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Activepieces

Development512MB+ RAM

Open-source workflow automation - self-hosted Zapier alternative

nocodeautomationzapier-alternative

Deploy Activepieces in 3 Steps

1

Connect Your VPS

Add your server credentials to Server Compass

2

Select Activepieces

Choose from our template library

3

Deploy & Configure

Fill in settings and click Deploy

No Docker knowledge required
Step-by-step deployment guide

Deploy Activepieces on a VPS with Server Compass

Use the Activepieces template in Server Compass to deploy a self-hosted workflow automation platform with Postgres and Redis on your VPS, then verify the Activepieces web UI in a browser.

About 7 minutesBrowser verified
1
Step 1

Open the server Apps tab

Select your VPS, open the Apps tab, and start a new app deployment. Keep sensitive server details hidden before capturing or sharing screenshots.

Server Compass Apps tab before creating an Activepieces app
2
Step 2

Choose an app template

Click New App and choose the template deployment path so Server Compass can load the built-in catalog.

Choosing to deploy an app from a Server Compass template
3
Step 3

Search for Activepieces

Use the template picker search to find Activepieces in the Server Compass template catalog.

Searching for Activepieces in the Server Compass template picker
4
Step 4

Select the Activepieces template

Choose the Activepieces template. Server Compass fills the Activepieces web service, Postgres database, Redis service, encryption key, JWT secret, database name, database user, and database password.

Activepieces template selected in Server Compass
5
Step 5

Review the Activepieces settings

Confirm the app name and compose services. In this run, the app was named activepieces-demo and used host port 3001.

Reviewing Activepieces project settings and compose services
6
Step 6

Deploy Activepieces

Review the generated environment values, confirm the port is available, and click Deploy Now.

Reviewing Activepieces environment variables and port before deployment
7
Step 7

Watch the deployment progress

Keep the deployment modal open while Server Compass uploads the compose file, pulls the Activepieces image, starts the container, and verifies the stack.

Server Compass deploying the Activepieces template on the VPS
8
Step 8

Confirm Activepieces is running

After deployment finishes, return to the Apps tab and confirm the Activepieces app is marked Running with its application URL available.

Activepieces template running in the Server Compass Apps tab
9
Step 9

Open Activepieces in the browser

Open the application URL in a browser. The Activepieces web UI confirms the stack is reachable.

The deployed Activepieces web UI loaded in a browser

After Activepieces Opens

  • Create the first Activepieces admin account before production use.
  • Configure HTTPS, project permissions, SMTP, worker sizing, and integration credentials before production use.
  • Add a domain and HTTPS before exposing Activepieces to users.
  • Back up the Postgres and Redis volumes before relying on them for production automations.

Verified Result

The Activepieces web UI loaded successfully in a browser.

Activepieces deployment questions

What does the Activepieces template deploy?

It deploys Activepieces with Postgres and Redis services.

Which port did the tutorial use?

The tutorial verified Activepieces on host port 3001, which maps to the Activepieces web service on container port 80.

Why does the guide stop at the first-run web UI?

The tutorial verifies the clean Activepieces first-run web UI because admin setup, flows, credentials, and external integrations depend on the production server.

Should this become a blog post?

No. The deployment guide should live on the Activepieces template detail page and be linked from the reusable template deployment docs page.

Manual Setup Guide

Set Up Activepieces from Terminal

Get your hands dirty: manual Activepieces deployment guide for developers.

1

Log into Your Server

Access your server's command line by opening a terminal and running the SSH command below.

terminal
# SSH into your server
ssh root@your-server-ip

# Using a custom SSH key
ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa root@your-server-ip

First time? Need Docker? Install it: curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh

2

Prepare the Install Location

Set up the folder structure for your Docker deployment.

terminal
# Create and navigate to project directory
mkdir -p ~/apps/activepieces
cd ~/apps/activepieces
3

Create docker-compose.yml

Set up your Docker Compose file with this configuration:

docker-compose.yml
services:
  activepieces:
    image: activepieces/activepieces:latest
    ports:
      - "8080:80"
    environment:
      - AP_ENGINE_EXECUTABLE_PATH=dist/packages/engine/main.js
      - AP_ENCRYPTION_KEY=<your-encryption-key>
      - AP_JWT_SECRET=<your-jwt-secret>
      - AP_FRONTEND_URL=http://localhost:8080
      - AP_POSTGRES_DATABASE=activepieces
      - AP_POSTGRES_HOST=db
      - AP_POSTGRES_PORT=5432
      - AP_POSTGRES_USERNAME=activepieces
      - AP_POSTGRES_PASSWORD=<your-db-password>
      - AP_REDIS_HOST=redis
      - AP_REDIS_PORT=6379
      - AP_SANDBOX_RUN_TIME_SECONDS=600
      - AP_TELEMETRY_ENABLED=false
    restart: unless-stopped
    depends_on:
      db:
        condition: service_healthy
      redis:
        condition: service_healthy

  db:
    image: postgres:16-alpine
    environment:
      - POSTGRES_DB=activepieces
      - POSTGRES_USER=activepieces
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=<your-db-password>
    volumes:
      - db_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    restart: unless-stopped
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -U activepieces -d activepieces"]
      interval: 10s
      timeout: 5s
      retries: 5
      start_period: 30s

  redis:
    image: redis:7-alpine
    volumes:
      - redis_data:/data
    restart: unless-stopped
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD", "redis-cli", "ping"]
      interval: 10s
      timeout: 5s
      retries: 5

volumes:
  db_data:
  redis_data:
Environment Variables
PORTHost port to expose(default: 8080)
ENCRYPTION_KEYEncryption key (32 chars)
JWT_SECRETJWT secret
DB_NAMEDatabase name(default: activepieces)
DB_USERDatabase user(default: activepieces)
DB_PASSWORDDatabase password
4

Run the Deployment

Start all services defined in your compose file.

terminal
# Start the containers in detached mode
docker compose up -d

# Check if containers are running
docker compose ps

# View logs
docker compose logs -f
5

Configure Network Access

Open the port so you can access the application externally.

terminal
# Allow the application port through firewall
sudo ufw allow 8080/tcp
sudo ufw reload

# Access your app at:
# http://your-server-ip:8080
Skip the Terminal

Want one-click deploys? Try Server Compass.

Why type commands when you can click? Deploy Activepieces the easy way with Server Compass.

  • Visual configuration UI
  • One-click deployment
  • Automatic SSL setup
  • Zero-downtime updates
  • Built-in monitoring
  • One-click rollbacks
Download Server Compass$29 one-time • Lifetime license

After Deployment

After deploying Activepieces with Server Compass, complete these steps to finish setup

1

Create your admin account

2

Create your first flow

Need help? Check out our documentation for detailed guides.

Activepieces FAQ

Common questions about self-hosting Activepieces

How do I deploy Activepieces with Server Compass?

Simply download Server Compass, connect to your VPS, and select Activepieces from the templates list. Fill in the required configuration and click Deploy. The entire process takes under 3 minutes.

What are the system requirements for Activepieces?

Activepieces requires a minimum of 512MB RAM. We recommend a VPS with at least 1024MB RAM for optimal performance. Any modern Linux server with Docker support will work.

Can I migrate my existing Activepieces data?

Yes! Server Compass provides volume mapping that allows you to import existing data. You can also use standard Activepieces backup and restore procedures.

How do I update Activepieces to the latest version?

Server Compass makes updates easy. Simply click the Update button in your deployment dashboard, and the latest Activepieces image will be pulled and deployed with zero downtime.

Is Activepieces free to self-host?

Activepieces is open-source software. You only pay for your VPS hosting (typically $5-20/month) and optionally Server Compass ($29 one-time). No subscription fees or per-seat pricing.

Ready to Self-Host Activepieces?

Download Server Compass and deploy Activepieces to your VPS in under 3 minutes. No Docker expertise required.

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