Nodaro DocsSelf-hosted AI generator
Run Nodaro as a self-hosted AI video, image and music generator on your own server, with your own keys and storage, free under its fair-code license.
Asaf Naim ·
Nodaro runs as a self-hosted AI video, image and music generator on a server you control. One Docker Compose command starts the same visual editor, nodes, apps and REST API as Nodaro Cloud, together with their own database, sign-in, storage and queues. You generate with your own model provider keys, or through a connection to a Nodaro Cloud account. The Community Edition is fair-code: free to self-host within the terms of its license.
Why run it yourself
- Your server and your domain. The editor, the API and every result live on infrastructure you choose, from a laptop to a cluster.
- Your keys and your bills. You pay your model providers directly. A self-hosted install has no Nodaro credits and no Nodaro fees.
- Your files. Generated images, videos and audio stay on your own disk, in the stack's storage.
- No watermark. Results from the Community Edition carry no watermark.
- The code is yours to read. The source is public, so you can read it, change it and run your changes, within the license.
What it generates
A self-hosted install has the same canvas and the same nodes as Nodaro Cloud: images, video, voice, music and sound, the creative pickers, apps, and the REST API, whose OpenAPI document is at /v1/openapi.json on your install.
Which models you can run depends on the keys you add. One key from a provider with broad coverage runs image, video, audio and text models, and other keys add speech, voices and more. Provider keys lists every key and what it powers. A Nodaro Cloud connection runs the standard models without keys of your own, billed to that account.
Start in three steps
Start the stack
You need Docker 24 or later with Docker Compose v2.
git clone https://github.com/nodaroai/app.nodaro.ai.git nodaro
cd nodaro
docker compose -f docker-compose.community.yml upThe first start downloads the prebuilt app image, about 2.4 GB. Later starts take seconds.
Create your account
Open http://localhost:3000 and sign up with any email address and password. A local stack sends no confirmation email. The home screen adds a finished Welcome Demo workflow, with every result already made.
Add a model provider
Open http://localhost:3000/setup. Paste a provider key there, connect the install to Nodaro Cloud, or set a key in .env. Then click Run on a node to generate your first result.
The Quickstart has every detail, and Requirements covers the server size.
Self-hosted or Nodaro Cloud
| Community Edition, self-hosted | Nodaro Cloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Your server | app.nodaro.ai |
| Who pays for models | You, to your providers, or your Nodaro Cloud account through a connection | Credits on your Nodaro account |
| Nodaro credits and fees | None | Plans and pay as you go |
| Watermark | None | None on paid plans |
| Where results are stored | Your disk | Nodaro's storage |
| Updates | You pull new versions | Automatic |
The self-hosted Business edition adds an admin panel and user management. Using those Enterprise features in production needs a Nodaro Enterprise subscription. Editions and surface profiles compares the editions, and the pricing page lists the Cloud plans.
What the license allows
Nodaro's code is source-available under the Nodaro Sustainable Use License, a fair-code license:
| Use | Free under the license? |
|---|---|
| Personal or non-commercial use | Yes |
| Development, testing and evaluation, at any company size | Yes |
| Internal business use by an organization of up to 3 people | Yes |
| Internal business use in production by an organization of 4 or more people | Needs a commercial license |
| Offering Nodaro to others as a hosted service | Needs a commercial license, at any size |
License explains the terms, and the license text on GitHub is what applies.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a self-hosted AI video generator I can run on my own server?
Yes. The Nodaro Community Edition starts with one Docker Compose command and runs the visual editor, the REST API and the workers on your server. To generate, you add your own model provider keys or connect the install to Nodaro Cloud.
Is a self-hosted Nodaro free?
The Community Edition has no credits, no Nodaro fees and no watermark. You pay your model providers directly. The license makes it free for personal use, for development and testing at any size, and for internal business use by organizations of up to 3 people.
Is Nodaro open source?
Nodaro is fair-code and source-available, under the Nodaro Sustainable Use License. You can read, run, modify and self-host the code, with limits on production use by larger organizations and on offering it to others as a service.
Where are my images and videos stored?
On your own disk. The Community Edition stack includes its own media storage, so every image, video and audio file you generate stays on your server.
Does every feature run on a self-hosted install?
Almost every node does. The Story to Video pipeline and 3D Render Pro run only on Nodaro Cloud, and the Nodaro-exclusive nodes, such as Generate Video Pro, run on a self-hosted install through a Nodaro Cloud connection.
Related
Quickstart
Provider keys
Connect to Nodaro Cloud
License
Editions and surface profiles
Last updated on
Self-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.
Quickstart
Start a self-hosted Nodaro Community Edition with two commands, check it on the /setup page, then add a provider key or a Nodaro Cloud connection to generate.