Plan to Self Host Seatable

User Talk
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Detail: I am a student and I cannot pay subscription because I want maximum API access maximum data storage and maximum rows and columns in my Seatable. Cloud Airtable or Seatable is expensive and still has limits so I want to self host to use it cheap

Problem I Am Facing :- I made a Python form and want to connect it via API but Seatable cloud API limit is too low and storage is limited.

**What I Want:-**I want a cheap way to self host Seatable. I am a Windows user with 32 GB RAM 3060ti GPU and 2 TB storage. I want to know which VPS site to use do I need Linux and if self hosted can I use interface same as free plan with forms views tables API and everything. I also want cheapest option for 1 year plan.

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where are you located?

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Hello SeaTable Team,

I’m a student and developer, and I really like SeaTable as an Airtable alternative. The UI, forms, tables, and API are excellent.

However, many students and indie developers face the same problem:

  • SeaTable Cloud API limits are very low

  • Storage and row limits are restrictive

  • Paid plans are expensive for students

Because of this, self-hosting is the only realistic option for us.

The main issue is that self-hosting documentation is not beginner-friendly. There is no clear, complete, step-by-step guide that explains:

  • Which Linux OS to choose

  • Minimum VPS specs for real-world usage

  • Full Docker + Docker Compose setup (from zero)

  • Domain + HTTPS setup

  • API usage confirmation (same as cloud)

  • Common errors and fixes

For students and Windows users especially, this becomes a big blocker. Many people want to self-host SeaTable, but they give up because the setup feels complex and unclear.

Request / Suggestion:
It would be extremely helpful if SeaTable could provide:

  • A single official beginner guide: “Self-host SeaTable from scratch (Step-by-Step)”

  • Example VPS providers + minimum specs

  • A tested Docker Compose example

  • Confirmation that self-hosted SeaTable has the same features (Forms, API, Views, etc.)

This would help:

  • Students

  • Indie developers

  • Open-source community

  • Wider adoption of SeaTable

Many people in the developer community face this same issue, and better documentation would make a huge difference.

Thank you for your great product, and I hope the team can consider improving self-hosting guidance :folded_hands:

Best regards,
A student developer

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If you don’t find / or can not use the descriptions on https://admin.seatable.com, then you should probably not run your own SeaTable Server.

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Hi @Riabuz, @ahmi,

First of all, welcome to the SeaTable forum and thank you for your interest in SeaTable!

I totally agree with @cdb, unfortunately, you cannot expect to self-host software as complex as SeaTable without at least a basic understanding of server administration, Linux commands, etc. as detailed in the SeaTable admin manual. Besides, I think this manual actually answers most of your questions, for example the requirements. In the first page of the Single-Node installation of SeaTable Server part which seems to match your needs, you’ll also find a short youtube video that shows you how simple, fast and straightforward it could be to install SeaTable on your own server (but once again, if this manual sounds like complete foreign language to you, then self-hosting is probably not the right option).

Now, some considerations regarding questions that don’t seem to be addressed in the manual:

  • You are both complaining about the API Cloud limits. Optimizing you API calls might generally be enough to fit these limits. If it’s not the case, then the system you are setting up is probably of such complexity/size that it necessarily entails costs.
  • The hosting method doesn’t change the product itself, so yes,Self-Hosted SeaTable as the same features (forms, API, views, etc.) than the cloud version
  • You’re both talking about VPS: this usually comes at a cost, not necessarily cheaper than a plus or enterprise subscription. Besides, as @abaer asked, the VPS choice will necessarily depend on your location, so this is naturally beyond the scope of advice SeaTable can offer.
  • Similarly, choosing a Linux distribution is a (very) broad topic for which there is unfortunately no single, definitive answer. Coming from Windows, you might first consider a user-friendly distro such as Ubuntu which is based on Debian while probably being less austere, with a very large user community and therefore the possibility of easily finding help/answers

Hope this helps.
Bests,
Benjamin

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@ahmi I am a fellow user, and I can possibly shed more light from a user’s perspective on your issue: I started using Seatable as a private person, hosted on my own VPS, and brought it into my workplace, to be currently introduced in an organization with 17.000+ employees.

IMHO, I suspect that your definition of “beginner-friendly“ is not mine, even when I started as a private person. If you mean “foolproof“ or “saves work to research / learn the basics of running such a system“, I would not follow. However, it is totally manageable for a developer like yourself to run a self-hosted Seatable installation - if you are willing to learn the basics.

I wouldn’t hold it against Seatable that they don’t see it as their duty to spoon-feed you the basics - most of your list is generic. If Seatable compiled such a guide, it would just copy information that has been given elsewhere. To be precise:

  • Which Linux OS to choose

Any Linux that can run Docker - that’s the beauty of a containerized application. The exact Linux distro has a lot to do with its maintenance. Which can only be judged with generic knowledge and individual experience and preference.

  • Minimum VPS specs for real-world usage

Depends on the size of your installation. My private VPS has 4 Cores, 8GB RAM, 120GB SSD, and runs my 3-user free installation without problems. Costs 6,99€/month.

  • Full Docker + Docker Compose setup (from zero)

Sorry, certainly not something for Seatable to write about. A link to Install | Docker Docs is all that is needed. And there is basic information at SeaTable Server - SeaTable Admin Manual .

  • Domain + HTTPS setup

The same. Especially since it’s highly dependent on your Linux and Hoster choice. But since Seatable supports Caddy in its standard install, you are probably best advised to rely on HTTPS quick-start — Caddy Documentation . There is even a step-by-step guide :wink:

  • API usage confirmation (same as cloud)

@bha just confirmed that

  • Common errors and fixes

You will be suprised what you find on https://forum.seatable.com/

To summarize: You need to learn your generic Linux, VPS Hosting, Caddy, HTTPS/Domain, Firewall(!), Networking, Docker and Docker Compose skills elsewhere. Seatable is very generic regarding the underlying basic techniques, so no need to re-invent the wheel.

Equipped with these skills, you will literally be able to install Seatable in 10 Minutes like SeaTable Server - SeaTable Admin Manual says.