System Requirements

Software Requirements

Requirement	Minimum	Recommended
Node.js	18.x	20.x LTS
pnpm	8.x	10.x
PostgreSQL	14	16

API Accounts Required

To run SmarterAvatar, you'll need accounts with the following providers:

LLM Provider (choose one)

Provider	Account Link	Free Tier
Google Gemini	ai.google.dev	Yes, generous
OpenAI	platform.openai.com	$5 credit
Anthropic	console.anthropic.com	Limited

Speech-to-Text Provider (choose one)

Provider	Account Link	Free Tier
OpenAI Whisper	platform.openai.com	$5 credit
Deepgram	deepgram.com	$200 credit

Avatar Provider

Provider	Account Link	Free Tier
HeyGen LiveAvatar	heygen.com	Trial available

Hardware Requirements

Development

• CPU: Any modern processor
• RAM: 4GB minimum, 8GB recommended
• Storage: 1GB for application, varies for knowledge base

Production

For self-hosted deployments:

• CPU: 2+ cores recommended
• RAM: 4GB minimum
• Storage: 10GB+ (depends on usage and logging)

Cloud Deployment

For most use cases, we recommend deploying to Vercel (frontend) with a managed PostgreSQL database. This eliminates hardware concerns and provides automatic scaling.

Browser Support

The avatar interface works best on modern browsers:

Browser	Minimum Version
Chrome	90+
Firefox	90+
Safari	14+
Edge	90+

Mobile Support

Mobile browsers are supported but the experience is optimized for desktop. Voice input requires microphone permissions.

Network Requirements

• Outbound HTTPS to API providers (Gemini, OpenAI, HeyGen, etc.)
• WebSocket support for real-time avatar streaming
• Recommended bandwidth: 5+ Mbps for smooth avatar video

Database

PostgreSQL is required for:

• Conversation history
• Analytics data
• Admin configuration (prompts, overrides)
• Knowledge base file tracking

Cloud Database Options

Provider	Free Tier	Notes
Supabase	500MB	Recommended for most users
Neon	512MB	Good free tier
Railway	$5 credit	Easy setup
PlanetScale	Limited	MySQL-compatible