Community
Free
Unlimited documents. Everything in the hosted Free plan, on your server.
Product
Run Docustay on your own server
The same software as the hosted service, on a machine you control. Licensed under the AGPL-3.0.
Self-host Pro
$160a year
Per install, for your own business. Unlocks the Pro items. Not for embedding in a product or for resale.
Commercial licence
From about $3,000a year
Embed, white-label, resell, or keep a private fork without publishing it. Contact us.
Start in three commands
cd docustay
./init.sh
docker compose up -dThen open http://localhost:8080/setup and enter the setup token init.sh printed. The install files are in the repository's docustay folder; the repository's address is shown here when it is published.
What is inside
| Container | What it does |
|---|---|
| Database | PostgreSQL 16, with row-level security on every table |
| File store | Keeps signed PDFs (S3-compatible) |
| PDF converter | Gotenberg, which turns documents and templates into PDF |
| App | The API (reachable only from the other containers) |
| Web app | Every screen: sign-in, documents, templates, settings and signing. The only container that is reachable from outside |
| Worker | Sends email, runs reminders, seals documents |
There is nothing of ours in it: every key and certificate is created on your machine the first time it starts. Once a day it sends an anonymous usage ping (a random install id, the version and five counts, never content). Switch it off with DOCUSTAY_TELEMETRY=off, or send a report by hand. A Pro licence is checked the same way and keeps working up to 30 days offline. This is an honour system, not copy protection.
Self-host Pro
The Pro items on your server are $160 a year per install, for use in your own business: unlimited documents, reminders, bulk send, team roles and no Docustay footer. Pay once a year; your licence key arrives by email, covers one install and renews itself while the subscription is paid. It does not cover embedding Docustay in a product you sell, white-labelling or resale: those need a commercial licence.
Send a usage report
If your install cannot reach us, it can still be counted: in the install go to Settings → Usage report, download the file, and upload it here. It holds five whole numbers, a random install id and the version — nothing about your documents or people.
What you run
The same software as the hosted service, on your own server with your own database, storage and email. Documents and signed copies never leave your infrastructure.
What you need
A server that can run containers, a PostgreSQL database, somewhere to keep files, and a way to send email. The repository has a compose file and a first-run script that set it up.
The licences
The server and app are licensed under the AGPL-3.0, so you can run, study and change them; if you change them and let other people use your version over a network, you offer them your source. Community is free and unlimited. Self-host Pro is $160 a year per install, for your own business, and the licence key unlocks the Pro items. It does not cover embedding Docustay in a product you sell, white-labelling or resale: that needs a commercial licence, from about $3,000 a year. The Licensing page explains each in plain words.
How the key works
Your server asks docustay.app to confirm the key and gets back a signed note, which it checks itself against a public key shipped with the software, and it keeps working for up to 30 days if docustay.app cannot be reached. A self-hosted install also sends one anonymous usage ping a day; the Privacy Policy says what it contains.
What changes
You are responsible for backups, updates and keeping the server safe. The hosted service does those for you.
Keep reading
Not sure which licence you need?
The Licensing page says in plain words what each one allows.