Penpot

Development2048MB+ RAM

Open-source design and prototyping platform for cross-domain teams (Figma alternative)

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Deploy Penpot in 3 Steps

Connect Your VPS

Add your server credentials to Server Compass

Select Penpot

Choose from our template library

Deploy & Configure

Fill in settings and click Deploy

No Docker knowledge required

Terminal Deployment

Penpot CLI Deployment

Deploy Penpot the traditional way with SSH and Docker Compose.

Access Your VPS via Terminal

Open a terminal session and log into your VPS. Replace the placeholder with your actual IP.

terminal

# Connect via SSH
ssh root@your-vps-ip

# Alternative with key file
ssh -i /path/to/key root@your-vps-ip

First time? Make sure Docker is installed on your VPS. Run: curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh

Set Up Project Folder

Create a workspace for your deployment files.

terminal

# Create and navigate to project directory
mkdir -p ~/apps/penpot
cd ~/apps/penpot

Create the Compose File

Configure your containers with this Docker Compose setup:

docker-compose.yml

services:
  penpot-frontend:
    image: penpotapp/frontend:latest
    ports:
      - "9001:8080"
    environment:
      - PENPOT_FLAGS=disable-registration enable-login disable-email-verification
      - PENPOT_BACKEND_URI=http://penpot-backend:6060
      - PENPOT_EXPORTER_URI=http://penpot-exporter:6061
    restart: unless-stopped
    depends_on:
      - penpot-backend
      - penpot-exporter

  penpot-backend:
    image: penpotapp/backend:latest
    environment:
      - PENPOT_FLAGS=disable-registration enable-login disable-email-verification disable-secure-session-cookies
      - PENPOT_SECRET_KEY=<your-secret-key>
      - PENPOT_PUBLIC_URI=http://localhost:9001
      - PENPOT_DATABASE_URI=postgresql://penpot-postgres/penpot
      - PENPOT_DATABASE_USERNAME=penpot
      - PENPOT_DATABASE_PASSWORD=<your-db-password>
      - PENPOT_REDIS_URI=redis://penpot-valkey/0
      - PENPOT_OBJECTS_STORAGE_BACKEND=fs
      - PENPOT_OBJECTS_STORAGE_FS_DIRECTORY=/opt/data/assets
    volumes:
      - penpot_assets:/opt/data/assets
    restart: unless-stopped
    depends_on:
      penpot-postgres:
        condition: service_healthy
      penpot-valkey:
        condition: service_started

  penpot-exporter:
    image: penpotapp/exporter:latest
    environment:
      - PENPOT_PUBLIC_URI=http://penpot-frontend:8080
      - PENPOT_REDIS_URI=redis://penpot-valkey/0
    restart: unless-stopped

  penpot-postgres:
    image: postgres:15-alpine
    environment:
      - POSTGRES_INITDB_ARGS=--data-checksums
      - POSTGRES_DB=penpot
      - POSTGRES_USER=penpot
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=<your-db-password>
    volumes:
      - penpot_db:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    restart: unless-stopped
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -U penpot -d penpot"]
      interval: 10s
      timeout: 5s
      retries: 5
      start_period: 30s

  penpot-valkey:
    image: valkey/valkey:8.1-alpine
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  penpot_assets:
  penpot_db:

Deployment Settings

PORTHost port to expose(default: 9001)

SECRET_KEYMaster secret key

DB_PASSWORDDatabase password

Deploy Your Stack

Spin up the containers and verify the deployment.

terminal

# Start all services
docker compose up -d

# List running containers
docker compose ps

# Watch the logs
docker compose logs -f

Update Firewall Settings

Allow incoming traffic on the application port.

terminal

# Allow the application port through firewall
sudo ufw allow 9001/tcp
sudo ufw reload

# Access your app at:
# http://your-server-ip:9001

Skip the Terminal

Skip the terminal. Use Server Compass instead.

Server Compass makes deploying Penpot effortless. Visual setup, one-click deploy, done.

Beautiful interface
One-click deploys
Let's Encrypt SSL
Zero downtime
Container monitoring
Easy rollbacks

Download Server Compass$29 one-time • Lifetime license

After Deployment

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

Open the Penpot URL in your browser

Create your account

Create a new project and start designing

Invite team members for collaboration

Need help? Check out our documentation for detailed guides.

Penpot FAQ

Common questions about self-hosting Penpot

How do I deploy Penpot with Server Compass?

Simply download Server Compass, connect to your VPS, and select Penpot 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 Penpot?

Penpot requires a minimum of 2048MB RAM. We recommend a VPS with at least 4096MB RAM for optimal performance. Any modern Linux server with Docker support will work.

Can I migrate my existing Penpot data?

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

How do I update Penpot to the latest version?

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

Is Penpot free to self-host?

Penpot 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.