What are the infrastructure requirements for self-hosting?

You need a Linux server (any major cloud provider or bare metal), Docker installed, a PostgreSQL database, and a Redis instance. A $20-40/month VPS is sufficient for hundreds of concurrent connections. For high-traffic deployments, you can scale horizontally — the data plane has no database dependency and scales easily.

How do I handle SSL/TLS for WebSocket connections?

Apinator includes a Caddy reverse proxy in the Docker Compose configuration. Caddy automatically provisions and renews TLS certificates via Let's Encrypt for your domain. Your WebSocket connections are served over wss:// with no manual certificate management.

Can I run multiple data plane regions?

Yes. The architecture separates the control plane (account management, PostgreSQL) from data planes (WebSocket handling, Redis only). You can deploy data planes in EU, US, or any region independently. Clients connect to the nearest data plane.

What happens if my server goes down?

The client SDK has built-in reconnect with exponential backoff. If you run multiple data plane nodes behind a load balancer, clients reconnect to another node automatically. For the control plane, standard PostgreSQL and Redis high-availability setups apply.

Is there a managed version if I don't want to maintain the server?

Yes. Apinator offers a managed cloud option. You can start self-hosted and migrate to managed (or the reverse) with no code changes — same SDK, same API.

Self-Hosted

Self-Hosted WebSocket Server for Production

Deploy realtime infrastructure on your own servers. Full control, no vendor lock-in, predictable costs.

Apinator is a production-grade WebSocket server you can run anywhere — your own VPS, Kubernetes cluster, or cloud instances. Channels, presence, pub/sub, and webhooks included. Deploy in minutes with Docker.

Get Started Free View Docs

Full Data Control

Event payloads never leave your infrastructure. Complete data sovereignty — especially important for healthcare, finance, or regulated industries.

Predictable Costs

Pay for your server, not your traffic. A single $20/month VPS handles hundreds of concurrent connections and millions of messages.

Multi-Region Topology

Run a central control plane and regional data planes. Users connect to the nearest node for minimum latency.

Deploy with Docker

One Docker image, one compose file. Runs on any Linux server with Docker installed. No complex setup.

Pusher-Compatible

Existing Pusher client code works without changes. Drop in Apinator without rewriting your frontend.

No Vendor Lock-In

Run it on your infrastructure today, migrate to managed cloud tomorrow, or move to another provider entirely. Your data, your choice.

Deploy and Connect

Start the server with Docker, then connect from your frontend and publish from your backend — all on your own infrastructure.

quickstart.js
// 1. Start the server (docker compose up -d)
//    Uses your own Postgres + Redis — no external dependencies

// 2. Connect from your frontend
import { RealtimeClient } from '@apinator/client'
const client = new RealtimeClient('APP_KEY', {
  host: 'wss://your-server.example.com'
})
client.subscribe('updates').bind('change', (data) => refresh(data))

// 3. Publish events from your backend
import { ApinatorServer } from '@apinator/server'
const apinator = new ApinatorServer({
  appId: 'your-app-id', key, secret,
  host: 'https://your-server.example.com'
})
await apinator.trigger('updates', 'change', { record: 42, action: 'created' })

Frequently Asked Questions

Pusher Alternative Migrate from Pusher How WebSockets Scale Scaling architecture explained Documentation Full setup and API reference

Ready to get started?

Completely free, no credit card required. Deploy in minutes.