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Step 1Open the server Apps tab
Select your VPS, open the Apps tab, and start a new app deployment. Keep sensitive server details hidden before capturing or sharing screenshots.
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Bigcapital
Application512MB+ RAM
Open-source accounting and invoicing software
accountinginvoicingbookkeeping
Deploy Bigcapital in 3 Steps
1
Connect Your VPS
Add your server credentials to Server Compass
2
Select Bigcapital
Choose from our template library
3
Deploy & Configure
Fill in settings and click Deploy
No Docker knowledge required
Step-by-step deployment guide
Deploy Bigcapital on a VPS with Server Compass
Use the Bigcapital template in Server Compass to deploy a self-hosted accounting and invoicing platform with MySQL, MongoDB, and Redis-backed web application on your VPS, then verify the Bigcapital web UI in a browser.
About 7 minutesBrowser verified
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Step 2Choose an app template
Click New App and choose the template deployment path so Server Compass can load the built-in catalog.
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Step 3Search for Bigcapital
Use the template picker search to find Bigcapital in the Server Compass template catalog.
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Step 4Select the Bigcapital template
Choose the Bigcapital template. Server Compass fills the Bigcapital app, Nginx web server, MySQL database, MongoDB, and Redis services.
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Step 5Review the Bigcapital settings
Confirm the app name and compose services. In this run, the app was named bigcapital-demo and used host port 3000.
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Step 6Deploy Bigcapital
Review the generated environment values, confirm the port is available, and click Deploy Now.
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Step 7Watch the deployment progress
Keep the deployment modal open while Server Compass uploads the compose file, pulls the Bigcapital image, starts the container, and verifies the stack.
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Step 8Confirm Bigcapital is running
After deployment finishes, return to the Apps tab and confirm the Bigcapital app is marked Running with its application URL available.
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Step 9Open Bigcapital in the browser
Open the application URL in a browser. The Bigcapital web UI confirms the site is reachable.
After Bigcapital Opens
- Sign in with the initial admin account and configure company details before production use.
- Configure organization setup, HTTPS, SMTP, and accounting settings before production use.
- Add a domain and HTTPS before exposing Bigcapital to users.
- Back up the Bigcapital MySQL, MongoDB, and Redis volumes before relying on it for production accounting data.
Bigcapital deployment questions
What does the Bigcapital template deploy?
It deploys Bigcapital with an Nginx web front end, MySQL database storage, MongoDB, and Redis.
Which port did the tutorial use?
The tutorial used host port 3000, which maps to the Bigcapital Nginx web service on container port 80.
Why does the guide stop at the login or setup web UI?
The tutorial verifies the clean Bigcapital web UI because company settings, email delivery, invoice numbering, and payment configuration depend on the production server.
Should this become a blog post?
No. The deployment guide should live on the Bigcapital template detail page and be linked from the reusable template deployment docs page.
Manual Deployment Guide
Manual Bigcapital Setup
For terminal enthusiasts: deploy Bigcapital manually with these simple steps.
1
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-ipFirst time? Docker required! Install it with: curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh
2
Create Application Directory
Create a dedicated space for your application deployment.
terminal
# Create and navigate to project directory
mkdir -p ~/apps/bigcapital
cd ~/apps/bigcapital3
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 URLDB_ROOT_PASSWORDRoot passwordJWT_SECRETJWT secretMAIL_HOSTSMTP hostMAIL_PORTSMTP port(default: 587)4
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 -f5
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:3000Skip 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
1
Create organization
2
Set up chart of accounts
3
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.
Ready to Self-Host Bigcapital?
Download Server Compass and deploy Bigcapital to your VPS in under 3 minutes. No Docker expertise required.
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