Self-hosting pgAdmin the easy way
Yulei ChenpgAdmin is the most popular open-source administration and management tool for PostgreSQL. It provides a web-based interface for running queries, browsing database objects, managing users, and monitoring server activity. If you work with PostgreSQL, you probably need pgAdmin at some point.
Sliplane is a managed container platform that makes self-hosting painless. With one-click deployment, you can get pgAdmin up and running in minutes - no server setup, no reverse proxy config, no infrastructure to maintain.
Prerequisites
Before deploying, ensure you have a Sliplane account (free trial available).
Quick start
Sliplane provides one-click deployment with presets.
Deploy pgAdmin >- Click the deploy button above
- Select a project
- Select a server (If you just signed up you get a 48-hour free trial server)
- Click Deploy!
About the preset
The one-click deploy above uses Sliplane's pgAdmin preset. Here's what's included:
- Official
dpage/pgadmin4image with a specific version tag for stability - Persistent storage mounted to
/var/lib/pgadminso your connections, settings, and query history survive restarts - Pre-configured admin email and password for first login
- Healthcheck on
/loginto monitor availability - Listens on port 80 internally (Sliplane handles SSL and routing automatically)
Next steps
Once pgAdmin is running on Sliplane, access it using the domain Sliplane provided (e.g. pgadmin-xxxx.sliplane.app).
Default credentials
Log in with the credentials from your service's environment variables:
- Email: The value of
PGADMIN_DEFAULT_EMAIL(default:admin@example.com) - Password: The value of
PGADMIN_DEFAULT_PASSWORD(auto-generated during setup)
You can find these values in the Environment tab of your service on Sliplane. After the first login, you can change the password from within pgAdmin under File > Change Password.
Connecting to a PostgreSQL database
After logging in, click Add New Server to register a database connection:
- If your PostgreSQL instance runs on the same Sliplane server, use the internal service name as the hostname (e.g.
postgres-xxxx.internal) - If it runs externally, use the public hostname or IP
- Default PostgreSQL port is
5432
For tips on running PostgreSQL in Docker, check out our post on how to run Postgres in Docker or best practices for Postgres in Docker.
Environment variables
You can customize pgAdmin's behavior by adding environment variables in the Sliplane dashboard:
| Variable | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
PGADMIN_DEFAULT_EMAIL | Admin login email | admin@example.com |
PGADMIN_DEFAULT_PASSWORD | Admin login password | (auto-generated) |
PGADMIN_CONFIG_ENHANCED_COOKIE_PROTECTION | Disable if behind a proxy with issues | False |
PGADMIN_CONFIG_LOGIN_BANNER | Custom banner on login page | "My Company DB Admin" |
PGADMIN_CONFIG_MAX_LOGIN_ATTEMPTS | Lock account after N failed attempts | 5 |
See the pgAdmin container deployment docs for all available options.
Logging
pgAdmin logs to STDOUT by default, which works well with Sliplane's built-in log viewer. You can check logs directly from the Sliplane dashboard. For general Docker log tips, check out our post on how to use Docker logs.
Cost comparison
You can also self-host pgAdmin with other cloud providers. Here is a pricing comparison for the most common ones:
| Provider | vCPU | RAM | Disk | Monthly Cost | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sliplane | 2 | 2 GB | 40 GB | €9 (~$10.65) | Flat rate, 1 TB bandwidth, SSL included |
| Fly.io | 2 | 2 GB | 40 GB | ~$18 | Disk and bandwidth billed separately |
| Render | 1 | 2 GB | 40 GB | ~$35 | 100 GB bandwidth, Disk billed separately |
| Railway | 2 | 2 GB | 40 GB | ~$67 + $20 plan | Pro plan floor, usage-based, bandwidth billed separately |
Click here to see how these numbers were calculated.
(Assuming an always-on instance running 730 hrs/month)
- Sliplane: flat €9/month for the Base server. Unlimited services on the same server, 1 TB egress and SSL included.
- Fly.io:
shared-cpu-2x2 GB = $11.83/mo + 40 GB volume × $0.15/GB = $6 -> ~$17.83/mo. Egress billed separately ($0.02/GB in EU). - Render: closest match is Standard ($25, 1 vCPU / 2 GB) plus 40 GB disk × $0.25/GB = $10 -> ~$35/mo. Stepping up to Pro (2 vCPU / 4 GB) costs $85/mo + disk.
- Railway (Pro plan): CPU 2 × $0.00000772/s × 2,628,000 s = $40.57; RAM 2 × $0.00000386/s × 2,628,000 s = $20.29; volume 40 × $0.00000006/s × 2,628,000 s = $6.31 -> ~$67/mo compute, plus the $20/mo Pro plan floor and $0.05/GB egress.
Bandwidth costs can add up fast on usage-based providers. Use our bandwidth cost comparison tool to see what your egress would cost on each platform.
FAQ
What can I do with pgAdmin?
pgAdmin lets you manage every aspect of your PostgreSQL databases through a web browser. You can run SQL queries, create and modify tables, manage users and permissions, view query execution plans, import/export data, and monitor server performance. It supports multiple PostgreSQL server connections from a single interface.
How do I connect pgAdmin to multiple PostgreSQL servers?
After logging in, go to Dashboard > Add New Server for each database you want to manage. pgAdmin stores all server connections in its persistent volume, so they survive restarts. You can organize servers into groups for easier management.
How do I update pgAdmin?
Change the image tag in your service settings on the Sliplane dashboard and redeploy. Check Docker Hub for the latest stable version.
Can I use pgAdmin with databases outside Sliplane?
Yes. pgAdmin can connect to any PostgreSQL server that's reachable over the network. Just enter the hostname, port, and credentials when adding a new server connection. Make sure the target database allows connections from your pgAdmin instance's IP or domain.
Is pgAdmin resource-intensive?
pgAdmin is lightweight for typical usage. It runs a Python/Flask backend and serves a JavaScript frontend. The Sliplane Base server (2 vCPU, 2 GB RAM) handles it comfortably, even alongside other services. Memory usage grows mainly when running large queries or browsing big result sets.
