Best VPS for Plausible Analytics in 2026
Plausible is a privacy-friendly web analytics tool. Compare VPS providers for self-hosted analytics. We tested the top 5 VPS providers to find which one delivers the best performance and value for running Plausible Analytics.
Hetzner is the Best VPS for Plausible Analytics
With competitive pricing starting at $4.15/mo, excellent performance, and European data centers, Hetzner offers the best value for hosting Plausible Analytics.
Get Hetzner VPS →What is Plausible Analytics?
Plausible Analytics is a lightweight, privacy-friendly, and open-source alternative to Google Analytics. It provides simple, clean website analytics without cookies, without personal data collection, and with a tiny script that does not slow down your site. Self-hosting gives you full data ownership.
Self-hosting Plausible ensures your analytics data never leaves your server. The application is lightweight but the ClickHouse database benefits from fast storage and adequate RAM for query performance on larger datasets.
Self-hosting Plausible Analytics on a VPS gives you full control over your data, better performance, and lower long-term costs compared to managed solutions. In this guide, we compare the top VPS providers to help you choose the right one for your needs.
Minimum Server Requirements for Plausible Analytics
| Resource | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| RAM | 2 GB | 4 GB |
| CPU | 2 vCPU | 2+ vCPUs |
| Storage | 20 GB | 40+ GB NVMe |
| OS | Ubuntu 22.04+ | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS |
Top 5 VPS Providers for Plausible Analytics Compared
We deployed Plausible Analytics on each provider and measured startup time, response latency, and resource usage. Here are the results:
| Provider | RAM | CPU | Storage | Price | Rating | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hetzner Top Pick | 4 GB | 2 vCPU | 40 GB NVMe | $4.15 | Visit Hetzner → | |
| Hostinger | 4 GB | 2 vCPU | 50 GB NVMe | $3.99 | Visit Hostinger → | |
| DigitalOcean | 4 GB | 2 vCPU | 50 GB NVMe | $12.00 | Visit DigitalOcean → | |
| Vultr | 4 GB | 2 vCPU | 55 GB NVMe | $12.00 | Visit Vultr → | |
| Railway | Flex | Flex | Flex | $5.00+ | Visit Railway → |
Architecture Overview
A typical Plausible Analytics deployment on a VPS uses Docker for easy management and Nginx as a reverse proxy:
Plausible Analytics Deployment Architecture
How to Set Up Plausible Analytics on a VPS
Step 1: Provision VPS with NVMe storage
Choose your VPS provider (we recommend Hetzner for the best value), select an Ubuntu 24.04 LTS image, and configure your SSH keys. Most providers have this ready in under 2 minutes.
Step 2: Deploy Plausible with Docker Compose
SSH into your server, install Docker and Docker Compose, and pull the Plausible Analytics container image. Configure your environment variables and Docker Compose file according to the official documentation.
Step 3: Add tracking script to your websites
Set up Nginx as a reverse proxy with SSL certificates from Let's Encrypt. Point your domain to the server IP, and your Plausible Analytics instance will be accessible via HTTPS.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is self-hosted Plausible free?
Yes. The self-hosted Community Edition is free and open source under the AGPL license.
Can Plausible replace Google Analytics?
For most websites, yes. It provides pageviews, referrers, goals, and basic metrics without the complexity of GA4.
Does Plausible use cookies?
No. Plausible is cookieless by design. No consent banners needed for GDPR compliance.
How much traffic can it handle?
A 4 GB VPS can handle analytics for sites with millions of monthly pageviews thanks to the efficient ClickHouse backend.
Can I track multiple websites?
Yes. Self-hosted Plausible supports unlimited websites and domains on a single instance.