> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Self-hosting Meilisearch

> Learn about self-hosting Meilisearch, from installation to production deployment, security, and backups.

Meilisearch is a single binary with no external dependencies. You can run it on any Linux, macOS, or Windows machine, on bare metal or in containers.

> [!TIP]
>
> [Meilisearch Cloud](https://www.meilisearch.com/cloud?utm_campaign=oss\&utm_source=docs\&utm_medium=self-hosting-overview) is the recommended way to use Meilisearch. It handles provisioning, scaling, security, and updates for you. Self-hosting gives you full control over your infrastructure.

## When to self-host

Self-hosting Meilisearch makes sense when you need:

* **Full infrastructure control**: choose your own servers, network configuration, and storage
* **Data residency compliance**: keep data in specific geographic regions or on-premises
* **Custom deployment pipelines**: integrate Meilisearch into existing CI/CD and orchestration workflows
* **Air-gapped environments**: run Meilisearch in networks without internet access

## What you'll need

* A server running a [supported operating system](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/resources/self_hosting/getting_started/install_locally.md#supported-operating-systems)
* At least 256 MB of RAM (more for larger datasets, see [performance guide](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/resources/self_hosting/performance/ram_multithreading.md))
* The Meilisearch binary, available via [direct download, Docker, Homebrew, or APT](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/resources/self_hosting/getting_started/install_locally.md)

For production deployments, you will also need:

* A reverse proxy (Nginx or Caddy) for HTTPS termination
* A process manager (systemd) to keep Meilisearch running
* A [master key](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/resources/self_hosting/security/overview.md) for authentication

## Next steps

> [card] [Quick start](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/resources/self_hosting/getting_started/quick_start.md)
>
> Install Meilisearch, add documents, and run your first search.

> [card] [Deploy to production](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/resources/self_hosting/deployment/overview.md)
>
> Deploy Meilisearch on AWS, GCP, or DigitalOcean.

> [card] [Secure your instance](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/resources/self_hosting/security/overview.md)
>
> Set up API keys, HTTPS, and access control.

> [card] [Configuration](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/resources/self_hosting/configuration/overview.md)
>
> Configure Meilisearch with CLI options, environment variables, or a config file.


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