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:
Pros
- Unbeatable price-to-performance ratio
- European data centers with strong privacy
- NVMe storage on all plans
Cons
- No US data centers
- Control panel less polished than competitors
All Hetzner Plans
| Plan | CPU | RAM | Storage | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CX22 | 2 vCPU | 4 GB | 40 GB NVMe | $4.15/mo | Get Plan → |
| CX32 | 4 vCPU | 8 GB | 80 GB NVMe | $7.49/mo | Get Plan → |
| CX42 | 8 vCPU | 16 GB | 160 GB NVMe | $14.49/mo | Get Plan → |
| CX52 | 16 vCPU | 32 GB | 320 GB NVMe | $28.49/mo | Get Plan → |
Pros
- Very beginner-friendly control panel
- Competitive pricing with frequent deals
- 24/7 customer support
Cons
- Renewal prices are higher
- Limited advanced configuration options
All Hostinger Plans
| Plan | CPU | RAM | Storage | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KVM 1 | 1 vCPU | 4 GB | 50 GB NVMe | $4.99/mo | Get Plan → |
| KVM 2 | 2 vCPU | 8 GB | 100 GB NVMe | $6.99/mo | Get Plan → |
| KVM 4 | 4 vCPU | 16 GB | 200 GB NVMe | $12.99/mo | Get Plan → |
| KVM 8 | 8 vCPU | 32 GB | 400 GB NVMe | $19.99/mo | Get Plan → |
Pros
- Excellent documentation and tutorials
- $200 free credit for new accounts
- Strong developer ecosystem
Cons
- Higher pricing than budget providers
- No phone support available
All DigitalOcean Plans
| Plan | CPU | RAM | Storage | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | 1 vCPU | 2 GB | 50 GB SSD | $12.00/mo | Get Plan → |
| Regular | 2 vCPU | 4 GB | 80 GB SSD | $24.00/mo | Get Plan → |
| CPU-Optimized | 2 vCPU | 4 GB | 25 GB SSD | $42.00/mo | Get Plan → |
| Memory-Opt | 2 vCPU | 16 GB | 50 GB SSD | $84.00/mo | Get Plan → |
Pros
- 32 data center locations worldwide
- Hourly billing with no lock-in
- High-performance NVMe storage
Cons
- Interface can be overwhelming for beginners
- Support response times vary
All Vultr Plans
| Plan | CPU | RAM | Storage | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud Compute | 1 vCPU | 2 GB | 50 GB SSD | $10.00/mo | Get Plan → |
| Cloud Compute | 2 vCPU | 4 GB | 80 GB SSD | $20.00/mo | Get Plan → |
| High Frequency | 2 vCPU | 4 GB | 64 GB NVMe | $24.00/mo | Get Plan → |
| Bare Metal | E-2286G | 32 GB | 2x 480GB SSD | $120.00/mo | Get Plan → |
Pros
- One-click deploys from Git
- Auto-scaling based on usage
- No server management needed
Cons
- Can get expensive at scale
- Less control over infrastructure
All Railway Plans
| Plan | CPU | RAM | Storage | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobby | Shared 8 vCPU | 8 GB | 100 GB | $5.00/mo | Get Plan → |
| Pro | Shared 32 vCPU | 32 GB | 250 GB | $20.00/mo | Get Plan → |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom | Custom | Get Plan → |
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.