# Levelrail

> Levelrail is a self-hosted deployment platform. It turns one or more Linux servers into a private cloud: push to a git repository or an image tag and it builds, deploys and keeps the app running with TLS, logs, metrics and rollback. The control plane and the node agent are each a single Go binary, Docker is the only container runtime, and the license is Apache 2.0. It is pre-release: a single node is the well-tested path and multi-node is in beta.

## Key facts
- Agents dial out to the control plane over mutual TLS; nothing connects in, so no inbound ports or SSH keys are needed on managed servers.
- A level-triggered reconciler compares desired and observed state on every pass and records a status condition with a reason.
- State is SQLite in WAL mode; ingress, TLS and HTTP load balancing use an embedded Caddy; metrics and logs stay on the node that produced them.
- Idle footprint on a development build: 68 MB of memory with no apps, 91 MB with 500 suspended apps, 1.6% CPU at 500 suspended apps.
- 358 one-click service templates; 48 of the top 50 passed a live smoke run on 2026-10-19, the rest pass structural checks only.

## Pages
- [Home](https://levelrail.com/): What Levelrail is, the three tiers (edge, control plane, nodes), the dashboard, the template gallery and the install command.
- [Deploys and rollback](https://levelrail.com/deploys/): Readiness-gated cutover, digest-pinned images, one-command rollback, previews, schedules and pipelines.
- [Observability](https://levelrail.com/observability/): Per-app metrics, searchable logs, automatic crashloop context and alerts, kept on each node and queried on demand.
- [Networking: seven layers, three of them run by Levelrail](https://levelrail.com/networking/): Levelrail runs layer 7 (ingress, TLS, HTTP balancing, request firewall), layer 3 (WireGuard mesh, private networks, mesh DNS) and part of layer 4. The rest stays with your host and your app.
- [Architecture](https://levelrail.com/architecture/): The level-triggered reconciler, agents that dial out, and the four written decisions (ADR 002, 003, 007, 008).
- [Service templates](https://levelrail.com/templates/): 358 one-click self-host templates across databases, CMSs, analytics, automation, storage and monitoring.
- [Comparison](https://levelrail.com/compare/): A sourced comparison with Coolify, Dokploy, CapRover, Dokku, Kamal, Vercel, Heroku, Railway and Cloud Run across 28 capabilities, including what Levelrail does not do yet.
- [Migrate to Levelrail](https://levelrail.com/migrate/): A read-only importer with a dry run for Coolify, Dokploy and CapRover: the four steps, what does not migrate, and manual paths for other platforms.
- [Migrate from Coolify](https://levelrail.com/migrate/coolify/): Import Coolify apps, databases, env vars and domains with a dry run first, what is done by hand, and how to cut over.
- [Migrate from Dokploy](https://levelrail.com/migrate/dokploy/): Import Dokploy apps, databases, env vars and domains with a dry run first, what is done by hand, and how to cut over.
- [Migrate from CapRover](https://levelrail.com/migrate/caprover/): Import CapRover apps, databases, env vars and domains with a dry run first, what is done by hand, and how to cut over.
- [Install](https://levelrail.com/install/): The one-line server install, requirements, what the installer does, supported hosts, the CLI-only install and uninstall. Latest release v0.8.4, published October 24, 2026; downloads for Linux amd64 and arm64, Docker images, CLI, checksums and cosign signatures.
- [Levelrail vs Coolify](https://levelrail.com/compare/coolify/): Sourced side-by-side with Coolify: where each is ahead, the capability table, migration and FAQ.
- [Levelrail vs Dokploy](https://levelrail.com/compare/dokploy/): Sourced side-by-side with Dokploy: where each is ahead, the capability table, migration and FAQ.
- [Levelrail vs CapRover](https://levelrail.com/compare/caprover/): Sourced side-by-side with CapRover: where each is ahead, the capability table, migration and FAQ.
- [Levelrail vs Dokku](https://levelrail.com/compare/dokku/): Sourced side-by-side with Dokku: where each is ahead, the capability table, migration and FAQ.
- [Levelrail vs Kamal](https://levelrail.com/compare/kamal/): Sourced side-by-side with Kamal: where each is ahead, the capability table, migration and FAQ.
- [Levelrail vs Vercel](https://levelrail.com/compare/vercel/): Sourced side-by-side with Vercel: where each is ahead, the capability table, migration and FAQ.
- [Levelrail vs Heroku](https://levelrail.com/compare/heroku/): Sourced side-by-side with Heroku: where each is ahead, the capability table, migration and FAQ.
- [Levelrail vs Railway](https://levelrail.com/compare/railway/): Sourced side-by-side with Railway: where each is ahead, the capability table, migration and FAQ.
- [Levelrail vs Cloud Run](https://levelrail.com/compare/cloud-run/): Sourced side-by-side with Cloud Run: where each is ahead, the capability table, migration and FAQ.
- [Why Levelrail](https://levelrail.com/why-levelrail/): The problem, how an agent-based control plane differs from SSH shelling, who it is for and not for, and the honest limits.
- [Use cases](https://levelrail.com/use-cases/): Seven jobs it is built for, each with what you get and what to know first.
- [Self-host Next.js and Node apps with Levelrail](https://levelrail.com/use-cases/self-host-nextjs/): Deploy Next.js and Node apps from GitHub to your own server with Levelrail: Dockerfile builds, PR previews, safe cutover and one-command rollback.
- [Database backups and restore drills with Levelrail](https://levelrail.com/use-cases/databases-backups/): Run Postgres, Redis, MySQL and other databases on your own servers with Levelrail: scheduled backups, Postgres point-in-time restore and restore drills.
- [Run side projects on one cheap VPS with Levelrail](https://levelrail.com/use-cases/side-projects/): Host several side projects on one small VPS with Levelrail: a domain and logs per app, metrics, rollback and sleep-when-idle, with no per-service fee.
- [Self-Host Internal Tools with Access Control | Levelrail](https://levelrail.com/use-cases/internal-tools/): Self-host dashboards, automation tools and wikis on your own server with Levelrail: one-click templates, two-factor sign-in, scoped tokens, audit log.
- [Host Client Apps as an Agency or Freelancer | Levelrail](https://levelrail.com/use-cases/agencies/): Host client apps on servers you control with Levelrail: scoped tokens limit a contractor to one app, an audit log records who deployed what.
- [Run a Homelab and VPS Fleet from One Panel | Levelrail](https://levelrail.com/use-cases/homelab/): Manage a home server, a VPS and a cloud VM from one Levelrail control plane. Agents dial out over mutual TLS, so managed machines open no inbound ports.
- [Operate servers from an AI agent with Levelrail MCP](https://levelrail.com/use-cases/ai-agents/): Let an AI assistant read your Levelrail apps, logs and crashloops over MCP, with read-only mode, scoped tokens and confirm-gated writes.
- [Alternatives](https://levelrail.com/alternatives/): What you keep and give up moving from Vercel, Heroku, Railway, Coolify, Dokploy or CapRover, with links to sourced comparisons and migration guides.
- [Pricing](https://levelrail.com/pricing/): Free: Apache 2.0, one edition, no license key and no paid tier. You pay only for your servers.
- [Security](https://levelrail.com/security/): Envelope-encrypted secrets, mutual TLS agents, scoped tokens, IAM policies, an audit log, and what is not true yet.
- [Open source](https://levelrail.com/open-source/): Apache 2.0, one edition, no license key and no enterprise tier; what is not here yet; frequently asked questions.

## Use cases
- [Next.js and Node apps](https://levelrail.com/use-cases/self-host-nextjs/): Git-driven deploys for containerized web apps on your own server. (JSON: https://levelrail.com/use-cases/self-host-nextjs.json)
- [Databases with backups](https://levelrail.com/use-cases/databases-backups/): Managed databases with scheduled, verified backups on your own storage. (JSON: https://levelrail.com/use-cases/databases-backups.json)
- [Side projects on one VPS](https://levelrail.com/use-cases/side-projects/): A handful of projects on one server, without per-service platform fees. (JSON: https://levelrail.com/use-cases/side-projects.json)
- [Internal tools](https://levelrail.com/use-cases/internal-tools/): Dashboards, automation and wikis, with roles and an audit trail. (JSON: https://levelrail.com/use-cases/internal-tools.json)
- [Agencies and many clients](https://levelrail.com/use-cases/agencies/): Scoped access, an audit trail and per-client nodes for client work. (JSON: https://levelrail.com/use-cases/agencies.json)
- [Homelab and mixed servers](https://levelrail.com/use-cases/homelab/): A home server, a VPS and a cloud VM under one control plane. (JSON: https://levelrail.com/use-cases/homelab.json)
- [AI agents with MCP](https://levelrail.com/use-cases/ai-agents/): An MCP server over the platform API, with read-only and confirm-gated modes. (JSON: https://levelrail.com/use-cases/ai-agents.json)
- All use cases as JSON: https://levelrail.com/use-cases/index.json

## Guides
- [Our Health Check Failed and the Deploy Went Live Anyway](https://levelrail.com/blog/health-check-passes-dead-container/): A postmortem from our own dogfood run: a failed readiness probe still received traffic. What broke, why two correct parts added up to a bug, and the fix. (Markdown: https://levelrail.com/blog/health-check-passes-dead-container.md)
- [Roll Back a Failed Docker Deploy Without Downtime](https://levelrail.com/blog/rollback-failed-deploy-docker/): Ship a broken release on purpose, watch your users stay on the old version, then roll back with one command. Real commands, real output, self-hosted. (Markdown: https://levelrail.com/blog/rollback-failed-deploy-docker.md)
- [Install a Self-Hosted PaaS on Your Own Server in Five Minutes](https://levelrail.com/blog/install-levelrail-five-minutes/): One curl command, one setup token, one sample app. The full Levelrail install on a fresh Linux server, with the checks and the fixes. (Markdown: https://levelrail.com/blog/install-levelrail-five-minutes.md)
- [Restart a Docker Container Without Downtime](https://levelrail.com/blog/restart-docker-app-without-downtime/): Restart a Docker app with one command and zero failed requests, then see what a plain stop and start costs. Real output from a self-hosted run. (Markdown: https://levelrail.com/blog/restart-docker-app-without-downtime.md)
- [Update the PHP Docker Image Security Patch, No Downtime](https://levelrail.com/blog/ship-php-security-update-docker-zero-downtime/): Move a Dockerized PHP app from 8.4.26 to the 8.4.27 security release with zero failed requests, pin the image by digest, and see a bad update get refused. (Markdown: https://levelrail.com/blog/ship-php-security-update-docker-zero-downtime.md)
- [Docker Container Restarting in a Loop: 5 Causes, Fixed](https://levelrail.com/blog/docker-container-restarting-in-a-loop/): Five real reasons a Docker container keeps restarting, each reproduced with its exit code, the command that finds it and the fix. Then the same crash on Levelrail. (Markdown: https://levelrail.com/blog/docker-container-restarting-in-a-loop.md)
- Series [Deploy and operate Levelrail](https://levelrail.com/blog/series/deploy-and-operate-levelrail/): 3 parts in order
- Topics: [DevOps](https://levelrail.com/blog/tag/devops/), [Docker](https://levelrail.com/blog/tag/docker/), [Postmortem](https://levelrail.com/blog/tag/postmortem/), [Self-hosting](https://levelrail.com/blog/tag/self-hosting/), [Deployments](https://levelrail.com/blog/tag/deployments/), [Rollback](https://levelrail.com/blog/tag/rollback/), [Tutorial](https://levelrail.com/blog/tag/tutorial/), [Zero downtime](https://levelrail.com/blog/tag/zero-downtime/), [PHP](https://levelrail.com/blog/tag/php/), [Security](https://levelrail.com/blog/tag/security/), [Troubleshooting](https://levelrail.com/blog/tag/troubleshooting/), [Exit codes](https://levelrail.com/blog/tag/exit-codes/)
- Feeds: [RSS](https://levelrail.com/blog/rss.xml), [Atom](https://levelrail.com/blog/atom.xml), [JSON Feed](https://levelrail.com/blog/feed.json)
- Sitemap: https://levelrail.com/sitemap.xml

## Documentation
- [Quickstart](https://docs.levelrail.com/getting-started): Install and deploy a first app.
- [Installing](https://docs.levelrail.com/installing): Server install and requirements.
- [CLI reference](https://docs.levelrail.com/cli-reference): Every levelrail-cli command.
- [API reference](https://docs.levelrail.com/api-reference): REST endpoints and abilities.
- [Feature status](https://docs.levelrail.com/feature-status): What is stable, beta or experimental.
- [Security](https://docs.levelrail.com/security): Security model and hardening.
- [Comparison](https://docs.levelrail.com/comparison): Comparison with other platforms.
- [Roadmap](https://docs.levelrail.com/roadmap): What is planned next.

## Source and contact
- [GitHub](https://github.com/glincker/levelrail): source, issues and discussions
- Contact: support@levelrail.com
- Built by GLINR STUDIOS (https://glinr.com)

## Optional
- [Full text of this site](https://levelrail.com/llms-full.txt)