Self-host GlitchTip
updated Aug 2026deployed & timed by usprices checked · Aug 2026Install verified on Ubuntu 26.04 · Aug 2026 · how we test
An open-source, Sentry-compatible error tracking server — your apps keep using the official Sentry SDKs, but the exceptions, stack traces, and alerts land on your own lightweight Django instance.
Sentry / yr$312
Self-hosted / yr~$55
You keep$257/yr
Pocket the difference — spin it up on a cheap VPS in minutes.Start free on Kamatera → (opens in new tab)
Key facts
CategoryError tracking
LicenseMIT
StackPython, Django, Angular
Min RAM512 MB
Dockeryes
Difficulty
Our recommendation
Pick GlitchTip when you want Sentry's core workflow — exceptions, stack traces, releases, alerts — without Sentry's event-priced bill or its notoriously heavy self-hosted stack. Your apps keep using the official Sentry SDKs; only the DSN changes. It covers error tracking with basic performance monitoring and uptime checks — not Sentry's profiling, session replay, or release-health depth; if you need those, budget for hosted Sentry instead.
What you need
- Any VPS with at least 512 MB of RAM
- A domain you control — most self-hosted setups need HTTPS in front of them
- About an afternoon — budget time for troubleshooting
Install
Run these commands on your server:
# GlitchTip — official compose (web + worker roles in one, Postgres, Valkey)
curl -o compose.yml https://glitchtip.com/assets/compose.sample.yml
# fill the secret the sample ships as a placeholder:
sed -i "s|SECRET_KEY: change_me_to_something_random|SECRET_KEY: $(openssl rand -hex 32)|" compose.yml
# set GLITCHTIP_DOMAIN + EMAIL_URL in compose.yml for real use
docker compose up -d # → http://SERVER_IP:8000 (register the first account in the UI)
# no TLS; put a reverse proxy in frontWhat you take on
GlitchTip is the pragmatic middle path, and its trade-offs follow from that:
non-negotiableIt's Sentry-compatible, not Sentry-equivalent. GlitchTip covers errors, basic performance monitoring, and uptime checks — deep profiling, session replay, and release health stay upstream.
non-negotiableIt's a small team compared to the giant it shadows. The pace is steady but the ecosystem is thin; expect to read the docs rather than Stack Overflow.
non-negotiableThe compose stack is Django + Postgres with an optional Valkey — light by Sentry standards, but still a real multi-service deployment to back up and upgrade.
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