Self-hosted analytics: what it takes to run it yourself

By Devendra Variya, co-founder of Virling. Published 2026-10-26.

Self-hosting analytics costs a server, an hour of setup and a little attention for upgrades and backups. The tool you pick changes that a lot: some need several databases, others run as one program.

The costs you can count

• A server: a small virtual server is enough for a young site. Price it with the provider you already use
• A domain: a subdomain such as stats.yourdomain.com, with HTTPS
• Storage: events pile up. Ask how much disk a million page views takes

The costs people forget

• Upgrades: who reads the release notes and updates it, and how often
• Backups: where the data lives and how you copy it off the machine
• Moving parts: each extra database is another thing to patch and watch

Questions to ask before you pick

• How many services does it need to run?
• Where is the data stored and how do I back it up?
• Can I upgrade by changing one version number?
• What happens if the server restarts?

What it looks like with Virling

Virling is one program with its own embedded storage, so there is no separate database to run. You run it with Docker or a release binary, point a domain at it and keep one data folder. Pin a version, read the changelog before you upgrade, and back up that folder. The steps are in the Docker guide and the self-host page.

When hosted is the better choice

If nobody on your team wants to look after a server, use the hosted version. Self-hosting is free in money and costs time; hosting costs money and saves it.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to self-host analytics?

A small server, a domain and some time. Compare tools by how many services they need, because each one adds upkeep.

What should I back up?

The data folder. For Virling that is one folder mounted into the container.

Is self-hosting analytics hard?

With a tool that runs as one program, it takes about an hour. Tools that need several databases take longer and need more upkeep.

The beta is open to everyone at beta.virling.com.