Your collection.
Your server.
Your rules.
Run TapTale entirely on your own hardware. A Raspberry Pi 4 is all you need to host a museum-grade collection catalog with complete data sovereignty — no monthly fees, no third-party access, no compromises. Note: Self-hosted users need to purchase and program NFC tags independently.
Data Sovereignty
Your data never leaves your network
No Monthly Fees
One-time hardware cost only
Raspberry Pi Ready
Runs on modest hardware
Open Source
Full source code access
Elegantly simple.
Powerfully private.
Every component runs on your hardware. No data ever transits through our servers — not even for verification.
NFC / QR Tag
HMAC-SHA256 signed
Visitor's Phone
Any browser, no app
Raspberry Pi
Your local server
Local Database
SQLite / PostgreSQL
End-to-End Encrypted
All traffic between the tag, phone, and your Pi is encrypted via TLS. No plaintext data in transit.
Local Network First
When visitors are on your WiFi, everything resolves locally. Zero latency, zero external dependency.
Optional Tunnel
Use Cloudflare Tunnel or ngrok to expose your Pi to the internet — no port forwarding required.
Auto Backups
Built-in backup scheduler exports your full database and media to an external drive or NAS automatically.
Up and running
in 30 minutes.
No DevOps experience required. If you've ever set up a home router, you can run TapTale Self-Hosted.
TapTale Self-Hosted runs comfortably on modest hardware. Here's what you need:
Raspberry Pi 4 (4GB RAM)
Pi 5 recommended for large collections
32GB+ microSD card
Class 10 / A2 rated
Ethernet connection
WiFi works but ethernet is faster
External USB drive
For media storage and backups
Flash Raspberry Pi OS Lite (64-bit) to your microSD card using Raspberry Pi Imager. Enable SSH during the flashing process.
One command pulls and starts all TapTale services — the API server, media processor, and web interface. Docker Compose handles everything.
The installer automatically configures the database, generates your encryption keys, and sets up the NFC verification service.
Access the setup wizard at http://taptale.local:3000/setup to create your admin account, configure storage paths, and set your collection's public URL.
Navigate to your TapTale dashboard, create your first item, and use the NFC writer tool to program your tag. The tag is now cryptographically bound to your item.
You're live!
Tap your NFC tag with any phone. It will load your TapTale viewer directly from your Raspberry Pi — fast, private, and entirely under your control.
Cloud vs.
Self-Hosted.
Feature
Cloud
Self-Hosted
Not sure which is right for you? Start with Cloud — migrating to Self-Hosted is always possible.
The self-hosted option was the deciding factor for me. My collection represents decades of investment and irreplaceable memories. Having complete data sovereignty — knowing that my provenance documentation lives on a drive in my study, not on someone else's server — is non-negotiable. The Raspberry Pi setup was genuinely painless.
Sofia Andersson
Fine Art Collector · Stockholm
64 Items · Self-Hosted on Pi 4
Ready to Transform
Your Collection?
Start with a free digital preview, or jump straight in with the Starter Kit. Your collection's stories deserve to be told.