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Migration · Railway → Skiffly

From Railway to Skiffly in three steps.

The concepts map one to one: workspace, project, environment, service, ${{Postgres.DATABASE_URL}}. Most API documents run unchanged and the CLI commands share their names. What changes is who you pay and where your data lives.

Start freeRead the full guide
The route

Three steps

Export, deploy, cut over. The terminal below is the whole move, end to end.

A dockside crane lowers a glowing crate into a small skiff moored at a night pier
01 · EXPORT

Export what Railway knows

Variables per service with railway variables --kv; a pg_dump of each database. Drop the RAILWAY_* entries: Skiffly provides the SKIFFLY_* equivalents.

A boat shed lit warm amber from inside, a skiff on the slipway with a few sparks and a teal glow
02 · DEPLOY

Deploy on Skiffly

skiffly init in each repository, then skiffly up. Set the variables, deploy the Postgres template, restore the dump through skiffly connect.

A lighthouse sweeps its beam over a skiff with a teal sail moored at a jetty with a lit signpost
03 · CUT OVER

Move the domain

Test on the generated *.skiffly.cloud domain, add the custom domain, switch the CNAME when the certificate is issued. Keep Railway running until DNS has propagated.

terminal
# 1. export
railway variables --kv > vars.env
pg_dump "$RAILWAY_DATABASE_URL" -Fc -f db.dump

# 2. deploy
skiffly init && skiffly up
skiffly deploy --template postgres
skiffly connect postgres --print       # → pg_restore -d <url> db.dump
skiffly variables set --skip-deploys $(grep -v '^RAILWAY_' vars.env | xargs)
skiffly variables set 'DATABASE_URL=${{Postgres.DATABASE_URL}}'
skiffly redeploy

# 3. cut over
skiffly domain app.example.com         # prints the CNAME + TXT records
Tooling

Same tools, different host

CLI

skiffly up, skiffly logs -f, skiffly variables set, skiffly domain, skiffly connect. Same names as the Railway CLI where the feature exists.

MCP server

Point Claude Code, Cursor or Codex at the Skiffly MCP server and let the agent do the move: skiffly mcp install claude. Tool names mirror the Railway MCP server.

GraphQL API

projects, deployments(input:), variables, serviceInstanceUpdate, templateDeployV2 and the other compatible fields work as they are. Change the endpoint and the token.

Config as code

A railway.ts from railway/iac becomes .skiffly/skiffly.ts with defineRailway → defineSkiffly. Everything else keeps its name.

Checklist

Before you cut over

Compare with Railway
  • The app listens on $PORT (default 8080 when unset).
  • No dependency on *.railway.internal or IPv6 private networking.
  • Outbound SMTP on port 25 is blocked; use 587 with authentication.
  • Plan limits: Hobby 8 GB / 8 vCPU per service, Pro 32 GB / 32 vCPU.
  • PR previews are enabled per project; forks are ignored.
Dawn over open water: a skiff with a teal sail heads for the horizon along a dashed chart line drawn on the sea

Start the move on the free tier

One app and one database without a card to test the build. Top up when you are ready to cut over.

Start freeCompare with Railway