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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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Plausible
Application512MB+ RAM
Privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternative
analyticsprivacygoogle-analytics-alternative
Deploy Plausible in 3 Steps
1
Connect Your VPS
Add your server credentials to Server Compass
2
Select Plausible
Choose from our template library
3
Deploy & Configure
Fill in settings and click Deploy
No Docker knowledge required
Step-by-step deployment guide
Deploy Plausible Analytics on a VPS with Server Compass
Use the Plausible Analytics template in Server Compass to deploy a self-hosted privacy-friendly analytics platform with persistent Plausible PostgreSQL and ClickHouse volumes on your VPS, then verify the Plausible Analytics 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 Plausible Analytics
Use the template picker search to find Plausible Analytics in the Server Compass template catalog.
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Step 4Select the Plausible Analytics template
Choose the Plausible Analytics template. Server Compass fills the Plausible Analytics image, host port, published server URL, and persistent Plausible PostgreSQL and ClickHouse volumes.
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Step 5Review the Plausible Analytics settings
Confirm the app name and compose services. In this run, the app was named plausible-demo and used host port 8000.
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Step 6Deploy Plausible Analytics
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 Plausible Analytics image, starts the container, and verifies the stack.
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Step 8Confirm Plausible Analytics is running
After deployment finishes, return to the Apps tab and confirm the Plausible Analytics app is marked Running with its application URL available.
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Step 9Open Plausible Analytics in the browser
Open the application URL in a browser. The Plausible Analytics web UI confirms the site is reachable.
After Plausible Opens
- Create the first Plausible account and add tracked websites before production use.
- Configure email, HTTPS, site domains, tracking snippets, and team access before production use.
- Add a domain and HTTPS before exposing the scheduling app to users.
- Back up the Plausible PostgreSQL and ClickHouse volumes before relying on it for production analytics.
Verified Result
The Plausible Analytics web UI loaded successfully in a browser.
Plausible deployment questions
What does the Plausible Analytics template deploy?
It deploys Plausible Analytics with PostgreSQL and ClickHouse for privacy-friendly web analytics.
Which port did the tutorial use?
The tutorial used host port 8000, which maps to the Plausible Analytics web server on container port 8000.
Why does the guide stop at the first-run web UI?
The tutorial verifies the clean first-run web UI because real library paths, users, metadata providers, and remote access settings depend on the production server.
Should this become a blog post?
No. The deployment guide should live on the Plausible Analytics template detail page and be linked from the reusable template deployment docs page.
Command Line Setup
Install Plausible Manually
Set up Plausible yourself using Docker Compose and the command line.
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Establish SSH Connection
Connect to your remote server using SSH. Make sure you have your server credentials ready.
terminal
# Log into your server
ssh root@<your-server-ip>
# If using key-based auth
ssh -i ~/.ssh/my-key root@<your-server-ip>First time? Docker not installed? Run: curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh
2
Create Project Directory
Set up a directory to store your Docker configuration.
terminal
# Create and navigate to project directory
mkdir -p ~/apps/plausible
cd ~/apps/plausible3
Configure Docker Compose
Add this configuration to your docker-compose.yml file:
docker-compose.yml
services:
plausible:
image: ghcr.io/plausible/community-edition:v2
command: sh -c "sleep 10 && /entrypoint.sh db createdb && /entrypoint.sh db migrate && /entrypoint.sh run"
ports:
- "8000:8000"
environment:
- BASE_URL=<your-base-url>
- SECRET_KEY_BASE=<your-secret-key>
- DATABASE_URL=postgres://plausible:<your-db-password>@db:5432/plausible
- CLICKHOUSE_DATABASE_URL=http://clickhouse:8123/plausible_events_db
restart: unless-stopped
depends_on:
db:
condition: service_healthy
clickhouse:
condition: service_healthy
db:
image: postgres:16-alpine
environment:
- POSTGRES_USER=plausible
- POSTGRES_PASSWORD=<your-db-password>
- POSTGRES_DB=plausible
volumes:
- postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
restart: unless-stopped
healthcheck:
test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -U plausible"]
interval: 10s
timeout: 5s
retries: 5
start_period: 30s
clickhouse:
image: clickhouse/clickhouse-server:24.3.3.102-alpine
environment:
- CLICKHOUSE_DB=plausible_events_db
- CLICKHOUSE_USER=default
- CLICKHOUSE_DEFAULT_ACCESS_MANAGEMENT=1
volumes:
- clickhouse_data:/var/lib/clickhouse
- clickhouse_logs:/var/log/clickhouse-server
ulimits:
nofile:
soft: 262144
hard: 262144
restart: unless-stopped
healthcheck:
test: ["CMD-SHELL", "wget --no-verbose --tries=1 -O - http://127.0.0.1:8123/ping || exit 1"]
interval: 10s
timeout: 5s
retries: 5
start_period: 30s
volumes:
postgres_data:
clickhouse_data:
clickhouse_logs:
Configuration Options
PORTHost port(default: 8000)BASE_URLBase URLSECRET_KEYSecret keyDB_PASSWORDDB password4
Start the Services
Execute the deployment and check the container status.
terminal
# Deploy the application
docker compose up -d
# Check container health
docker compose ps
# Monitor logs
docker compose logs -f --tail=1005
Allow Incoming Connections
Enable network access by updating your firewall rules.
terminal
# Allow the application port through firewall
sudo ufw allow 8000/tcp
sudo ufw reload
# Access your app at:
# http://your-server-ip:8000Skip the Terminal
Too complicated? Let Server Compass handle it.
No terminal needed. Deploy Plausible through a visual dashboard with automatic configuration.
- Intuitive dashboard
- Deploy in 3 minutes
- Free SSL included
- Blue-green deploys
- Real-time logs
- Version history
Download Server Compass$29 one-time • Lifetime license
After Deployment
After deploying Plausible with Server Compass, complete these steps to finish setup
1
Complete the setup wizard
2
Create your admin account
3
Connect your analytics databases
Need help? Check out our documentation for detailed guides.
Plausible FAQ
Common questions about self-hosting Plausible
How do I deploy Plausible with Server Compass?
Simply download Server Compass, connect to your VPS, and select Plausible 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 Plausible?
Plausible 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 Plausible data?
Yes! Server Compass provides volume mapping that allows you to import existing data. You can also use standard Plausible backup and restore procedures.
How do I update Plausible to the latest version?
Server Compass makes updates easy. Simply click the Update button in your deployment dashboard, and the latest Plausible image will be pulled and deployed with zero downtime.
Is Plausible free to self-host?
Plausible 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 Plausible?
Download Server Compass and deploy Plausible to your VPS in under 3 minutes. No Docker expertise required.
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