How to Deploy NiceGUI Apps with Docker on Sliplane

#docker #devops #webdev #python

NiceGUI is a fantastic Python framework for creating web-based user interfaces with ease. If you've built a NiceGUI app and want to deploy it without the complexity of managing servers, you're in the right place. In this tutorial, I'll show you how to containerize and deploy your NiceGUI application on Sliplane.

Prerequisites

Before we start, make sure you have:

A NiceGUI application ready to deploy
Docker installed on your local machine (for testing)
A GitHub repository with your NiceGUI code
A Sliplane account

Step 1: Prepare Your NiceGUI Application

First, let's make sure your NiceGUI app is production-ready. Here's a basic example of a NiceGUI application:

from nicegui import ui

@ui.page('/')
def index():
    ui.label('Hello NiceGUI World!')
    ui.button('Click me!', on_click=lambda: ui.notify('Button clicked!'))

if __name__ in {"__main__", "__mp_main__"}:
    ui.run(host='0.0.0.0', port=8080, reload=False)

Key points for production deployment:

Set host='0.0.0.0' to accept connections from outside the container
Use any port you prefer (Sliplane auto-detects ports)
Set reload=False for production stability
Use the if __name__ check to prevent issues with container restarts

Step 2: Create the Dockerfile

Create a Dockerfile in your project root:

FROM zauberzeug/nicegui:latest

WORKDIR /app

COPY requirements.txt .
RUN pip install --no-cache-dir -r requirements.txt

COPY . .

EXPOSE 8080

CMD ["python", "main.py"]

This Dockerfile:

Uses the latest official NiceGUI base image (check Docker Hub for specific versions if needed)
Installs your dependencies from requirements.txt
Copies your application code
Exposes port 8080
Runs your main application file

Step 3: Create Requirements File

Create a requirements.txt file with your dependencies:

nicegui
# Add any other dependencies your app needs
# For example:
# pandas
# requests
# matplotlib

Step 4: Add Docker Ignore File

Create a .dockerignore file to exclude unnecessary files:

__pycache__
*.pyc
*.pyo
*.pyd
.git
.gitignore
README.md
.pytest_cache
.coverage
venv/
env/
.venv/
.env/

Step 5: Test Locally

Before deploying, test your container locally:

# Build the image
docker build -t my-nicegui-app .

# Run the container
docker run -p 8080:8080 my-nicegui-app

Visit http://localhost:8080 to verify your app works correctly in the container.

Step 6: Deploy on Sliplane

Now for the easy part! Here's how to deploy your NiceGUI app on Sliplane:

Sign up for Sliplane (first 2 days free)
Connect your GitHub repository by clicking "Create Service" and selecting your repository
Configure your service:
- Service name: my-nicegui-app (or your preferred name)
- Keep other settings as default (Sliplane auto-detects ports)
Click Deploy and wait about 2-3 minutes
Access your app at https://my-nicegui-app.sliplane.app

That's it! Your NiceGUI app is now live and accessible worldwide.

Automatic Updates

Whenever you push changes to your GitHub repository, Sliplane automatically rebuilds and deploys your application. No manual intervention required.

Cost Comparison

Platform	Monthly Cost	Features
Sliplane Base	€9.00	2 vCPU, 2GB RAM, 40GB SSD
Google Cloud Run	~$132	2 vCPU, 2GB RAM, pay-per-use
Heroku Standard-2X	$50	2 vCPU, 2GB RAM
DigitalOcean App	$25	2 vCPU, 2GB RAM, dedicated

Sliplane offers excellent value with dedicated resources and no cold starts.

FAQ

Q: Can I run multiple NiceGUI apps on one server?
A: Yes! Sliplane allows unlimited containers per server. Deploy multiple NiceGUI apps and they'll share the server resources.

Q: Does NiceGUI work well in containers?
A: Absolutely. NiceGUI was designed with containerization in mind and works perfectly with Docker.

Q: How do I handle file uploads?
A: Use NiceGUI's built-in upload component and save files to a persistent volume mounted at /data.

Q: Can I use external APIs?
A: Yes, NiceGUI apps can make HTTP requests to external APIs. Store API keys as environment variables in Sliplane.

Ready to deploy your NiceGUI application? Sign up for Sliplane and get your first 2 days free. No credit card required to start!

Cheers,

Jonas