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Self Host

Kanera can be self-hosted when you want to run the same product on your own infrastructure and keep control of your deployment, database, uploads, backups, domains, and operational settings.

The self-hosted edition uses the same codebase as Kanera Pro. It is designed to run with Docker Compose and includes the web app, main API, realtime support, background worker, public API, MCP server, PostgreSQL, Valkey, and optional backup service.

A Kanera board in the web app after deployment.

What self-hosting includes​

The standard deployment includes:

  • The Kanera web app.
  • The main app API and realtime server.
  • A single worker for schedulers, notifications, webhooks, and cleanup jobs.
  • PostgreSQL for application data.
  • Valkey for realtime fanout, presence, and shared rate limits.
  • The public integration API.
  • The MCP server for AI agents.
  • Local upload storage, with optional S3-compatible storage.
  • Optional encrypted PostgreSQL backups to S3-compatible storage.

Notifications on self-hosted Kanera​

Self-hosted deployments include the same notification feature set as hosted Kanera: the in-app notification drawer, email notifications, browser push notifications, and per-type user preferences.

Personal notification settings available in the Kanera web app.

For email notifications, configure SMTP either through Docker environment values or from Profile settings -> Org.

For browser push, an organisation admin enables the organisation-wide push switch from Profile settings -> Org. Individual users then opt in from Profile settings -> Notifications, grant browser permission, and choose which notification types can use push.

Where to start​

Start with Self Host - Getting Started.

That guide covers the first production setup: requirements, environment variables, domains, reverse proxy routing, starting Docker Compose, health checks, updates, and backups.

For the implementation-backed deployment reference, see DEPLOY.md in the Kanera repository.