Self-host Air Pipe as a single binary — or let us run it.
One compiled binary, no sidecars and no agents. Run it on your VM, your container platform or your laptop — the same config you'd deploy to our managed cloud, on infrastructure you control.
Why self-host
Because the data can't leave, or because you'd rather own the runtime. Your databases, your documents and your embeddings stay on your own network, and the config that describes them is a file in your repository.
Your data and embeddings stay on your infrastructure
No sidecars, no agents, no separate collector to run
The config is reviewable in a pull request like any other code
Install where you already deploy
Linux, macOS, Windows or a container. Linux is the recommended production target. Binaries are published for each platform — install it, point it at a config, and it serves.
Linux, macOS, Windows and container install paths
A single compiled binary — nothing else to schedule
SQLite REST API Starter is a self-hosted-only pack for local-first work
Same config, either way
Self-hosted and managed run the same declarative config, so moving between them is a deployment decision rather than a rewrite. Observability behaves identically: OpenAPI, Prometheus metrics and OpenTelemetry traces are generated either way.
What self-hosting still needs
Self-hosted mode is not disconnected by default: you register an account and generate an API key, and the binary uses it. Request units are metered separately from managed ones, with their own monthly free allowance. Air-gapped deployment is an Enterprise arrangement — talk to us rather than assuming it.
Frequently asked questions
Is Air Pipe really a single binary? Yes. Self-hosted Air Pipe is one compiled Rust binary with no sidecars, agents or separate collectors to run. You install it, give it a config, and it serves the interfaces that config defines.
Which platforms can I install on? Linux, macOS, Windows and containers. Linux is the recommended target for production deployments unless you have a specific reason to use another operating system.
Does self-hosting need an Air Pipe account? Yes. You register an account and generate an API key, which the self-hosted binary uses. If you need a fully air-gapped deployment, that's an Enterprise arrangement — please contact us rather than assuming it works out of the box.
Is self-hosted priced differently to managed? Self-hosted requests draw down a separate self-hosted unit balance, with its own monthly free allowance, and you can use managed and self-hosted at the same time. See the pricing page for the current numbers.
Do I get the same features as managed? The same config runs on both, and observability — OpenAPI, metrics and tracing — is generated the same way in each. Governance features such as SSO and audit logs are tied to your plan rather than to where the runtime happens to be.