Self-hosted, AGPL-3.0
A self-hosted Jira alternative that keeps your data on your own servers
Run the open-source SPIREX core on infrastructure you control. Docker Compose to deploy, PostgreSQL for data, S3 or MinIO for files, and your own AI provider keys — so every issue, comment and attachment stays inside your network.
Why self-host a project management tool
Your issue tracker is one of the most revealing datasets your company owns. It contains unshipped roadmaps, security findings written up as bugs, customer names in comment threads, and screenshots of internal systems pasted into descriptions. It is a strange thing to hand to a vendor by default.
Self-hosting changes the question from "do we trust this provider" to "do we trust our own infrastructure" — a question you can actually answer. For teams under data-residency obligations, or working in an air-gapped environment, it is often the only option that passes review at all.
What the open-source edition gives you
The self-hosted edition is the AGPL-3.0 core, not a demo build with the useful parts removed:
- Sprint boards, backlog planning, epics, stories and subtasks.
- The visual custom-workflow editor and project labels.
- Full Jira import, including attachments and inline images.
- Built-in time tracking and reporting on time actually logged.
- The rich editor with images, video, @mentions and #issue links.
- Unlimited seats on a single organization.
- Your own AI keys — the Anthropic API directly, or any OpenAI-compatible model through a LiteLLM proxy.
How it deploys
SPIREX ships as published container images, so a deployment is a compose file and environment configuration rather than a build pipeline you have to maintain. The application layer is stateless; state lives in PostgreSQL and in object storage.
File storage speaks the S3 API, which means AWS S3, MinIO, or any other S3-compatible endpoint you already run. Nothing about the storage layer assumes a specific cloud.
- Deploy with Docker Compose using published images.
- PostgreSQL for application data.
- S3-compatible object storage (AWS S3, MinIO, or equivalent) for attachments and media.
- Bring-your-own AI credentials — no key of ours is involved, and no prompt leaves your network unless you configure a provider that sends it.
What AGPL-3.0 means for you in practice
AGPL-3.0 is copyleft, and the "A" matters: it extends the source-sharing obligation to software offered to users over a network, not only to software you distribute as files. Read plainly, that means running a modified SPIREX internally for your own employees is fine, while offering a modified SPIREX as a service to third parties carries an obligation to make that modified source available.
This is a summary written by engineers, not legal advice. The license text is in the repository and is the thing that actually governs — if AGPL compliance is a live question at your organisation, read it with your counsel rather than trusting a paragraph on a marketing page.
What stays commercial
SPIREX is open-core, and the boundary is worth stating before you plan a deployment around it. Microsoft SSO, multi-organization support with cross-org invites, the superadmin console and audit controls are commercial features, not part of the AGPL core.
If single sign-on across an enterprise directory is a hard requirement for your rollout, factor that in now rather than discovering it during implementation.
Frequently asked questions
- What do I need to run SPIREX myself?
- A host that can run containers, a PostgreSQL database, and S3-compatible object storage such as AWS S3 or MinIO for attachments and media. Deployment uses Docker Compose with published images rather than building from source on your server.
- Is the self-hosted edition limited on seats?
- No. The open-source edition runs unlimited seats on a single organization. Multi-organization support is a commercial capability.
- Can I use my own AI provider when self-hosting?
- Yes — that is the intended setup. Point SPIREX at your own Anthropic API key, or at any OpenAI-compatible model through a LiteLLM proxy, so your keys and your data stay under your control.
- Does self-hosting include Microsoft SSO?
- No. Microsoft SSO, multi-organization support, the superadmin console and audit controls are commercial features on top of the open core.
- Can I import from Jira into a self-hosted instance?
- Yes. The full-fidelity Jira importer is part of the open-source core, including issues, comments, epic links, attachments and inline images.
Read the source before you trust it
The core is public under AGPL-3.0. Clone it, review what it does with your data, and deploy it on your own terms — or start on the hosted free plan while you evaluate.