How to set up FlareSolverr without Docker

Helps Prowlarr and Jackett reach sites that sit behind Cloudflare. Cresdock runs it on a server you own, from a catalogue, with no Docker and no reverse proxy to configure.

What Cresdock does for you with FlareSolverr

Its configuration is written before the container ever starts, so FlareSolverr comes up already set up rather than showing you a blank first-run form.
Reached through your panel login. There is no second password to invent for FlareSolverr and no port to open on your firewall.
Nothing to set up: install FlareSolverr and Prowlarr and Jackett pick it up on their own, using it for the sites that put a check in front of every visitor.

Why run FlareSolverr yourself

The whole point of these tools is that they run unattended. On a desktop that gets shut down, they simply miss things.

What kind of server FlareSolverr needs

These are small, patient programs. They spend most of their time asleep and wake up to check for something new, so 1 GB of memory covers several of them at once. What they need is to be running when you aren't watching.

Cresdock itself is undemanding — it runs on a small rented server, an old desktop or a mini PC, on Ubuntu or Debian. Everything it installs shares that machine, so the honest question is not "will this app run" but "how much am I going to put on here in total".

Where to run FlareSolverr

FlareSolverr runs wherever Cresdock runs, and the choice is about the machine, not the app:

At home, on hardware you already own. A mini PC, an old desktop or a NAS that can run Debian. Cresdock works behind a home router with no port forwarding and no domain, so FlareSolverr is reachable on your own network first and from outside only if you choose.
On a rented server. A small VPS is enough for most apps and is the usual answer when FlareSolverr should be reachable from anywhere. The setup guide covers the specs and the one-command install.
Through a provider that runs Cresdock. Hosting companies deploy Cresdock workspaces for their customers, so FlareSolverr can come with a server you rent rather than one you set up — ask your provider, or see how providers offer it.

Installing FlareSolverr

Put Cresdock on a server
One line on any Ubuntu or Debian machine — a rented VPS, a spare PC, a home server. It sets itself up.
Pick FlareSolverr from the catalogue
Click Install. The panel pulls the image, writes the configuration, gets a certificate and starts it.
Open it from your dashboard
Its address and any login details are on its card. Start, stop, update, roll back or remove it from the same place, any time.

What this replaces

Doing it by hand means writing something like this, then keeping it working:

services:
  flaresolverr:
    image: ghcr.io/flaresolverr/flaresolverr:v3.5.0
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "8191:8191"
    environment:
      - PUID=1000
      - PGID=1000
      - TZ=Etc/UTC
    volumes:
      - ./flaresolverr/config:/config

And that is the easy half. Still to do:

Install a reverse proxy and write a server block for it
Get a TLS certificate and set up automatic renewal
Create the folders above with the right ownership, or it will not start
Repeat all of it for the next app, and again on every server rebuild

On Cresdock, FlareSolverr is one click and none of the above exists.

Common questions

Do I need to know Docker to run FlareSolverr?

No. Cresdock installs FlareSolverr in one click from its catalogue: it pulls the image, writes the configuration, gets an HTTPS certificate and starts it. FlareSolverr's configuration is written before it first starts, so it opens already set up.

What happens to my FlareSolverr data when it updates?

Cresdock updates the FlareSolverr image and leaves its stored data in place. FlareSolverr keeps its own files in its own folder, which survives an update, a rebuild and a reinstall — and Cresdock never writes into it.

Can I run FlareSolverr at home instead of on a VPS?

Yes. Cresdock runs on a mini PC, an old desktop or anything that boots Debian, behind a normal home router with no port forwarding, and FlareSolverr is reachable on your own network first. A rented server is only needed when FlareSolverr must be reachable from anywhere without a VPN.

Can I remove FlareSolverr later?

Yes. Cresdock removes FlareSolverr in one click, and asks whether to keep its configuration for a future reinstall. Nothing else you have installed is affected.

Looking for what FlareSolverr itself can do? That lives in its own documentation — this page is only about running it.

Pairs well with: Jackett · Lidarr · FreshRSS · how FlareSolverr connects to your other apps

Before you start: where to rent a server · what it needs to run · Cresdock vs QuickBox · the seedbox panel in full · sell workspaces to your customers