Why Self-Host Cap?
Privacy & Control- Keep all video content on your own servers
- Control user data and comply with data residency requirements
- No third-party dependencies for core functionality
- Deploy on your preferred infrastructure
- Integrate with existing authentication systems
- Configure storage backends to match your needs
- No per-seat pricing
- Pay only for infrastructure costs
- Unlimited users and videos
What’s Included
A self-hosted Cap deployment includes:Cap Web
Next.js application for video sharing, playback, and management
Media Server
FFmpeg-based processing for video encoding and optimization
MySQL Database
Stores user data, video metadata, and application state
S3 Storage
MinIO or AWS S3 for video file storage and delivery
System Requirements
Minimum Requirements
- CPU: 2 cores
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage: 20GB + space for video files
- Network: 100 Mbps upload/download
Recommended for Production
- CPU: 4+ cores
- RAM: 8GB+
- Storage: SSD with 100GB+ (database) + separate volume for videos
- Network: 1 Gbps connection
Software Prerequisites
- Docker Compose
- Manual Setup
- Docker 24.0+
- Docker Compose 2.0+
Deployment Options
Choose the deployment method that best fits your infrastructure:| Method | Best For | Difficulty | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Docker Compose | VPS, home servers, any Docker host | Easy | 5 minutes |
| Railway | One-click managed hosting | Easiest | 2 minutes |
| Coolify | Self-hosted PaaS platform | Easy | 10 minutes |
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Self-Hosted | cap.so Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Video recording & sharing | ✅ | ✅ |
| Unlimited users | ✅ | ❌ (paid tiers) |
| Custom domain | ✅ | ✅ (Pro) |
| AI transcription | ✅ (with API key) | ✅ |
| AI summaries | ✅ (with API key) | ✅ |
| Comments & reactions | ✅ | ✅ |
| Analytics dashboard | ✅ (with Tinybird) | ✅ |
| Email support | ❌ | ✅ |
| Managed infrastructure | ❌ | ✅ |
What’s Next?
Quick Start
Get Cap running in under 5 minutes
Docker Compose
Detailed Docker deployment guide
Environment Variables
Complete configuration reference
Troubleshooting
Common issues and solutions
Community & Support
While we don’t provide direct support for self-hosted deployments, the community is here to help:- GitHub Issues - Report bugs and request features
- GitHub Discussions - Ask questions and share solutions
- Discord Community - Chat with other self-hosters