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

# Self-Hosting Requirements

> Prerequisites for running Formbase yourself.

Formbase is a Next.js app that uses libSQL/SQLite for storage, an S3-compatible bucket for file uploads, and SMTP or Resend for email delivery. You can run everything locally for development or connect to managed services in production.

Use this checklist before you start.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Runtime" icon="terminal">
    Bun 1.3+ is the recommended package manager. Node 20+ also works if you adapt the scripts.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Database" icon="database">
    SQLite (`file:`) for local development or Turso (`libsql://`) in production.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Email" icon="envelope">
    SMTP or Resend is required for account verification and submission notifications.
  </Card>

  <Card title="File storage" icon="cloud-arrow-up">
    S3-compatible storage (MinIO, R2, S3) is required for file uploads.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Recommended tools

* Docker + Docker Compose for local MinIO and Inbucket
* A reverse proxy (Nginx or Caddy) for TLS in production

## Next steps

* [Docker Compose setup](/self-hosting/docker-compose-setup)
* [Environment variables](/self-hosting/environment-variables)