Set up self-hosted Plausible Analytics without losing your mind.

What all will this thing do for me?

Think of it as a fast track to getting a self-hosted web analytics platform stood up & ready to go. All you'll need to do is provision an Ubuntu virtual machine (on DigitalOcean, Linode, or something else) and have a domain ready to host it on. This script will take care of the rest. For you, that means:

• No trouble with TLS.

  It'll automatically configure an TLS certificate that renews on its own.

• No dancing with Docker.

  This thing will install all system dependencies and activate the Docker containers powering Plausible Analytics.

• No noodling with nginx.

  A reverse proxy via nginx will be configured to make the instance publicly accessible.

• No fumbling through a file system.

  Execute the script at any level of the virtual machine and you'll be good to go.

• No backup blues.

  Automated backup configuration means you won't need to stress about losing your data.

Couldn't I just do this myself?

If you're willing to take on the hassle, sure. The Plausible Bootstrapper is for the people who like the idea of saving money with self-hosted analytics, but don't want to mess with the technical details, like installing dependencies, navigating around a filesystem you don't know, or configuring nginx.

Some frequently asked questions:

• Why self-host the Plausible Analytics Community Edition?

  Plausible is an incredible Google Analytics alternative, especially if you value things like performance, privacy, and simplicity. Plus, self-hosting gives you even more control over your data and how it's used. And if you're particuarly cost-sensitive, it can save you a few bucks too.

• Are you affiliated with Plausible?

  No. I just really like the tool and the 'self-host' model. I ditched Google Analytics years ago and love what Plausible has to offer as an alternative. I love it so much, I built this.

• What if I run into issues and regret purchasing this thing?

  Just say so. You'll get a refund. No questions asked (although any feedback is highly appreciated).

• Does this take care of backups?

  Yes! The Bootstrapper includes a script will help you automatically back up your Plausible data to a remote AWS S3 or Cloudflare R2 bucket. If it's ever needed, a restoration script exists too. More on all that here.

• What platforms will it work on?

  It's designed to work on any raw Ubuntu machine you get from a virtual machine provider. It's been tested on DigitalOcean and Linode, but there's nothing preventing it from working on other providers as well (e.g. AWS, Azure, etc.), as long as you have `root` access. If you run into any issues, say the word and I'll either do my best to help you out or give you a refund.

• How up-to-date is this?

  I do my best to ensure the script is tested with each new minor or major release of Plausible. But if you do run into issues, let me know and you'll get an instant refund. This tool is intended to eliminate the friction in self-hosting Plausible. If it doesn't, I've failed and we're gonna make it right.