Self-host Node.js API + PostgreSQL with Docker

A minimal Node HTTP service wired to a Postgres database, the most common backend pairing.

This page describes the Levelrail template for Node.js API + PostgreSQL (Starter Kits). It deploys the services below as one Docker Compose app on your own server.

Project site: https://node-postgres.com/.

Recommended memory: about 256 MiB.

Services, ports and volumes

Service	Image	Container ports	Volumes
db	postgres:16-alpine	none	node_postgres_db_data -> /var/lib/postgresql/data
web	node:22-alpine	3000	none

Environment variables

Service	Variable	Value
db	POSTGRES_DB	Preset in the template
db	POSTGRES_PASSWORD	Generated at deploy
db	POSTGRES_USER	Preset in the template
web	DATABASE_URL	Generated at deploy
web	NODE_ENV	Preset in the template

Passwords and keys marked as generated are created for you when the app is deployed and stored as secrets. Values are not shown here.

Deploy Node.js API + PostgreSQL with Levelrail

In the dashboard, open Apps, choose New app, then Browse templates, and select Node.js API + PostgreSQL. Review the Compose body and deploy.

With the CLI:

levelrail-cli templates deploy node-postgres-starter --name my-node-postgres-starter

See Service template catalog for how templates work, and Getting started if you have not installed Levelrail yet.

More Starter Kits templates

• FastAPI + PostgreSQL
• Next.js + PostgreSQL
• Nginx Reverse Proxy (Multi-Backend)
• Redis Cache Starter
• Static Site + API Backend
• Background Worker + Redis Queue

All templates are listed in the self-host gallery.