Bigcapital

Application512MB+ RAM

Open-source accounting and invoicing software

Download Server Compass View Documentation

accountinginvoicingbookkeeping

Deploy Bigcapital in 3 Steps

Connect Your VPS

Add your server credentials to Server Compass

Select Bigcapital

Choose from our template library

Deploy & Configure

Fill in settings and click Deploy

No Docker knowledge required

Manual Deployment Guide

Manual Bigcapital Setup

For terminal enthusiasts: deploy Bigcapital manually with these simple steps.

Open a Terminal Connection

Start by opening a terminal window and connecting to your VPS via SSH.

terminal

# Connect to your VPS
ssh root@your-server-ip

# Or with a specific SSH key
ssh -i ~/.ssh/your-key root@your-server-ip

First time? Docker required! Install it with: curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh

Create Application Directory

Create a dedicated space for your application deployment.

terminal

# Create and navigate to project directory
mkdir -p ~/apps/bigcapital
cd ~/apps/bigcapital

Create Deployment Configuration

Create a docker-compose.yml file with the following configuration:

docker-compose.yml

services:
  nginx:
    image: elestio/bigcapital-nginx:latest
    ports:
      - "3000:80"
    restart: unless-stopped
    depends_on:
      - webapp
      - server

  webapp:
    image: elestio/bigcapital-webapp:latest
    restart: unless-stopped

  server:
    image: elestio/bigcapital-server:latest
    environment:
      - DATABASE_URL=mysql://root:<your-db-root-password>@mysql:3306/bigcapital
      - MONGO_URL=mongodb://mongo:27017/bigcapital
      - REDIS_URL=redis://redis:6379
      - JWT_SECRET=<your-jwt-secret>
      - BASE_URL=<your-base-url>
      - MAIL_HOST=<your-mail-host>
      - MAIL_PORT=587
    restart: unless-stopped
    depends_on:
      mysql:
        condition: service_healthy
      mongo:
        condition: service_started
      redis:
        condition: service_started

  database_migration:
    image: elestio/bigcapital-migration:latest
    environment:
      - DATABASE_URL=mysql://root:<your-db-root-password>@mysql:3306/bigcapital
      - MONGO_URL=mongodb://mongo:27017/bigcapital
    depends_on:
      mysql:
        condition: service_healthy
      mongo:
        condition: service_started
    restart: "no"

  mysql:
    image: mysql:8.0
    environment:
      - MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=<your-db-root-password>
      - MYSQL_DATABASE=bigcapital
    volumes:
      - mysql_data:/var/lib/mysql
    restart: unless-stopped
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "mysqladmin ping -h localhost -u root -p$$MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD || exit 1"]
      interval: 10s
      timeout: 5s
      retries: 5
      start_period: 30s

  mongo:
    image: elestio/bigcapital-mongo:latest
    volumes:
      - mongo_data:/data/db
    restart: unless-stopped

  redis:
    image: elestio/bigcapital-redis:latest
    volumes:
      - redis_data:/data
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  mysql_data:
  mongo_data:
  redis_data:

Environment Configuration

PORTHost port(default: 3000)

BASE_URLPublic URL

DB_ROOT_PASSWORDRoot password

JWT_SECRETJWT secret

MAIL_HOSTSMTP host

MAIL_PORTSMTP port(default: 587)

Launch Your Application

Deploy the stack and monitor the startup process.

terminal

# Spin up containers
docker compose up -d

# Verify deployment
docker compose ps

# Check logs for errors
docker compose logs -f

Enable External Access

Set up firewall rules to permit incoming connections.

terminal

# Allow the application port through firewall
sudo ufw allow 3000/tcp
sudo ufw reload

# Access your app at:
# http://your-server-ip:3000

Skip the Terminal

Skip the command line. Deploy visually.

Deploy Bigcapital without touching the command line. Server Compass gives you a clean UI for one-click deployments.

Visual config editor
Instant deployment
Automatic HTTPS
Smooth updates
Live monitoring
Quick rollbacks

Download Server Compass$29 one-time • Lifetime license

After Deployment

After deploying Bigcapital with Server Compass, complete these steps to finish setup

Create organization

Set up chart of accounts

Configure invoicing

Need help? Check out our documentation for detailed guides.

Bigcapital FAQ

Common questions about self-hosting Bigcapital

How do I deploy Bigcapital with Server Compass?

Simply download Server Compass, connect to your VPS, and select Bigcapital from the templates list. Fill in the required configuration and click Deploy. The entire process takes under 3 minutes.

What are the system requirements for Bigcapital?

Bigcapital requires a minimum of 512MB RAM. We recommend a VPS with at least 1024MB RAM for optimal performance. Any modern Linux server with Docker support will work.

Can I migrate my existing Bigcapital data?

Yes! Server Compass provides volume mapping that allows you to import existing data. You can also use standard Bigcapital backup and restore procedures.

How do I update Bigcapital to the latest version?

Server Compass makes updates easy. Simply click the Update button in your deployment dashboard, and the latest Bigcapital image will be pulled and deployed with zero downtime.

Is Bigcapital free to self-host?

Bigcapital is open-source software. You only pay for your VPS hosting (typically $5-20/month) and optionally Server Compass ($29 one-time). No subscription fees or per-seat pricing.