Self-hosting

rply is open source, and the server is one Docker container. Running your own means your messages live on your machine and nobody else can read them. The web app comes with the server, so there’s nothing else to deploy.

Just want to try rply?

The hosted app at app.rply.sh is free to start and works the same way. Self-hosting is for when you want to own the data.

What you run

• One container built from the repository’s Dockerfile. It serves the API and the web app on port 8080.
• SQLite in /data/rply.db, plus uploaded files in /data/files. Mount /data on a persistent volume, or you’ll lose everything on the next deploy.
• Postgres instead of SQLite is supported for larger setups; see Configuration.

Run one instance. SQLite and the server’s in-memory wait queue assume a single process.

Requirements

• Somewhere to run a Docker container with a persistent volume.
• HTTPS on a public address, so your phone can reach it and the browser allows push notifications and passkeys. Most platforms provide this; on a plain server, put Caddy in front.
• Set RPLY_URL to the public address, e.g. https://rply.example.com. It’s needed for passkeys and email links.

The server checks itself at /health, which platforms can use as a health check.

The first account

When you open a new server, it asks you to create an account. The first account sets up the server and owns it. After that, nobody else can sign up by default. To let others register, set RPLY_REGISTRATION=open; see Configuration.

Pick a platform

Platform	Good for
exe.dev	Running the server on the same VM as your agent
Railway	The least setup: deploy from GitHub, add a volume
Fly.io or Render	Managed platforms you may already use
Docker on any server	A VPS from Hetzner, DigitalOcean or anyone else, or your laptop

Let your agent do it

An agent with a shell can deploy the server for you. The Get started section on rply.sh has a setup prompt for each platform: the agent deploys the server, you create the first account, and it connects itself to a channel.

After deploying

1. Open your server’s URL and create the first account.
2. Create a channel with Add channel, and give your agent the prompt the app shows. Or run rply init https://your-server --name "…" and open the claim link.
3. Turn on notifications with the bell in the sidebar.