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Penpot can be deployed with its official Docker Compose setup or its official Kubernetes Helm chart. Compose is the direct route for teams already running Docker; Helm fits operators who manage Kubernetes and can provide PostgreSQL and Valkey or compatible Redis. Either way, plan the public URL, persistent asset storage, email, registration policy, and internet-facing security before inviting users.
Choose a deployment route
| Route | What it involves | Who manages operations |
|---|---|---|
| Docker Compose | Penpot’s official Compose configuration runs its application services and dependencies in containers. It maps the frontend to host port 9001 and uses filesystem-backed assets by default. Penpot Docker Compose configuration | You manage the host, upgrades, backups, public access, and persistent data. |
| Kubernetes with Helm | The official chart deploys Penpot into Kubernetes. PostgreSQL and Valkey or compatible Redis must be reachable by the cluster; they may be supplied separately. Penpot Helm chart | You manage the cluster and chart deployment, and arrange database and cache services. |
| Managed instance | Penpot’s self-hosting guide names Elestio as a managed route and says it handles tasks such as DNS, SMTP, backups, certificates, and upgrades. The guide is archived, so confirm current availability, support, and terms before choosing it. Penpot self-hosting guide | The provider handles some operational work; verify exactly what is included and what remains yours. |
The Compose and Helm files are living project configuration, not timeless recipes. Check their current defaults, image tags, chart values, and upgrade instructions before deploying. At the time of the cited repository snapshots, the Compose file defaulted to image tags of 2.18 and the Helm README listed 2.18.2; those are snapshots, not a guarantee of the latest release or a compatibility recommendation.
What to prepare before deployment
For Docker Compose
Use a host where Docker and Compose are already operated and monitored. The official configuration wires frontend, backend, admin-console, MCP, and exporter services to PostgreSQL and Valkey, and maps the frontend to host port 9001. Keep the asset volume on persistent storage rather than treating container-local files as a backup. Review the live configuration for current service names, image tags, variables, and defaults before starting. Official Compose file
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Provide reachable PostgreSQL and Valkey or compatible Redis services before configuring the chart. Penpot’s Helm guide describes PostgreSQL as the primary database for users, projects, and files, recommends PostgreSQL v15 or higher, and says a standalone Valkey/Redis instance is sufficient for its described caching, session-management, and real-time communication needs. It does not require cluster or replication mode in that guide. Dependencies can be deployed in-cluster, provided as managed services, or run on separate Docker/VM hosts. Helm deployment guide and chart
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For any self-managed installation
- Decide the durable location for uploaded assets and how they will be backed up. Compose defaults to a Docker volume for filesystem assets and shows S3-compatible storage as an alternative.
- Choose the exact public address users will open, then configure Penpot’s public URI accordingly. The archived configuration guide documents
PENPOT_PUBLIC_URI; check current configuration before copying variable names. - Decide whether anyone can register, whether registration should be disabled, or whether it should be restricted by email domain. The configuration reference describing these controls is archived, so verify current behavior and names.
- Plan SMTP if users will rely on invitations or verification emails. The archived configuration guide describes SMTP settings and invitation email behavior; confirm current requirements before using its examples.
- Generate a unique secret for the deployment. The Compose example contains a placeholder and recommends a random 512-bit value encoded for the secret key; never deploy the placeholder or commit a real secret to source control.
The reviewed official material does not establish a minimum CPU, memory, or disk size, or a supported team size for a particular server. Size infrastructure from your workload and operational requirements rather than treating an arbitrary machine recommendation as a Penpot guarantee.
Deploy with the official Docker Compose configuration
- Review the live file: open the official Compose configuration and its accompanying comments. Confirm the current image tags, ports, storage mounts, environment variables, and security guidance.
- Set configuration before startup: replace placeholders, generate a proper secret, set the public URI to the address users will use, and decide registration, email, and asset-storage settings. Do not assume the localhost example is suitable for a public deployment.
- Start using the Compose instructions provided with the current configuration: the repository file is the source for the current services and startup guidance. Avoid relying on an old copied command or environment-variable list when the live file may have changed.
- Verify the result: check that the frontend is reachable at the intended address and that backend/database/cache services start successfully. The current Compose mapping uses host port 9001, but confirm it has not changed and that your firewall or reverse proxy exposes only the intended entry point.
- Test persistence and mail: confirm that uploaded assets survive container recreation and that any configured invitation or verification email reaches a test account before onboarding the team.
Deploy to Kubernetes with Helm
- Establish dependencies: provision PostgreSQL and Valkey or compatible Redis and ensure they are reachable from the cluster. For PostgreSQL, the Helm guide recommends version 15 or higher.
- Review the chart documentation and values: use the official Helm repository for current installation steps, chart values, image tags, and dependency connection settings. Do not transplant values from an old release without checking the version you intend to deploy.
- Configure connection and public-access settings: enter the dependency endpoints and credentials through the chart’s supported settings, set the real public URL, and configure storage, email, registration, and secrets for your environment.
- Install and validate: follow the repository’s current Helm commands, then inspect the resulting workloads and service endpoints. Confirm Penpot can reach PostgreSQL and Valkey/Redis and that users reach it through the expected public address.
- Exercise recovery procedures: verify backups and restoration for both database records and uploaded assets. A database backup alone does not preserve files stored separately.
Secure the instance before exposing it to the internet
The current Compose file explicitly warns: “WARNING: if you’re exposing Penpot to the internet, you should remove the flags ‘disable-secure-session-cookies’ and ‘disable-email-verification’”. Treat those flags as local/development conveniences, not public-deployment defaults. Check the current configuration for the exact flags and behavior. Penpot Compose configuration
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- Use the real HTTPS-facing public URI and configure a TLS-capable reverse proxy or equivalent ingress. The Compose file includes an example Traefik configuration, but using that example by itself does not prove a deployment is correctly secured.
- Keep registration policy intentional. Open registration may be inappropriate for a private team instance; verify the current controls for disabling or limiting signups.
- Protect database credentials and the application secret, restrict access to administrative interfaces, and permit only required network paths to stateful services.
- Test email verification and invitation flows if they are part of onboarding, and confirm the SMTP configuration still matches the current release.
- Back up the database and asset store together, and test restoration rather than assuming a running volume or managed service is a backup.
Maintain the deployment
Track Penpot releases and check current image tags or Helm chart defaults before upgrading. For each upgrade, read the release notes and the current deployment instructions, back up the database and assets, and confirm whether any configuration or migration steps apply. The archived self-hosting and configuration documentation is useful for concepts but should not override current repository configuration. GitHub marks the Penpot documentation repository as archived on March 7, 2025.
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Choose Compose if the team wants a straightforward container deployment and already operates the host; choose Helm if Kubernetes is already part of its operational model and the team can manage the dependencies. A managed instance may reduce direct maintenance, but verify its present-day service scope before relying on it.
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