> ## 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.
</Tip>

## 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](/resources/self_hosting/getting_started/install_locally#supported-operating-systems)
* At least 256 MB of RAM (more for larger datasets, see [performance guide](/resources/self_hosting/performance/ram_multithreading))
* The Meilisearch binary, available via [direct download, Docker, Homebrew, or APT](/resources/self_hosting/getting_started/install_locally)

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](/resources/self_hosting/security/overview) for authentication

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quick start" icon="rocket" href="/resources/self_hosting/getting_started/quick_start">
    Install Meilisearch, add documents, and run your first search.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Deploy to production" icon="server" href="/resources/self_hosting/deployment/overview">
    Deploy Meilisearch on AWS, GCP, Azure, or DigitalOcean.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Secure your instance" icon="lock" href="/resources/self_hosting/security/overview">
    Set up API keys, HTTPS, and access control.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Configuration" icon="gear" href="/resources/self_hosting/configuration/overview">
    Configure Meilisearch with CLI options, environment variables, or a config file.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>