DigitalOcean is a cloud provider for developers and small teams. It offers Linux virtual machines called Droplets, managed Kubernetes, managed databases, and Spaces object storage.
How does the integration work?
Appwrite runs on any Linux server that supports Docker, so a Droplet is a quick way to self-host it on DigitalOcean. You create the Droplet, run the Appwrite Docker installer, and finish the configuration in a web-based setup wizard. Pair it with DigitalOcean Spaces to keep uploaded files off the Droplet's disk.
How to implement
To self-host Appwrite on a DigitalOcean Droplet, there are several steps you must complete:
Step 1: Create a Droplet
In the DigitalOcean Control Panel, create a Linux Droplet with at least 2 vCPUs and 4 GB of RAM, the minimum Appwrite needs, in the region closest to your users. Add your SSH key so you can connect to it. Appwrite also expects 2 GB of swap memory.
If you use a DigitalOcean Cloud Firewall, allow inbound HTTP (80) and HTTPS (443), SSH (22) from your IP address, and port 20080 while the setup wizard runs.
Step 2: Install Docker and run the Appwrite installer
The DigitalOcean deployment guide also covers the Appwrite 1-Click app on the DigitalOcean Marketplace. A 1-Click image bundles a fixed Appwrite version, so the steps below install the current release on a regular Droplet.
Connect to the Droplet over SSH and install Docker Engine with Docker Compose version 2. Then run the macOS and Linux installation command from the installation guide, which always installs the latest release.
Step 3: Complete the setup wizard
Open http://<DROPLET_IP>:20080 in your browser. Set the hostname your instance will use, choose a database (PostgreSQL is the default), save the generated secret key somewhere safe, create your account, and click Install. When the installation finishes, open your hostname to reach the Appwrite Console, and close port 20080 again.
Step 4: Prepare for production
Before real users depend on the Droplet, work through the production guide, set up backups, and keep the instance on a current release with the update guide.
Read more about DigitalOcean and self-hosted Appwrite
If you would like to learn more about running Appwrite on DigitalOcean, we have some resources that you should visit:
