Self-host Windmill

updated Sep 2026deployed by usprices checked · Jul 2026Install verified on Ubuntu 26.04 · Sep 2026 · how we test

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A code-first developer platform that turns scripts in Python, TypeScript, Go, Bash, SQL and more into webhooks, scheduled jobs, flows and internal UIs — the self-hostable alternative to Retool, Pipedream and Temporal rather than a Zapier-style connector catalogue. The core is AGPL-3.0 and the free Community Edition has no execution cap, but it is capped at 50 users and lacks SAML/SCIM, Enterprise-grade audit logs, autoscaling and the forms/prompts layer of approval steps, and the shipped CE image also contains proprietary code.

Key facts

CategoryWorkflow automation

LicenseAGPL-3.0

StackRust, Svelte, PostgreSQL

Min RAM4096 MB

Official imageyes

Measured idle RAM933 MB

Difficulty

Sourcegithub.com/windmill-labs/windmill

Websitewindmill.dev

Our recommendation

Pick Windmill when the people building the automations write code. Scripts in Python, TypeScript, Go, Bash, SQL and more become webhooks, schedules, multi-step flows and small internal UIs, under an AGPL-3.0 core with unlimited executions in the free edition. It is the Retool/Pipedream replacement in this hub, not the Zapier one — if a non-developer needs to build the workflows, look at n8n or Activepieces instead.

What you need

Any VPS with at least 4096 MB of RAM
A domain you control — most self-hosted setups need HTTPS in front of them
About an afternoon — budget time for troubleshooting

Where to host itaffiliate disclosure

Hetzner Cloudrun it on

From $23.59/mo · 2 vCPU / 4 GB / 80 GB · EU + US

Get Hetzner Cloud

Kamaterafree trial

From $4/mo · 1 vCPU / 1 GB / 20 GB · US + EU + Asia

Start free on Kamatera →

DigitalOceanalso works on

From $6/mo · 1 vCPU / 1 GB / 25 GB · US + EU + Asia

Deploy on DigitalOcean →

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Install

Run these commands on your server:

# Windmill — the README's compose install: server + 3 workers + native worker + Postgres 18 + an extras (LSP) container + Caddy (ports 80 and 25)
mkdir -p windmill && cd windmill
curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/windmill-labs/windmill/main/docker-compose.yml -o docker-compose.yml
curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/windmill-labs/windmill/main/Caddyfile -o Caddyfile
curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/windmill-labs/windmill/main/.env -o .env
# .env ships the DB password 'changeme'; docker-compose.yml hard-codes the same on the db service (not published outside Docker) — change both together or leave both
docker compose up -d
# open http://SERVER_IP — default login admin@windmill.dev / changeme; change it on first sign-in

vps picksBest VPS for self-hostingbenchmarked quarterly · re-priced monthly

What you take on

Windmill is the heaviest tool in this hub and its free edition has real limits. Read these before you commit:

non-negotiableThe default compose file runs a server, three general workers and a native worker — each worker with a 2 GB memory limit — plus Postgres 18, an extras container and a Caddy proxy that publishes ports 80 and 25. The 4 GB on this page is our figure from that file and upstream's rule of thumb of one worker per vCPU with 1–2 GB of RAM; the project publishes no single minimum, and a busy instance wants more.

non-negotiableThe Community Edition image you pull contains proprietary code alongside the AGPL-3.0 and Apache-2.0 parts. The README grants free internal use and the right to distribute the Community Edition as is, but not to sell, resell, serve it as a managed service, modify or wrap it without an agreement — read that paragraph if 'open source' has to mean the whole binary.

non-negotiableThe free edition is quota'd, not feature-complete: a maximum of 50 users, three workspaces, four permission groups and ten SSO users. SAML/SCIM, audit logs (Enterprise on the pricing page; the docs give CE a 14-day retention against a year on EE), autoscaling, concurrency limits, external secret backends, agent workers and the staging/production deployment UI are Enterprise features.

non-negotiableThe downloaded .env carries the database password changeme, and docker-compose.yml hard-codes the same value on the db service — change them together or the server cannot connect (the database port is not published outside Docker). The first login is admin@windmill.dev / changeme; change it on first sign-in.