Layer 5 · self-hosting reality check
What it actually takes to self-host CryptPad
The docs say 1 GB. In practice you want 2 GB for a small instance. Here is the honest version — real requirements, real monthly cost, what you will be maintaining, and the one thing that catches people out.
Usually reached from Google Drive alternatives, where CryptPad is one of the picks.
Wondering whether you need to at all? Is Google Drive free? — what the free tier actually allows, and where the wall is.
| RAM — documented minimum | 1 GB |
|---|---|
| RAM — what it really needs | 2 GB for a small instance |
| CPU | 2 vCPU |
| Disk | 20 GB and it grows with every document version |
| Monthly cost | $12–20/mo on a small VPS |
| Setup time | 2 hours, and the two-domain requirement is the hard part |
| How you install it | Node.js service behind nginx; requires a second sandbox domain for security isolation |
| Ongoing maintenance | Moderate. Version pruning is a job you have to schedule. |
| Where it stops scaling | Dozens of concurrent users. The document history storage grows faster than people expect. |
The thing that catches people out
CryptPad needs two separate domains — the main one and a sandbox one — and refuses to work correctly with a single hostname because the isolation is what makes the encryption meaningful. Nearly every failed install is somebody trying to run it on one domain. Plan the DNS before you start, not after the first error.
When not to self-host CryptPad
You need Office file fidelity. CryptPad's strength is end-to-end encryption, and its editors are its own, not OOXML-native.
Every guide here carries this section. A site that only ever tells you to self-host is selling something — the useful answer is sometimes no.
Other Layer 5 self-hosting guides
- Self-hosting LibreOffice2 GB with a large spreadsheet open
- Self-hosting ONLYOFFICE6 GB for the Document Server with a handful of concurrent editors
- Self-hosting Collabora Online4 GB, and roughly 1 GB per 20 concurrent documents
- Self-hosting Mattermost4 GB for a team of 50 with PostgreSQL on the same box
- Self-hosting Rocket.Chat6 GB with MongoDB on the same machine
- Self-hosting Zulip4 GB for a small organisation
Common questions
- How much RAM does CryptPad actually need?
- 2 GB for a small instance in practice. The documented minimum is 1 GB, which is the figure at which the process starts rather than the figure at which it works under real use. 2 vCPU alongside it.
- What does self-hosting CryptPad cost per month?
- $12–20/mo on a small VPS This is commodity VPS pricing and excludes your time, which is the larger cost for most people — budget for moderate. Version pruning is a job you have to schedule.
- How long does it take to set up CryptPad?
- 2 hours, and the two-domain requirement is the hard part, via Node.js service behind nginx; requires a second sandbox domain for security isolation.
- When should I NOT self-host CryptPad?
- You need Office file fidelity. CryptPad's strength is end-to-end encryption, and its editors are its own, not OOXML-native.
- What is the most common mistake when self-hosting CryptPad?
- CryptPad needs two separate domains — the main one and a sandbox one — and refuses to work correctly with a single hostname because the isolation is what makes the encryption meaningful. Nearly every failed install is somebody trying to run it on one domain. Plan the DNS before you start, not after the first error.