Rivet is an open-source actor runtime that replaces Cloudflare Workers Durable Objects with self-hosted stateful processes and per-actor SQLite storage.
Cloudflare Workers binds stateful Durable Objects to a closed proprietary edge with strict CPU and memory budgets. Rivet provides an actor runtime that gives developers the same stateful primitives, persistent in-memory execution, and co-located SQLite storage on self-hosted infrastructure. Teams run the orchestration engine and workers on their own hardware without sacrificing local inspectability or rapid boot times.
Why Rivet instead of Cloudflare Workers
Cloudflare Workers simplifies edge hosting when requests are stateless, but stateful workloads require Durable Objects. That dependency ties application state to Cloudflare's proprietary APIs, strict isolate memory limits, and vendor pricing tiers. Rivet provides an equivalent actor model—giving each agent, session, or document an addressable process with an embedded SQLite database—while decoupling execution from any specific cloud provider. Developers can embed actors inside Node.js or Bun services, deploy workers across Docker containers, and coordinate them via a self-hosted Rust control plane.
The operational tradeoff swaps cloud platform bills for infrastructure maintenance. Cloudflare eliminates server management, whereas scaling Rivet requires operating an orchestration engine backed by PostgreSQL or FoundationDB. In return, DevOps engineers gain full network visibility, unmetered in-memory processing, and the ability to run stateful actors inside private VPCs or on-premises clusters subject to strict data-residency policies.
What it does well
Zero-network read latency: Each actor runs an isolated SQLite database in-process, enabling instant data access without database round-trips.
Flexible worker topology: Workers run as Node.js, Bun, or Deno processes that initiate outbound connections to the control plane, simplifying firewall rules.
Native hibernation: Actors sleep during inactivity and restore state in milliseconds upon receiving HTTP or WebSocket traffic, lowering idle compute usage.
Integrated durable execution: Workflows, message queues, and cron alarms are embedded directly into the actor lifecycle without external brokers.
Built-in live diagnostics: The web dashboard provides real-time visibility into actor state, live SQLite databases, and active WebSocket connections.
Limitations
Scalability requires database administration: Multi-node production clusters require operating PostgreSQL or deploying FoundationDB for distributed coordination.
Similar Open Source Tools
Windows requires virtualization: The engine lacks a native Windows binary, requiring local test suites and engine instances to run under WSL2 or Docker.
Upgrade-drain edge cases: Runner pools using version draining have experienced sudden WebSocket closures before resident actors finish persisting state.
Dynamic handles buffer streams: Dynamic actor handles can ignore client abort signals while buffering streaming request bodies during connection setup.
Who should use it
DevOps engineers needing a stateful serverless platform for internal teams while retaining control over infrastructure and hosting costs.
Backend developers building autonomous agents or real-time tools that require persistent in-memory state and WebSockets without cloud lock-in.
Infrastructure architects deploying durable actors across private VPCs, air-gapped servers, or hybrid environments.
FAQ
Is Rivet a drop-in replacement for Cloudflare Workers?
No, Rivet replaces stateful primitives like Durable Objects rather than Cloudflare's global CDN and DNS network. Teams run Rivet actors for application state while routing traffic through standard reverse proxies.
What storage backends are required to self-host Rivet?
Single-node instances run on local file storage or SQLite, while multi-node clusters rely on PostgreSQL or FoundationDB for coordination.
Can Rivet run in existing container environments?
Yes, the engine distributes as a Docker container or Linux binary, and workers deploy to Kubernetes, ECS, or bare-metal Linux nodes.
Verdict
Rivet is an appropriate choice for organizations needing stateful actors and isolated SQLite persistence without locking architecture into proprietary cloud runtimes. With active maintenance, unarchived status, and steady updates through September 2026, its permissive Apache-2.0 license ensures engineering teams can deploy, modify, and self-host the engine across custom infrastructure without commercial licensing restrictions. Teams without the operational capacity to manage PostgreSQL or FoundationDB should evaluate managed deployment options before running the multi-node control plane in-house.
Self-host Rivet with Docker
Verified install
We started this exact setup from scratch in a clean Linux machine on Nov 2, 2026 and checked it through Rivet's own API: every check passed. Recipes are re-checked regularly and removed if they stop working.
RIVET_ADMIN_TOKEN — Admin authentication token for managing namespaces, node pools, and actors. Generated above; keep it secret.
3
Start it
docker compose up -d
4
First run
The Rivet control plane is listening on http://<your-server>:6420 with Bearer token authentication.
Create the default node pool: curl -X PUT http://<your-server>:6420/pools/default?namespace=default -H 'Authorization: Bearer <your-admin-token>' -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{}'
Connect your RivetKit worker nodes using endpoint http://default:<your-admin-token>@<your-server>:6420 or issue scoped JWT tokens via POST /auth/tokens.
security: pools list requires auth — anonymous GET /pools → 401
security: create pool requires auth — anonymous PUT /pools/unauthorized-pool → 401
security: datacenters list requires auth — anonymous GET /datacenters → 401
security: actors list requires auth — anonymous GET /actors → 401
security: open protocols — no unauthenticated Redis protocol on public ports
security: nuclei scan — no findings
services healthy
logs clean
Ubuntu 24.04 · Apple container, Docker 29.1.3, Compose 2.40.3+ds1-0ubuntu1~24.04.1. Images pulled in 60 s: rivetdev/engine:3.0.0.
Based on the upstream setup. Official control plane image pinned to 3.0.0; configured via environment variables for single-instance local filesystem object storage and embedded tablet storage; admin token moved to .env.
