Deployment Overview
ProjectAchilles supports five deployment targets. Choose based on your requirements for database, storage, agent build capability, and budget.
Comparison Matrix
| Target | Backend | Database | File Storage | Agent Builds | Cost | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Docker Compose | backend/ | SQLite (volume) | Filesystem (volume) | Yes | Free | Local dev, self-hosted, air-gapped |
| Railway | backend/ | SQLite (volume) | Filesystem (volume) | Partial | ~$10-13/mo | Simplicity, auto-deploy from GitHub |
| Render | backend/ | SQLite (persistent disk) | Filesystem (disk) | Partial | ~$14/mo | Flat-rate pricing, Blueprint deploy |
| Fly.io | backend/ | SQLite (volume) | Filesystem (volume) | Yes | ~$8/mo | Cheapest always-on, custom domains |
| Vercel | backend-serverless/ | Turso (libSQL) | Vercel Blob | No | ~$20/mo | Scalability, edge performance |
Key Differences
Docker Compose (Self-Hosted)
- Full feature set including Go cross-compilation and code signing
- Optional local Elasticsearch with synthetic seed data
- Best for development, testing, and on-premises deployment
- Requires managing your own infrastructure
Railway
- GitHub-based auto-deploy with watch patterns for selective rebuilds
- Private networking between services (no public backend exposure needed)
- Limited Go cross-compilation (no CGO, constrained memory)
- Volume storage for SQLite and settings
Render
- Blueprint deploy (
render.yaml) for one-click setup - Persistent disk storage (1 GB) for SQLite and certificates
- Starter plan offers flat-rate pricing
- Custom domains with CNAME records
Fly.io
- Docker Machine-based deployment with persistent volumes
- Cheapest always-on option at ~$8/month
- Full Go build support (Docker-based builds)
- Custom domains with A/AAAA records (not CNAME)
- No auto-deploy from GitHub (requires
flyctl deployor CI/CD)
Vercel (Serverless)
- Purpose-built serverless fork (
backend-serverless/) - Replaces SQLite with Turso, filesystem with Vercel Blob
- No Go build support (returns 503 for build endpoints)
- Test library cloned at build time, not runtime
- Vercel Cron for scheduling and key rotation
Which Should I Choose?
- Just evaluating? Use Docker Compose or Local Dev
- Need the cheapest always-on? Use Fly.io (~$8/mo)
- Want the simplest deploy? Use Railway (GitHub auto-deploy)
- Need serverless scale? Use Vercel (requires Turso + Blob)
What's Next?
- Review Prerequisites for your chosen target
- Follow the target-specific guide
- Complete the Production Checklist
- Reference the Environment Variables guide