---
title: "Docker"
description: "Get started with CORE in 5 minutes"
---

> **Warning:**  
> You can self-host CORE on your own infrastructure using Docker.  
> The following instructions will use Docker Compose to spin up a CORE instance.  
> Make sure to read the [self-hosting overview](/self-hosting/overview) first.  
> As self-hosted deployments tend to have unique requirements and configurations, we don’t provide specific advice for securing your deployment, scaling up, or improving reliability.  
> **This guide alone is unlikely to result in a production-ready deployment. Security, scaling, and reliability concerns are not fully addressed here.**  
> Should the burden ever get too much, we’d be happy to see you on CORE Cloud where we deal with these concerns for you.


## Requirements

These are the minimum requirements for running the webapp and background job components. They can run on the same, or on separate machines.

It's fine to run everything on the same machine for testing. To be able to scale your workers, you will want to run them separately.

### Prerequisites

To run CORE, you will need:

- Docker 20.10.0+
- Docker Compose 2.20.0+

### System Requirements

**Webapp & Database Machine:**
- 4+ vCPU
- 8+ GB RAM
- 20+ GB Storage


## Deployment Options

CORE offers two deployment approaches depending on your needs:

> **Prerequisites:**  
> Before starting any deployment, ensure you have your `OPENAI_API_KEY` ready. This is required for AI functionality in CORE.  
> You must add your `OPENAI_API_KEY` to the `core/hosting/docker/.env` file before starting the services.

### Combined Setup

For self deployment:

1. Clone core repository
   ```bash
   # Clone the repository
   git clone https://github.com/RedPlanetHQ/core.git
   cd core/hosting/docker
   ```

2. Start the services:
   ```bash
   docker compose up -d
   ```

## Next Steps

Once deployed, you can:

- Configure your AI providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.)
- Set up integrations (Slack, GitHub, Gmail)
- Start building your memory graph
- Explore the CORE API and SDK