Self-host ENSNode

This page will help you decide whether to self-host ENSNode or use the hosted instances. Includes architecture overview of the ENSNode stack (ENSIndexer, ENSDb, ENSRainbow, ENSApi).

Note

Follow these guides to deploy an ENSNode instance to the cloud.

Running your own ENSNode instance is helpful for those that wish to:

• Maintain control over their own infrastructure
• Ensure control over their own availability and uptime guarantees
• Customize ENSNode’s behavior
• Own the resulting Postgres index for custom queries or JOINs

Private Networking

Note that because ENSNode makes many label healing requests to ENSRainbow while indexing, it’s imperative that they be on the same local network to minimize request time.

Faster paths we’re building

Self-hosting today means standing up a fresh ENSNode instance from zero and waiting on an initial backfill - including the RPC bill that comes with it. We’re building ENSDb snapshots and an ensdb-cli to flatten that ramp.

Planned, not yet shipping

Snapshots and ensdb-cli are coming soon - this section is a preview of where self-hosting is heading, not a description of what’s available today. APIs, file formats, and release timing are still in flux.

The headline value props for self-hosters:

Cut your RPC bill

Skip the historical RPC fanout entirely. Pull down a published ENSDb snapshot instead of replaying years of chain history through your own RPC provider - saving real money on every bootstrap, every CI run, every fresh environment.

Spin up in minutes, not days

Skip the long historical backfill too. A nearly up-to-date ENS index is ready as fast as you can download it - no specially configured Postgres required, no overnight wait. Perfect for hackathons, demos, prototypes, and any other time you need a fresh ENSDb fast.

Repeatable CI environments

Use snapshots as deterministic fixtures for tests and CI pipelines. Every run starts from the same well-known ENS state, with zero RPC dependency.

Confident release reviews

Diff snapshots across ENSNode versions to catch unexpected changes in indexed data - a powerful way to validate indexing-logic refactors before a release ships.

Easier self-hosting

Bootstrap your own ENSNode instance from a recent snapshot, then catch up to realtime from there. Less time waiting, more time building.

Operate ENSNode like a database

The planned `ensdb-cli` will surface the operations you actually need day-to-day: inspect indexer instances, manage snapshots, clean up unused schemas, and more.

Read the full teaser Problem, outcomes, and who this is for — all in one page.

Deploying with Docker

The Docker deployment option provides the easiest way to run the full ENSNode suite of services both locally and in the cloud.

Deploy with Docker

Deploying with Terraform

An example Terraform deployment reference is available, showing an example of deploying the full ENSNode suite on Render with AWS managed domain names.

Deploy with Terraform