NocoDB No-Code Database

beginner

NocoDB turns any database into a smart spreadsheet with API generation.

Overview

NocoDB is an open-source no-code platform that transforms any database into a smart, collaborative spreadsheet interface while automatically generating REST and GraphQL APIs. Created as an Airtable alternative, NocoDB bridges the gap between traditional databases and user-friendly spreadsheet interfaces, making database management accessible to non-technical users while providing powerful APIs for developers. This Docker stack combines NocoDB with PostgreSQL 16 to create a production-ready no-code database environment. PostgreSQL serves as the robust backend storage engine, providing ACID compliance and enterprise-grade reliability, while NocoDB creates the intuitive spreadsheet interface on top. The combination leverages PostgreSQL's advanced features like JSON support and full-text search through NocoDB's visual interface, eliminating the need for complex SQL queries. This stack is ideal for teams wanting to democratize database access without sacrificing data integrity or performance. Business users can create and manage data through familiar spreadsheet-like interfaces, while developers can integrate with generated APIs. The PostgreSQL foundation ensures the system can scale from prototype to production, supporting complex relationships and queries that simpler no-code solutions cannot handle.

Key Features

Automatic REST and GraphQL API generation from database tables with real-time documentation
Spreadsheet-like interface with drag-and-drop column management and data validation
Multiple view types including grid, gallery, kanban, and calendar views for different data perspectives
Form builder for external data collection with customizable fields and validation rules
PostgreSQL's JSON/JSONB support through NocoDB's interface for flexible schema design
Role-based access control with granular permissions at table and column levels
Real-time collaboration features with change tracking and user activity logs
Webhook support for automated workflows and third-party integrations

Common Use Cases

1Small businesses replacing Airtable or Google Sheets with a self-hosted solution
2Development teams creating admin panels and CRUD interfaces without frontend coding
3Non-profit organizations managing donor databases and volunteer coordination systems
4Educational institutions tracking student data and course management
5Startup MVPs requiring rapid database prototyping with instant API access
6Project management teams needing custom workflows beyond traditional tools
7Content management systems with user-friendly interfaces for non-technical editors

Prerequisites

Docker and Docker Compose installed on the host system
Minimum 1GB RAM available (PostgreSQL requirement plus NocoDB overhead)
Port 8080 available on the host for NocoDB web interface access
Environment variables configured: POSTGRES_USER, POSTGRES_PASSWORD, NC_AUTH_JWT_SECRET, NC_PUBLIC_URL
Basic understanding of database concepts for effective table design
SSL certificate and reverse proxy setup recommended for production deployments

For development & testing. Review security settings, change default credentials, and test thoroughly before production use. See Terms

docker-compose.yml

1services: 
2  nocodb: 
3    image: nocodb/nocodb:latest
4    container_name: nocodb
5    environment: 
6      - NC_DB=pg://postgres:5432?u=${POSTGRES_USER}&p=${POSTGRES_PASSWORD}&d=nocodb
7      - NC_AUTH_JWT_SECRET=${NC_AUTH_JWT_SECRET}
8      - NC_PUBLIC_URL=${NC_PUBLIC_URL}
9      - NC_DISABLE_TELE=true
10    ports: 
11      - "8080:8080"
12    volumes: 
13      - nocodb_data:/usr/app/data
14    depends_on: 
15      postgres: 
16        condition: service_healthy
17    networks: 
18      - nocodb-network
19
20  postgres: 
21    image: postgres:16-alpine
22    container_name: nocodb-db
23    environment: 
24      - POSTGRES_USER=${POSTGRES_USER}
25      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=${POSTGRES_PASSWORD}
26      - POSTGRES_DB=nocodb
27    volumes: 
28      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
29    healthcheck: 
30      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -U ${POSTGRES_USER}"]
31      interval: 10s
32      timeout: 5s
33      retries: 5
34    networks: 
35      - nocodb-network
36
37volumes: 
38  nocodb_data: 
39  postgres_data: 
40
41networks: 
42  nocodb-network: 
43    driver: bridge

.env Template

.env

1# NocoDB
2POSTGRES_USER=nocodb
3POSTGRES_PASSWORD=nocodb_password
4NC_AUTH_JWT_SECRET=your-jwt-secret
5NC_PUBLIC_URL=http://localhost:8080

Usage Notes

1UI at http://localhost:8080
2Create tables like spreadsheets
3Auto-generates REST & GraphQL APIs
4Supports views, forms, galleries
5Can connect to existing databases

Individual Services(2 services)

Copy individual services to mix and match with your existing compose files.

nocodb

nocodb:
  image: nocodb/nocodb:latest
  container_name: nocodb
  environment:
    - NC_DB=pg://postgres:5432?u=${POSTGRES_USER}&p=${POSTGRES_PASSWORD}&d=nocodb
    - NC_AUTH_JWT_SECRET=${NC_AUTH_JWT_SECRET}
    - NC_PUBLIC_URL=${NC_PUBLIC_URL}
    - NC_DISABLE_TELE=true
  ports:
    - "8080:8080"
  volumes:
    - nocodb_data:/usr/app/data
  depends_on:
    postgres:
      condition: service_healthy
  networks:
    - nocodb-network

postgres

postgres:
  image: postgres:16-alpine
  container_name: nocodb-db
  environment:
    - POSTGRES_USER=${POSTGRES_USER}
    - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=${POSTGRES_PASSWORD}
    - POSTGRES_DB=nocodb
  volumes:
    - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
  healthcheck:
    test:
      - CMD-SHELL
      - pg_isready -U ${POSTGRES_USER}
    interval: 10s
    timeout: 5s
    retries: 5
  networks:
    - nocodb-network

Quick Start

terminal

1# 1. Create the compose file
2cat > docker-compose.yml << 'EOF'
3services:
4  nocodb:
5    image: nocodb/nocodb:latest
6    container_name: nocodb
7    environment:
8      - NC_DB=pg://postgres:5432?u=${POSTGRES_USER}&p=${POSTGRES_PASSWORD}&d=nocodb
9      - NC_AUTH_JWT_SECRET=${NC_AUTH_JWT_SECRET}
10      - NC_PUBLIC_URL=${NC_PUBLIC_URL}
11      - NC_DISABLE_TELE=true
12    ports:
13      - "8080:8080"
14    volumes:
15      - nocodb_data:/usr/app/data
16    depends_on:
17      postgres:
18        condition: service_healthy
19    networks:
20      - nocodb-network
21
22  postgres:
23    image: postgres:16-alpine
24    container_name: nocodb-db
25    environment:
26      - POSTGRES_USER=${POSTGRES_USER}
27      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=${POSTGRES_PASSWORD}
28      - POSTGRES_DB=nocodb
29    volumes:
30      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
31    healthcheck:
32      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -U ${POSTGRES_USER}"]
33      interval: 10s
34      timeout: 5s
35      retries: 5
36    networks:
37      - nocodb-network
38
39volumes:
40  nocodb_data:
41  postgres_data:
42
43networks:
44  nocodb-network:
45    driver: bridge
46EOF
47
48# 2. Create the .env file
49cat > .env << 'EOF'
50# NocoDB
51POSTGRES_USER=nocodb
52POSTGRES_PASSWORD=nocodb_password
53NC_AUTH_JWT_SECRET=your-jwt-secret
54NC_PUBLIC_URL=http://localhost:8080
55EOF
56
57# 3. Start the services
58docker compose up -d
59
60# 4. View logs
61docker compose logs -f

One-Liner

Run this command to download and set up the recipe in one step:

terminal

1curl -fsSL https://docker.recipes/api/recipes/nocodb-database-platform/run | bash

Troubleshooting

NocoDB fails to connect to database: Verify PostgreSQL container is healthy and environment variables match between services
Permission denied errors in NocoDB: Check that nocodb_data volume has correct ownership and write permissions
API requests return 401 unauthorized: Regenerate NC_AUTH_JWT_SECRET and restart nocodb container
PostgreSQL container exits with 'database system was interrupted': Remove postgres_data volume and restart to reinitialize database
NocoDB interface loads but shows connection errors: Ensure NC_DB connection string format matches PostgreSQL credentials exactly
Slow performance with large datasets: Increase PostgreSQL shared_buffers and work_mem through environment variables or custom postgresql.conf

Community Notes

Loading notes...

Download Recipe Kit

Get all files in a ready-to-deploy package

Includes docker-compose.yml, .env template, README, and license

Components

nocodbpostgres

Related Recipes

Ad Space

Shortcuts: C CopyF FavoriteD Download