Local runtime

zitadel start starts a managed local Zitadel runtime for app development.

By default, the managed runtime includes the platform project and a local admin, admin@zitadel.localhost, so a developer exists on their own server without signing up. Projects created by zitadel setup --server local are by default attached to that admin's team, and zitadel console signs the admin in to the management console. Setting NEXTGEN_PLATFORM_BOOTSTRAP_PROJECT=false, or pinning another project, starts a bare server with neither.

The default runtime backend is the @zitadel/server npm binary that matches the selected alpha package train. It is intended for app developers and agents, so it does not require Docker, Go, Moon, or this repository.

Runtime metadata is stored in:

.zitadel/local/runtime.json

Runtime data is stored in:

.zitadel/local/nextgen-data

With no database override, that directory holds SQLite at zitadel.db. See Databases.

zitadel stop preserves that data. zitadel reset --force deletes it.

Use Docker only when intentionally testing the Docker backend:

npx @zitadel/cli@alpha start --runtime docker