Flowise is an open-source and low-code tool for building AI agents, chatbots, and RAG pipelines with a drag-and-drop visual builder. When you self-host Flowise with Docker Compose, you keep full control of your data, API keys, and uptime rather than relying on a third-party cloud plan.
This guide covers PostgreSQL setup instead of the default SQLite file, Redis-backed queue mode, HTTPS, login protection, health checks, and a separate worker process that scales independently from the main app.
Before you start, you need:
If you don't have a server yet, you can start with a fresh Linux VPS from PerLod, which gives you clean root access and enough resources to self-host Flowise with Docker Compose alongside PostgreSQL, Redis, and a worker container.
First, SSH into your server and run the system update and upgrade:
Install the required tools with:
Open the required ports and enable the firewall:
You can use the Docker script to install Docker and Docker Compose:
Log out and back in, then verify:
If both return version numbers, your server is ready to self-host Flowise with Docker Compose.
Note: For production use, it is better to install Docker by adding the official repository.
Now you must create a project folder and the required files for a clean setup:
These folders hold persistent data so nothing is lost on restart, which is a key detail whenever you self-host Flowise with Docker Compose for real use.
At this point, use your desired text editor to create the .env file:
Paste the following content with your values:
Once you are done, save and close the file.
Point your domain's A record to the server now. Managing this is simple if your domain registration is configured with PerLod, since DNS and hosting live in one place while you self-host Flowise with Docker Compose.
Caddy automatically requests and renews a free TLS certificate from Let's Encrypt. Create the Caddyfile:
Add this with your domain:
This step turns a local test into something you can safely self-host Flowise with Docker Compose for real users over the public internet, instead of exposing plain HTTP.
By default, Flowise stores everything in a local SQLite file, which is fine for a quick test, but risky for a real team.
Switching to PostgreSQL is the key step that lets you self-host Flowise with Docker Compose for multiple users safely, since Postgres handles concurrent writes and backs up cleanly.
The database is defined directly in the Compose file below, with a persistent volume so data survives restarts.
Now use the command below to create the Docker Compose file for Flowise:
Paste:
Save and close the file. The worker entrypoint and MODE/QUEUE_NAME/REDIS_* variables above match the official Flowise queue-mode pattern exactly.
The flowise-worker service runs in queue mode, the correct way to self-host Flowise with Docker Compose once more than a few people use it. The main container only accepts requests and queues them in Redis; the worker executes the LLM chains and writes results to PostgreSQL.
Scale workers without touching the main app:
This starts three workers pulling from the same queue, one of the biggest reasons teams choose to self-host Flowise with Docker Compose instead of one all-in-one container.
Login is already active via FLOWISE_USERNAME/FLOWISE_PASSWORD, visitors see a login screen before reaching the builder. This is required any time you self-host Flowise with Docker Compose on a public server.
Health checks are defined for Postgres, Redis, and Flowise itself, so Compose won't start dependents until each is truly ready:
Every service should show healthy.
Use the commands below to launch the full Flowise stack:
Once healthy, open your browser and visit:
You will see the Flowise admin account setup screen. Create the admin account and sign up:
Now you self-host Flowise with Docker Compose in production, backed by PostgreSQL, Redis queues, HTTPS, and a dedicated worker.
From the Flowise dashboard, click Add New to create a chatflow.
Then:
A correct reply proves the worker and Redis pipeline work; this way to self-host Flowise with Docker Compose is fully functional.
Grab the endpoint from the chatflow's API tab and test via terminal:
A JSON response with your model's answer confirms the API, HTTPS, and worker pipeline all work together, meaning you now self-host Flowise with Docker Compose end to end, from the browser to the API.
Note: the first time Flowise connects to PostgreSQL, it needs the uuid-ossp extension enabled. If you hit a database error on first launch, run :
All data lives in data/postgres, data/redis, and data/flowise, so backing up is simple:
Store this archive off the server, such as object storage or another machine. Backing up regularly is essential once you self-host Flowise with Docker Compose for a team, since chatflows, credentials, and chat history all live in that PostgreSQL volume.
At this point, you have learned to self-host Flowise with Docker Compose. Including, PostgreSQL for reliable storage, Redis-backed queue mode for scaling, HTTPS through Caddy, login protection, health checks, and a separate worker container that keeps heavy AI jobs from blocking the main app.
This setup is ready for real teams, not just a single-user demo, and it grows with you as you add more workers or move to bigger server resources.
We hope you enjoy this guide.
For deeper detail on queue mode and worker configuration straight from the source, see the official Flowise documentation on running Flowise using queue.
SQLite works for solo testing, but PostgreSQL is required if multiple people use Flowise at the same time, since it handles concurrent writes safely.
Only if you run queue mode with workers. For a single-user setup, you can skip Redis and the worker container entirely.
Yes, use this command: docker compose up -d --scale flowise-worker=N, replacing N with the number you need.
Inside the PostgreSQL database, in the data/postgres folder on your server, included in your backup archive.