Self-Host Supabase: A Docker Guide

Hey guys! Ever thought about taking your Supabase projects to the next level by self-hosting? It’s a fantastic way to gain more control, optimize performance, and potentially save some serious cash, especially for larger applications or if you have specific security requirements. And guess what? Self-hosting Supabase with Docker makes this whole process way more manageable than you might think. We’re talking about packaging all those complex Supabase services – Postgres, GoTrue, PostgREST, Realtime, Storage, Kong, and more – into neat little Docker containers that talk to each other. This means you get a consistent, reproducible environment whether you’re developing on your local machine or deploying to your own servers. Forget wrestling with dependencies and environment variables; Docker handles all that jazz for you. So, if you’re ready to dive deep into the world of self-hosting and want a practical, step-by-step approach, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll walk through setting up your environment, configuring Supabase, and getting it up and running, all powered by the magic of Docker. Let’s get this party started!

Why Self-Host Supabase with Docker?

So, why would you even bother with self-hosting Supabase with Docker when Supabase offers a perfectly good cloud platform? Great question, folks! There are a bunch of compelling reasons. First off, control . When you self-host, you’re the captain of your ship. You control the infrastructure, the data, the backups, and the scaling. This is huge if you’re dealing with sensitive data that absolutely cannot leave your own servers due to compliance regulations like HIPAA or GDPR, or just because your company has strict data residency policies. You get to decide exactly where your data lives and how it’s protected. Beyond that, cost optimization can be a massive driver. For smaller projects, the free tier on Supabase’s cloud is awesome. But as your application scales, especially with heavy database usage, file storage, or real-time features, the costs can climb. Self-hosting allows you to leverage your existing infrastructure or choose cloud providers that might offer better pricing for your specific usage patterns. You can fine-tune your resources, only paying for what you truly need and use. Performance is another biggie. By self-hosting, you can optimize your database configurations, server resources, and network latency to perfectly match your application’s demands. This means faster queries, quicker API responses, and a snappier user experience for your customers. Think about it: no more shared resources potentially impacting your site’s speed! Moreover, customization and integration become much easier. Want to integrate with specific internal tools, use a particular version of Postgres, or tweak the underlying services in ways not possible on a managed platform? Self-hosting gives you that flexibility. You can experiment, extend, and integrate without hitting platform limitations. Finally, for those who love being hands-on, learning and understanding the full stack is incredibly rewarding. Self-hosting Supabase forces you to learn about database management, infrastructure, Docker, networking, and security – a comprehensive skill set that’s invaluable for any developer. It’s a deep dive that provides a much more profound understanding of how everything works under the hood. So, while Supabase’s cloud is fantastic for many, self-hosting with Docker opens up a world of possibilities for those who need more power, control, and flexibility.

Getting Started: Prerequisites for Self-Hosting

Alright, before we jump into the nitty-gritty of self-hosting Supabase with Docker , let’s make sure you’ve got the essential gear ready. Think of this as prepping your toolkit before building something awesome. First and foremost, you’ll need a solid understanding of Docker . This isn’t just about knowing docker run commands; you should be comfortable with docker-compose , understanding how services are defined, networks are created, and volumes are managed. Why? Because Supabase is orchestrated using docker-compose , and without a grasp of these concepts, you’ll be lost at sea. If you’re new to Docker, I highly recommend spending some time with the official Docker documentation and tutorials. Get cozy with docker-compose.yml files – they’re the blueprints for our Supabase deployment. Next up, you’ll need a server, or a virtual machine (VM), where you’ll host Supabase. This could be a DigitalOcean droplet, an AWS EC2 instance, a Linode server, or even a powerful machine under your desk. The key requirements here are sufficient CPU, RAM, and disk space . Supabase, with all its components, can be resource-intensive. For a single-user or development setup, you might get away with 4GB of RAM and a couple of CPU cores, but for production, you’ll want to aim higher – think 16GB+ RAM and 4+ CPU cores, depending on your expected load. Storage is also crucial, especially for your database and file storage. Ensure you have enough space and that it’s reasonably fast (SSD is highly recommended). A minimum of 50GB is a good starting point, but scale that up based on your data needs. You’ll also need root or sudo access to this server to install Docker and manage system configurations. Don’t forget about network access . Your server needs a stable internet connection, and you’ll need to configure firewall rules to allow traffic on the necessary ports (like 80 for HTTP, 443 for HTTPS, and the port your database will expose, typically 5432). We’ll be setting up a domain name for your Supabase instance, so you’ll need to be able to manage your DNS records to point your chosen domain to your server’s IP address. Lastly, patience and a willingness to troubleshoot are your best friends. Self-hosting, especially for the first time, can involve hitting a few bumps. Having a good terminal emulator and knowing how to use SSH to connect to your server are essential. We’ll be running commands, editing configuration files, and monitoring logs, so familiarity with the command line is a must. Once you have these prerequisites sorted, you’ll be well on your way to successfully self-hosting Supabase with Docker .

Installing Docker and Docker Compose

Alright, let’s get down to business and install the essential tools: Docker and Docker Compose . These are the cornerstones of our self-hosting Supabase with Docker adventure. Without them, none of this works, guys! We’ll assume you’re working on a Linux-based server (like Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, etc.), as that’s the most common environment for self-hosting. If you’re on macOS or Windows, you’ll likely already have Docker Desktop installed, which includes Docker Compose, so you can skip this specific installation part, but the docker-compose.yml configuration will remain the same.

Installing Docker (Ubuntu/Debian Example)

First things first, let’s update your package list to ensure you’re getting the latest versions:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

Now, we need to install some packages that allow apt to use a repository over HTTPS. It sounds fancy, but it’s just a security measure:

sudo apt install -y apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl software-properties-common

Next, we’ll add Docker’s official GPG key. This verifies that the packages you’re downloading are legitimate and haven’t been tampered with:

curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg

Now, let’s add the Docker repository to your system’s sources list. This tells your system where to find the Docker packages:

echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null

Update your apt package index again to include the new Docker repository:

sudo apt update

Finally, install Docker Engine. This is the core Docker software:

sudo apt install -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io

To make sure Docker is running correctly, you can run the classic ‘hello-world’ container:

sudo docker run hello-world

If you see a confirmation message, Docker is installed and working!

Installing Docker Compose

Docker Compose is typically installed separately. We’ll grab the latest stable version. First, let’s download the binary:

sudo curl -L "https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/download/1.29.2/docker-compose-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m)" -o /usr/local/bin/docker-compose

Note: Check the official Docker Compose releases page for the latest version if 1.29.2 is outdated.

Now, we need to make the binary executable:

sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/docker-compose

To verify the installation, check the version:

docker-compose --version

You should see the installed Docker Compose version. Boom! You’ve now got both Docker and Docker Compose ready to roll for your self-hosting Supabase with Docker project. High five!

Downloading and Configuring Supabase Docker

Okay, team, now that we’ve got Docker and Docker Compose installed, it’s time to get our hands on the Supabase Docker setup itself. This is where the magic happens, guys! Supabase provides an official Docker Compose configuration that bundles all the necessary services. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to download this configuration and tweak it to your liking.

Downloading the Official Supabase Docker Compose File

First, you need to create a directory where you’ll keep all your Supabase configurations. Let’s call it supabase-self-hosted . Navigate into it:

mkdir supabase-self-hosted
cd supabase-self-hosted

Now, we need to fetch the docker-compose.yml file. Supabase maintains this in their GitHub repository. You can download it directly using curl or wget . It’s often best to clone the entire repository to have access to all the example configurations and scripts, but for a quick start, downloading the main file is sufficient:

# Option 1: Download the specific file (check for the latest version/branch)
curl -o docker-compose.yml https://raw.githubusercontent.com/supabase/supabase/master/docker/docker-compose.yml

# Option 2: Clone the repository (recommended for more flexibility)
# git clone https://github.com/supabase/supabase.git
# cd supabase/docker
# cp docker-compose.yml ../..
# cd ../..

Important Note: The master branch might point to the latest development version. For stability, you might want to check out a specific release tag from the Supabase GitHub repository. For example, if you want version 1.108.0 , you would clone, checkout the tag, and then copy the docker-compose.yml from the docker directory.

Understanding the docker-compose.yml File

Open the docker-compose.yml file you just downloaded in your favorite text editor. You’ll see a lot of services defined: db (Postgres), auth (GoTrue), postgrest (PostgREST API), realtime (Realtime subscriptions), storage (Storage API), kong (API Gateway), studio (Supabase Dashboard), and others. Each service defines its Docker image, ports, environment variables, volumes, and dependencies.

Key things to look for and potentially configure:

1. POSTGRES_PASSWORD : This is SUPER important. You’ll need to set a strong password for your PostgreSQL database. Find the db service and update the POSTGRES_PASSWORD environment variable. Never leave this as a default or weak password, especially if exposed publicly!
2. JWT_SECRET : The auth service requires a JWT_SECRET . This is used for signing JSON Web Tokens. Generate a strong, random secret and set it here.
3. ANALYTICS_TOKEN (Optional): You can disable analytics if you prefer by setting this to an empty string or removing it if the configuration allows.
4. Volumes : Pay attention to the volumes section. These map directories on your host machine to directories inside the containers. This is how your database data and storage files persist even if the containers are removed and recreated.
5. Ports : You’ll see ports mapped like 80:80 , 443:443 . These expose the services to your host machine. For db , you might see a port mapping like 5432:5432 if you want to connect directly from your host machine using tools like psql or pgAdmin.

Setting Up Environment Variables ( .env file)

Supabase’s Docker setup often relies on an .env file for sensitive information like passwords and secrets. If you don’t see one, you’ll need to create it.

Create a file named .env in the same directory as your docker-compose.yml file. Add the following (replace placeholders with your actual secrets):

# PostgreSQL
POSTGRES_PASSWORD=your_strong_postgres_password

# JWT Secret for Auth
JWT_SECRET=your_very_long_and_random_jwt_secret

# Other potential secrets depending on the Supabase version
# STORAGE_PUBLIC_BUCKET_NAME=public
# STORAGE_PRIVATE_BUCKET_NAME=private
# REALTIME_SECRET=your_realtime_secret

Security Tip: Always use strong, unique passwords and secrets. Consider using a password manager to generate and store them. Ensure your .env file is NOT committed to version control (add .env to your .gitignore file).

With the docker-compose.yml downloaded and your .env file configured, you’re now ready to bring your Supabase instance to life!

Launching Your Supabase Instance

Okay, you’ve downloaded the configuration, you’ve set up your .env file with all the necessary secrets – you’re basically standing at the launchpad, guys! It’s time to ignite the engines and get your self-hosted Supabase with Docker instance up and running. This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for!

Starting the Supabase Services

Make sure you are in the directory where you saved your docker-compose.yml and .env files. Now, all you need to do is run a single command. This command tells Docker Compose to pull the necessary container images (if you don’t have them already) and start all the services defined in your docker-compose.yml file in detached mode (meaning they’ll run in the background).

docker-compose up -d

What’s happening here?

• docker-compose : Invokes the Docker Compose command-line tool.
• up : This is the command to create and start containers for a service.
• -d : This flag stands for