Platform Setup Guides

AWS EC2

Deploy Node-RED on an Amazon Web Services EC2 instance. Scalable cloud hosting with flexible instance types, ideal fo...

npm 15-20 minutes 1GB (t3.micro or larger)

Oracle Cloud Free Tier

Run Node-RED on Oracle Cloud's always-free ARM Ampere A1 instance with up to 4 OCPUs and 24GB RAM. A powerful free cl...

npm 20-30 minutes 1GB (up to 24GB available on free tier)

Docker Compose

Deploy Node-RED alongside Mosquitto MQTT broker and other services using Docker Compose. Ideal for multi-container sm...

Docker Compose 10-15 minutes 1GB (2GB recommended for multi-container)

Docker

Run Node-RED in a Docker container for easy deployment, updates, and isolation. Works on any system with Docker insta...

Docker 5-10 minutes 512MB (1GB recommended)

Podman

Run Node-RED in a rootless Podman container as a secure, daemonless alternative to Docker. Compatible with Docker ima...

Podman 5-10 minutes 512MB (1GB recommended)

Portainer

Deploy Node-RED through Portainer's web-based Docker management interface. One-click deployment with visual container...

Portainer GUI 5-10 minutes 1GB (2GB recommended with Portainer overhead)

Proxmox LXC

Run Node-RED in a lightweight Linux container (LXC) on Proxmox VE. More efficient than a full VM with near-native per...

npm inside LXC 15-20 minutes 512MB (1GB recommended for LXC container)

QNAP NAS

Run Node-RED on a QNAP NAS using Container Station. Turn your always-on NAS into a smart home automation hub with Ale...

Container Station (Docker) 10-15 minutes 2GB (4GB+ recommended)

Synology DSM 7

Run Node-RED on a Synology NAS using Container Manager (formerly Docker) in DSM 7. Leverage your always-on NAS for sm...

Container Manager (Docker) 10-15 minutes 2GB (4GB+ recommended)

TrueNAS Scale

Run Node-RED on TrueNAS Scale using its built-in app catalog or custom Docker containers. Linux-based TrueNAS Scale s...

TrueNAS Apps (Docker) 10-15 minutes 1GB for Node-RED (TrueNAS Scale system needs 8GB+)

Unraid

Run Node-RED on Unraid using the Community Applications plugin. Simple one-click installation from the app store with...

Community Apps (Docker) 5-10 minutes 512MB for Node-RED container (Unraid system needs 4GB+)

Debian

Install Node-RED on Debian 12 (Bookworm) minimal server. Debian's stability and minimal footprint make it an excellen...

npm 10-15 minutes 512MB (1GB recommended)

macOS

Install Node-RED on macOS via npm or Homebrew. Great for development, prototyping, and learning Node-RED with Alexa i...

npm or Homebrew 10-15 minutes 1GB (2GB recommended)

Ubuntu Server

Install Node-RED on Ubuntu Server 22.04 or 24.04 LTS via npm. A popular and well-supported Linux server OS for produc...

npm 10-15 minutes 512MB (1GB recommended)

Windows

Install Node-RED on Windows 10 or 11 via npm. Suitable for development, testing, and learning Node-RED with Alexa int...

npm 10-15 minutes 1GB (2GB recommended)

npm Global Install

Install Node-RED globally via npm, the standard platform-agnostic method. Works on any system with Node.js installed ...

npm 5-10 minutes 512MB (1GB recommended)

Snap

Install Node-RED as a Snap package with a single command. The simplest way to install Node-RED on Ubuntu and other Li...

snap 2-5 minutes 512MB (1GB recommended)

Orange Pi 5

Run Node-RED on the Orange Pi 5, powered by the Rockchip RK3588S with up to 32GB RAM. A high-performance single-board...

npm 15-25 minutes 4GB (8GB+ recommended)

Raspberry Pi 4

The Raspberry Pi 4 is the most popular platform for running Node-RED at home. With up to 8GB RAM, it handles complex ...

npm (via official script) 15-20 minutes 2GB (4GB recommended)

Raspberry Pi 5

Run Node-RED on the Raspberry Pi 5 with improved CPU performance and 4-8GB RAM options. Uses the same official instal...

Official Script 15-20 minutes 4GB (8GB recommended)

Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W

Run Node-RED on the compact Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W. With only 512MB RAM, this board is best for lightweight flows and ...

Official Script 20-30 minutes 512MB (all available)

Home Assistant Add-on

Install Node-RED as an official add-on from the Home Assistant Add-on Store. The most popular way to combine Node-RED...

Add-on Store 5-10 minutes 2GB (4GB recommended for HA + Node-RED)

Home Assistant Docker Companion

Run Node-RED as a separate Docker container alongside Home Assistant Container. Ideal for Home Assistant Container us...

Docker 10-15 minutes 2GB (4GB recommended for HA + Node-RED)

openHAB

Run Node-RED alongside openHAB as a companion automation engine. Combine openHAB's device integration with Node-RED's...

npm 15-20 minutes 1GB for Node-RED (plus openHAB requirements)