Windmill

Development512MB+ RAM

Developer platform for scripts, workflows, and UIs

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Deploy Windmill in 3 Steps

Connect Your VPS

Add your server credentials to Server Compass

Select Windmill

Choose from our template library

Deploy & Configure

Fill in settings and click Deploy

No Docker knowledge required

Terminal Deployment

Windmill CLI Deployment

Deploy Windmill the traditional way with SSH and Docker Compose.

Start a Secure Shell Session

Open your terminal and connect to your server. Replace the IP address with your VPS IP.

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

Prepare Your Workspace

Set up a clean directory for your application.

terminal

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

Set Up Container Configuration

Set up the container stack using this Docker Compose configuration:

docker-compose.yml

services:
  windmill:
    image: ghcr.io/windmill-labs/windmill:main
    ports:
      - "8000:8000"
    environment:
      - DATABASE_URL=postgres://windmill:<your-db-password>@db:5432/windmill
      - BASE_URL=<your-base-url>
    restart: unless-stopped
    depends_on:
      - db

  db:
    image: postgres:16-alpine
    environment:
      - POSTGRES_USER=windmill
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=<your-db-password>
      - POSTGRES_DB=windmill
    volumes:
      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  postgres_data:

Deployment Settings

PORTHost port(default: 8000)

BASE_URLBase URL

DB_PASSWORDDB password

Bring Up the Application

Launch your application stack in the background.

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

Configure Firewall

Configure your firewall to permit external connections.

terminal

# Allow the application port through firewall
sudo ufw allow 8000/tcp
sudo ufw reload

# Access your app at:
# http://your-server-ip:8000

Skip the Terminal

Prefer a visual interface? Use Server Compass.

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

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 Windmill with Server Compass, complete these steps to finish setup

Change password

Create scripts and flows

Need help? Check out our documentation for detailed guides.

Windmill FAQ

Common questions about self-hosting Windmill

How do I deploy Windmill with Server Compass?

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

Windmill 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 Windmill data?

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

How do I update Windmill to the latest version?

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

Is Windmill free to self-host?

Windmill 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.