS
Serve the install on your domain with nginx or Caddy.
First user and admin
Sign up the first user and promote an admin.
Editions and surface profiles
Switch to Business and narrow the interface.
Configure
Configuration
Every environment variable, grouped, with defaults.
Provider keys
Paste keys on /setup or set them in .env.
Database
The bundled Supabase stack, a managed project, and migrations.
Connect to Nodaro Cloud
Models without keys, and the Nodaro-exclusive nodes.
MCP
Let Claude, Cursor and other AI clients use your install.
Single sign-on
Sign users in with your own identity provider.
Operate
Updating
Image tags, updates, major versions and rollbacks.
Scaling
Split the workers and tune concurrency.
Backups and restore
One command each way, and the only downgrade path.
Troubleshooting
Symptoms and fixes, starting at /setup.
Project
Architecture
The frontend, the API, the workers, queues, storage and auth.
Contributing
Development setup, branches, pull requests and tests.
License
The Nodaro Sustainable Use License, in brief.
Frequently asked questions
Can I run Nodaro on my own server?
Yes. Clone the public repository and run docker compose -f docker-compose.community.yml up. The stack brings its own database, sign-in, storage and queues, so you need no cloud account to start it.
What is the difference between the Community, Business and Cloud editions?
Community is the free self-hosted edition, with no admin panel and no credits. Business is self-hosted and adds an admin panel and user management. Cloud is the managed service at app.nodaro.ai, with credits and billing, and is not offered for self-hosting.
Do I need API keys to self-host Nodaro?
Not to install it and open the demo. To generate, add your own model provider keys on the /setup page or in .env, or connect the install to a Nodaro Cloud account, which runs the standard models without keys of your own.
Does a self-hosted Nodaro cost anything?
The Community Edition has no credits, no Nodaro fees and no watermark. You pay your model providers directly, or pay in credits for what runs through a Nodaro Cloud connection. The license sets who may use it for free.
Which features are not available on a self-hosted install?
The Story to Video pipeline and 3D Render Pro run only on Nodaro Cloud. The Nodaro-exclusive nodes, such as Generate Video Pro and Voice Changer Pro, run on a self-hosted install through a Nodaro Cloud connection.
Related
Quickstart
Requirements
Editions and surface profiles
Connect to Nodaro Cloud
License
Last updated on