Build methods
Dockerfile, Railpack, Nixpacks and buildpacks — which one runs and how builds fit your servers.
Step by step: Deploy Docker to DigitalOcean · Deploy Docker to Hetzner · Deploy Docker to Vultr · Deploy Docker to OVHcloud
| Method | When |
|---|---|
| Dockerfile | the repo has one that builds the app (a Dockerfile that adds none of the repo — a development image expecting a bind mount — is skipped automatically) |
| Railpack | the default for repos without a Dockerfile |
| Nixpacks | fallback when Railpack can’t plan a repo |
| Buildpacks | chosen explicitly under Settings → Build method |
Builds on small servers
Railyard fits builds to the machine they run on, automatically:
- a temporary build server sized for builds when your provider allows it;
- swap on build servers up to 8 GB of total memory;
- Node’s heap sized to RAM plus swap, and installers running one job per CPU; under 4 GB, a lean mode (one job at a time, no source maps);
- builds get up to 60 minutes, and image pulls retry transient failures.
If a build still runs out of memory, the deploy page says so and suggests the next step.