Deployment Guide

Complete guide for deploying SaleSpider in different environments with various configuration options.

Overview

SaleSpider offers flexible deployment options to match your infrastructure, connectivity, and operational requirements. Choose the option that best fits your needs.

Deployment Options Comparison

Feature	Self-Hosted	Hosted Database	Cloud Platforms
Offline Operation	✅ Full support	❌ Requires internet	❌ Requires internet
Setup Complexity	Medium	Low	Very Low
Monthly Cost	Infrastructure only	Database fees	Platform fees
Data Control	Complete	Shared	Shared
Backup Management	Self-managed	Provider-managed	Provider-managed
Scaling	Manual	Manual	Automatic
Maintenance	Self-managed	Minimal	Zero

Option 1: Self-Hosted Deployment

Best for: Complete control, offline operation, on-premises deployment

What's Included

• PostgreSQL database container
• pgBackRest backup system
• Application container
• Caddy reverse proxy with SSL
• Monitoring and health checks

Key Benefits

• ✅ Full offline operation - Works without internet connectivity
• ✅ Complete data control - Your infrastructure, your rules
• ✅ Enterprise backups - pgBackRest with cloud storage support
• ✅ No recurring fees - One-time infrastructure cost

Quick Start

# 1. Create environment file
cp env.example .env

# 2. Configure settings
nano .env

# 3. Deploy
make deploy

Read more about self-hosted deployment →

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Option 2: Hosted Database Deployment

Best for: Simplified management, reliable internet, managed services

What's Included

• Application container only
• Caddy reverse proxy with SSL
• No local database or backup containers

Supported Providers

• Neon (PostgreSQL)
• Supabase (PostgreSQL)
• Railway (PostgreSQL)
• Heroku Postgres
• Any other hosted PostgreSQL provider

Key Benefits

• ✅ Managed database - Provider handles backups and scaling
• ✅ Simplified setup - No database management needed
• ✅ Automatic updates - Provider manages database updates
• ⚠️ Requires internet - Continuous connectivity needed

Quick Start

# 1. Create environment file
cp env.example .env

# 2. Configure for hosted database
nano .env
# Set: DATABASE_URL="postgresql://user:pass@host:port/db?sslmode=require"
# Set: PGBACKREST_REPO1_TYPE=none
# Set: SETUP_BACKUP=false

# 3. Deploy with hosted database
make deploy-hosted-db-app

Important: When using a hosted database provider, do not enable the backup system. Hosted providers manage their own backups.

Read more about hosted database deployment →

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Option 3: Cloud Platform Deployment

Best for: Zero infrastructure management, automatic scaling, global access

Supported Platforms

• Vercel - Best for Next.js with automatic scaling
• Railway - All-in-one with database included
• Render - Simple deployments with free tier

What's Included

• Serverless application hosting
• Automatic HTTPS and CDN
• Zero server management
• Hosted PostgreSQL database

Key Benefits

• ✅ Zero server management - Platform handles everything
• ✅ Automatic scaling - Scales with your traffic
• ✅ Global CDN - Fast access worldwide
• ⚠️ Requires internet - Cloud-based deployment

Quick Start

# 1. Create environment file from cloud template
cp .env.cloud.example .env

# 2. Configure your settings
nano .env

# 3. Deploy to your platform
# Make sure to use "npm run start:prod" as your start command
vercel --prod  # or railway up, or render deploy

TIP

Most platforms automatically run migrations and seeding with npm run start:prod. Vercel requires manual seeding. See the Cloud Platforms Guide for details.

Read more about cloud platform deployment →

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Offline Operation Requirements

Important for Offline Operation

If you need SaleSpider to work without internet connectivity, you must use the Self-Hosted Deployment option with a local PostgreSQL database.

Hosted database and cloud platform deployments require continuous internet connectivity to function.

What Works Offline (Self-Hosted Only)

• ✅ Sales recording and processing
• ✅ Inventory management
• ✅ Staff management
• ✅ Report generation
• ✅ Data export (CSV)
• ✅ All core functionality

What Requires Internet (All Deployments)

• ❌ AI-powered recommendations (Gemini API)
• ❌ Cloud backups (S3, Azure, GCS)
• ❌ External integrations
• ❌ Software updates

Learn more about Offline Operation →

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Platform-Specific Guides

Linux

Standard Docker deployment works out of the box.

Linux Deployment →

macOS

Use Docker Desktop for Mac.

macOS Deployment →

Windows

Requires WSL 2 and Docker Desktop.

Windows Deployment Guide →

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Next Steps

After choosing your deployment option:

1. Configure Environment Variables - Set up your configuration
2. Set Up Backups - Protect your data (self-hosted only)
3. Configure Security - Secure your deployment
4. Monitor Your Deployment - Keep track of system health

Getting Help

• 📖 Troubleshooting Guide
• 📧 Contact Support
• 💬 GitHub Discussions
• 🐛 Report Issues