AnyCable

Self-Hosted

Open-source Action Cable alternative for scalable WebSocket communication

Overview

AnyCable is a drop-in replacement for Ruby on Rails' Action Cable, enabling real-time bidirectional WebSocket communication with a scalable architecture. It decouples RPC servers (Go/Ruby) from WebSocket servers (Nginx, AnyCable-Go) to support horizontal scaling of features like chat, live updates, or collaborative tools. It integrates with Redis for pub/sub, offers Docker/Kubernetes support for easy deployment, and maintains full Action Cable API compatibility to minimize code changes.

Self-Hosting Resources

Find Official Image on Docker Hub View Source & Docs

Below is a reference structure for docker-compose.yml. ⚠️ Do NOT run blindly. Replace placeholders with official values.

docker-compose.template.yml TEMPLATE


version: '3'
services:
  anycable:
    image: <OFFICIAL_IMAGE_NAME>:latest
    container_name: anycable
    ports:
      - "8080:<APP_INTERNAL_PORT>"
    volumes:
      - ./data:/app/data
    restart: unless-stopped

Key Features

Drop-in Action Cable compatibility (no code changes for most Rails apps)
Scalable architecture for high-concurrency WebSocket connections
Docker/Kubernetes-ready for containerized deployment

Frequently Asked Questions

? Is AnyCable hard to install?

AnyCable requires configuring an RPC server (e.g., AnyCable-Go) and a WebSocket server (like Nginx). However, it provides pre-built Docker images and Helm charts for Kubernetes, simplifying deployment for users familiar with containerization and Rails.

? Is it a good alternative to Action Cable?

Yes—AnyCable is a direct replacement with identical API support, but it decouples WebSocket handling from Rails servers, enabling horizontal scaling for thousands of concurrent connections (ideal for chat or live dashboards).

? Is it completely free?

The core AnyCable software is open-source under the MIT License, so it’s 100% free to self-host. AnyCable Cloud (a managed service) has paid plans, but self-hosting has no costs.

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Tool Info

Pricing Open Source

Category Communication - Custom Communication Systems

Platform Self-Hosted

Pros

⊕ Privacy-focused (self-hosted, no third-party SaaS dependency)
⊕ Free open-source core (MIT License)
⊕ Better scalability than Action Cable for high-traffic apps

Cons

⊖ Requires setup of additional components (RPC + WebSocket servers)
⊖ Primarily optimized for Ruby on Rails ecosystems
⊖ Steeper learning curve for non-Rails developers