How much RAM does Excalidraw need?

Plan on 512 MB–1 GB for typical use; add headroom if you expect many concurrent users.

What stack does Excalidraw run on?

Node.js + optional Firebase/self backend.

Yes — size the plan so Excalidraw plus your other workloads fit in RAM with room to spare.

Productivity

A whiteboard for sketching diagrams.

Hand-drawn-style diagrams with real-time collaboration and end-to-end encryption options.

A self-hosted Excalidraw keeps whiteboard sketches private while keeping the slick UX.

1
Provision a VPS
Choose a plan with room for your data as well as the app.
2
Install the stack
Install Node.js + optional Firebase/self backend.
3
Deploy the application
Follow the project’s official install guide for your distribution.
4
Enable HTTPS
Serve it on your own domain behind a reverse proxy with a certificate.
5
Back it up
Schedule a database dump plus a copy of any uploaded files to an off-box location.

Give Excalidraw its own database user with rights only on its own schema.
Reverse-proxy Excalidraw and terminate TLS at the proxy so certificates are managed in one place.
Take a VPS snapshot before major upgrades so you can roll back cleanly.
Keep Excalidraw patched — most self-hosting incidents are unpatched software.

How much RAM does Excalidraw need?: Plan on 512 MB–1 GB for typical use; add headroom if you expect many concurrent users.
What stack does Excalidraw run on?: Node.js + optional Firebase/self backend.
Can I run other things on the same VPS?: Yes — size the plan so Excalidraw plus your other workloads fit in RAM with room to spare.

Looking for something else? Popular alternatives include draw.io, Penpot, Miro (hosted) — browse all app guides.