# How to Set Up the AiToEarn Project Locally: Complete Development Guide > Set up the AiToEarn project locally with this complete development guide. Follow step-by-step instructions to clone the repo, install dependencies, configure settings, and launch the backend and frontend. - Repository: [yikart/AiToEarn](https://github.com/yikart/AiToEarn) - Tags: how-to-guide - Published: 2026-05-12 --- **To set up AiToEarn locally, clone the yikart/AiToEarn repository, install Node.js 20.18.x and pnpm, start MongoDB and Redis via Docker, copy and edit the [`local.config.js`](https://github.com/yikart/AiToEarn/blob/main/local.config.js) files for both backend services, then launch the AI Agent and API server using `pnpm nx serve`, and finally start the Next.js frontend with `pnpm run dev`.** AiToEarn is an Nx-managed monorepo built with pnpm that separates its NestJS-based backend services from its Next.js frontend. This guide walks through the source development setup documented in the official repository, covering the exact file paths and commands needed to run the full stack on your local machine. ## Prerequisites Before cloning the repository, ensure your environment meets these requirements: - **Node.js** version 20.18.x or higher, as specified in the project's engine constraints - **pnpm** package manager (enable via `corepack enable && corepack prepare pnpm@latest --activate`) - **Docker** and Docker Compose for running MongoDB and Redis locally - **Git** for version control If pnpm is not available through corepack, install it globally with `npm i -g pnpm`. ## Clone the Repository and Initialize Dependencies Start by cloning the monorepo into your working directory: ```bash git clone https://github.com/yikart/AiToEarn.git cd AiToEarn ``` The repository root contains documentation and Docker orchestration files only. All source code resides inside the `project/` directory, which contains separate workspaces for the backend, frontend, and optional Electron client. ## Configure and Start the Backend Services The backend is an Nx workspace located at `project/aitoearn-backend`. It manages two primary applications: `aitoearn-ai` (the AI Agent for model interactions) and `aitoearn-server` (the unified HTTP API). ### Install Backend Dependencies Navigate to the backend workspace and install packages using pnpm: ```bash cd project/aitoearn-backend pnpm install ``` The workspace configuration is defined in [`project/aitoearn-backend/pnpm-workspace.yaml`](https://github.com/yikart/AiToEarn/blob/main/project/aitoearn-backend/pnpm-workspace.yaml) and [`project/aitoearn-backend/nx.json`](https://github.com/yikart/AiToEarn/blob/main/project/aitoearn-backend/nx.json), which map the applications and shared libraries. ### Configure Local Environment Files Both backend applications use a configuration override system. Copy the default configuration files to create local development versions: ```bash cp apps/aitoearn-ai/config/config.js apps/aitoearn-ai/config/local.config.js cp apps/aitoearn-server/config/config.js apps/aitoearn-server/config/local.config.js ``` Edit [`local.config.js`](https://github.com/yikart/AiToEarn/blob/main/local.config.js) in each app directory to point to your local MongoDB and Redis instances. By default, the Docker Compose setup exposes MongoDB at `mongodb://mongo:27017/aitoearn` and Redis at `redis://redis:6379`. ### Launch the AI Agent and API Server Open two separate terminal windows to run both services concurrently. The Nx CLI handles the build and serve process for each application. Start the AI Agent service: ```bash pnpm nx serve aitoearn-ai ``` This command launches the agent on `http://localhost:3001` by default, handling content generation and transaction logic. In a second terminal, start the unified API server: ```bash pnpm nx serve aitoearn-server ``` The API server listens on `http://localhost:3000` and provides the HTTP endpoints, OAuth relay, and SSE/MCP interfaces that the frontend consumes. ## Start the Next.js Frontend The web frontend is a standard Next.js application located in `project/aitoearn-web`. Install dependencies and start the development server: ```bash cd ../../aitoearn-web pnpm install pnpm run dev ``` The frontend development server typically starts on `http://localhost:3000`. If port 3000 is occupied by the backend API server, Next.js will automatically increment to the next available port (e.g., 3002). Create a `.env.local` file in `project/aitoearn-web` to configure the API connection: ```bash NEXT_PUBLIC_API_BASE=http://localhost:3000 NEXT_PUBLIC_API_KEY=your-local-api-key ``` ## (Optional) Run the Electron Desktop Client For desktop functionality with offline SQLite storage, you can also run the Electron client located at `project/aitoearn-electron`. ```bash cd ../../aitoearn-electron npm install npm run rebuild npm run dev ``` The `npm run rebuild` step compiles native modules such as `better-sqlite3` for your local Node.js version. ## Provision Local Databases with Docker If you do not have MongoDB and Redis installed locally, use the provided Docker Compose configuration at the repository root: ```bash docker compose up -d mongo redis ``` This command starts the following services in detached mode: - **MongoDB** on port 27017 - **Redis** on port 6379 The [`docker-compose.yml`](https://github.com/yikart/AiToEarn/blob/main/docker-compose.yml) file also optionally includes Mongo Express for database visualization. Ensure your [`local.config.js`](https://github.com/yikart/AiToEarn/blob/main/local.config.js) files reference these Docker service names as hostnames (e.g., `mongo` and `redis`) when running the backend services within Docker networks, or use `localhost` when running them directly on the host machine. ## Complete Local Development Workflow To run the full stack simultaneously, use multiple terminal sessions or a terminal multiplexer like `tmux`: **Terminal 1** – AI Agent service: ```bash cd project/aitoearn-backend && pnpm nx serve aitoearn-ai ``` **Terminal 2** – API Server: ```bash cd project/aitoearn-backend && pnpm nx serve aitoearn-server ``` **Terminal 3** – Next.js Frontend: ```bash cd project/aitoearn-web && pnpm run dev ``` **Terminal 4** – (Optional) Electron Client: ```bash cd project/aitoearn-electron && npm run dev ``` Once all services are running, open your browser to `http://localhost:3000` (or the port indicated by the frontend dev server) to access the AiToEarn UI. All API requests will route through your local `aitoearn-server` instance running on port 3000. ## Summary - **AiToEarn** uses an **Nx + pnpm monorepo** structure with separate workspaces for the backend (`project/aitoearn-backend`) and frontend (`project/aitoearn-web`). - **Backend setup** requires copying [`config.js`](https://github.com/yikart/AiToEarn/blob/main/config.js) to [`local.config.js`](https://github.com/yikart/AiToEarn/blob/main/local.config.js) in both `aitoearn-ai` and `aitoearn-server` apps to override default settings for local development. - **Nx CLI** commands like `pnpm nx serve aitoearn-ai` handle the build and serve process for individual applications. - **Docker Compose** at the repository root provides MongoDB and Redis services required for data persistence. - **Frontend configuration** relies on environment variables in `.env.local` to point to the local API server at `http://localhost:3000`. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What Node.js version is required for AiToEarn? AiToEarn requires **Node.js 20.18.x or higher**, as enforced by the engine requirements in [`project/aitoearn-backend/package.json`](https://github.com/yikart/AiToEarn/blob/main/project/aitoearn-backend/package.json) and indicated by the project's README badges. Using an older version may result in dependency installation errors or runtime failures with native modules. ### How do I configure local database connections? Edit the [`local.config.js`](https://github.com/yikart/AiToEarn/blob/main/local.config.js) files created from [`config.js`](https://github.com/yikart/AiToEarn/blob/main/config.js) in both `apps/aitoearn-ai/config/` and `apps/aitoearn-server/config/`. Update the `MONGODB_URI` to `mongodb://localhost:27017/aitoearn` and `REDIS_URL` to `redis://localhost:6379` if running Docker on the host network, or use the service names (`mongo`, `redis`) if running the backend inside Docker containers. ### Can I run AiToEarn without Docker? Yes, but you must provide your own MongoDB and Redis instances. Install MongoDB Community Edition and Redis locally, then update the [`local.config.js`](https://github.com/yikart/AiToEarn/blob/main/local.config.js) files in both backend applications to point to your local instances (typically `localhost:27017` and `localhost:6379`). The Docker setup is recommended for consistency but is not strictly required. ### What is the difference between aitoearn-ai and aitoearn-server? `aitoearn-ai` is the **AI Agent service** that handles large language model interactions, content generation, and automated trading logic, running on port 3001 by default. `aitoearn-server` is the **unified API gateway** that provides HTTP endpoints, OAuth relays, and SSE/MCP protocols for the frontend, running on port 3000. The frontend communicates exclusively with `aitoearn-server`, which in turn delegates AI tasks to `aitoearn-ai` via internal HTTP calls.