Self-host GlitchTip
updated Aug 2026deployed by usprices checked · Jul 2026Install verified on Ubuntu 26.04 · Sep 2026 · how we test
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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~$283
You keep$29/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
Official imageyes
Measured idle RAM181 MB
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, uptime checks and logs — not Sentry's profiling, session replay, or release-health depth; if you need those, budget for hosted Sentry instead.
Follow the GlitchTip deploy guide →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
Where to host itaffiliate disclosure
Hetzner Cloudrun it on
From $23.59/mo · 2 vCPU / 4 GB / 80 GB · EU + USKamaterafree trial
From $4/mo · 1 vCPU / 1 GB / 20 GB · US + EU + AsiaDigitalOceanalso works on
From $6/mo · 1 vCPU / 1 GB / 25 GB · US + EU + AsiaPaid link — we earn a commission if you shop through it.
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 frontdeploy guideHow to Deploy GlitchTip on a VPSvps picksBest VPS for self-hostingbenchmarked quarterly · re-priced monthly
What 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, uptime checks, and logs — 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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