The documented minimum is a starting line
The Dify repository documents a minimum of 2 CPU cores and 4 GiB of RAM. This is useful for installation planning, but it is not a promise that every production workload will fit that machine.
Why memory usage grows
The Docker Compose stack includes the application, worker processes, database, cache, sandbox and other supporting services. Document ingestion, concurrent workflows and larger knowledge bases can increase memory and storage pressure.
Measure before scaling
Watch container memory, CPU saturation, job queue delay, database size, upload volume and response latency. Scale the constrained component instead of buying a much larger server without evidence.
Deployment recommendation
Use the minimum only for a controlled evaluation. A 4 CPU and 8 GB application host provides more operating room for a small team, but model inference resources must still be sized separately. Follow the complete Dify Docker Compose guide and verify current requirements in the official Dify repository.