Plausible Analytics

Description / name	Input element
Container Registry
Container Configuration Root Path
Timezone
User ID
Group ID
Plausible Analytics /config Path

Privacy-first web analytics: one lightweight script, no cookies, a dashboard anyone can read. Runs with PostgreSQL and ClickHouse.


Registry	`ghcr.io/daemonless/plausible`
Daemonless	daemonless/plausible
Source	plausible/analytics
Website	plausible.io

Version Tags

Tag	Description	Best For
`latest`	Built from the latest upstream source release, on FreeBSD's Erlang.	Most users — recommended.

Parts

Service	Image	Role
plausible	`ghcr.io/daemonless/plausible:latest`	The analytics server: dashboard, tracking script, API	docs
postgres	`ghcr.io/daemonless/postgres:latest`	Sites, users and settings	docs
clickhouse	`ghcr.io/daemonless/clickhouse:pkg-latest`	The events: every pageview lands here	docs

Before deploying, ensure your host environment is ready. See the Quick Start Guide for host setup instructions, including the security model for host vs. container privileges.

Deployment

Podman AppJail

1. Save as .env and fill in what is empty:

# Plausible Analytics for FreeBSD (Daemonless)
# Copy to .env and edit.

# Where data lives on the host
CONFIG_LOCATION=/containers/plausible
POSTGRES_DATA_LOCATION=/containers/plausible-postgres
CLICKHOUSE_DATA_LOCATION=/containers/plausible-clickhouse

# Public URL Plausible is reached on. Must match what the browser uses:
# the tracking snippet points at it.
BASE_URL=http://localhost:8000

# Database passwords. Change both to random passwords!
# Use only characters A-Za-z0-9 (no special characters or spaces)
POSTGRES_PASSWORD=plausible
CLICKHOUSE_PASSWORD=plausible

# Sign-up after the first account: invite_only (default), true (closed) or false (open)
# DISABLE_REGISTRATION=invite_only

# Timezone (TZ identifier, e.g. Europe/Berlin)
TZ=UTC

2. Save as compose.yaml:

name: plausible

services:
  plausible:
    image: ghcr.io/daemonless/plausible:latest
    container_name: plausible
    restart: unless-stopped
    network_mode: host

    environment:
      - PUID=1000
      - PGID=1000
      - TZ=${TZ:-UTC}
      - BASE_URL=${BASE_URL:-http://localhost:8000}
      # Generated into /config/secrets.env on first start if unset.
      - SECRET_KEY_BASE=${SECRET_KEY_BASE:-}
      - TOTP_VAULT_KEY=${TOTP_VAULT_KEY:-}
      # Plausible connects to the postgres and clickhouse below with these.
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=${POSTGRES_PASSWORD:-plausible}
      - CLICKHOUSE_PASSWORD=${CLICKHOUSE_PASSWORD:-plausible}
      # Databases of your own instead:
      # - DATABASE_URL=postgres://plausible:secret@db.example.com:5432/plausible_db
      # - CLICKHOUSE_DATABASE_URL=http://default:secret@ch.example.com:8123/plausible_events_db
      # Upstream's default: after the first account, new users only by invitation.
      - DISABLE_REGISTRATION=${DISABLE_REGISTRATION:-invite_only}

    depends_on:
      - postgres
      - clickhouse

    volumes:
      - ${CONFIG_LOCATION}:/config

  postgres:
    image: ghcr.io/daemonless/postgres:latest
    container_name: plausible-postgres
    restart: unless-stopped
    network_mode: host
    # Needs SysV IPC
    annotations:
      org.freebsd.jail.allow.sysvipc: "true"

    environment:
      - POSTGRES_USER=plausible
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=${POSTGRES_PASSWORD:-plausible}
      - POSTGRES_DB=plausible_db
      - PUID=1000
      - PGID=1000
      - TZ=${TZ:-UTC}

    volumes:
      - ${POSTGRES_DATA_LOCATION}:/var/lib/postgresql/data

  clickhouse:
    image: ghcr.io/daemonless/clickhouse:pkg-latest
    container_name: plausible-clickhouse
    restart: unless-stopped
    network_mode: host
    # ClickHouse on FreeBSD needs the long stop: see its image notes.
    stop_grace_period: 60s

    environment:
      - CLICKHOUSE_PASSWORD=${CLICKHOUSE_PASSWORD:-plausible}
      - PUID=1000
      - PGID=1000
      - TZ=${TZ:-UTC}

    volumes:
      - ${CLICKHOUSE_DATA_LOCATION}:/var/db/clickhouse

Then run podman-compose up -d.

Director

# .env

DIRECTOR_PROJECT=plausible
PUID=1000
PGID=1000
TZ=UTC
BASE_URL=http://localhost:8000
SECRET_KEY_BASE=<SECRET_KEY_BASE>
TOTP_VAULT_KEY=<TOTP_VAULT_KEY>
POSTGRES_PASSWORD=plausible
CLICKHOUSE_PASSWORD=plausible
DISABLE_REGISTRATION=invite_only

# appjail-director.yml

options:
  - alias:
  - ip4_inherit:
services:
  plausible:
    name: plausible
    options:
      - container: 'args:--pull'
    oci:
      user: root
      environment:
        - PUID: !ENV '${PUID}'
        - PGID: !ENV '${PGID}'
        - TZ: !ENV '${TZ}'
        - BASE_URL: !ENV '${BASE_URL}'
        - SECRET_KEY_BASE: !ENV '${SECRET_KEY_BASE}'
        - TOTP_VAULT_KEY: !ENV '${TOTP_VAULT_KEY}'
        - POSTGRES_PASSWORD: !ENV '${POSTGRES_PASSWORD}'
        - CLICKHOUSE_PASSWORD: !ENV '${CLICKHOUSE_PASSWORD}'
        - DISABLE_REGISTRATION: !ENV '${DISABLE_REGISTRATION}'
    volumes:
      - PLAUSIBLE_CONFIG_PATH: /config
  plausible-postgres:
    name: plausible_postgres
    options:
      - from: ghcr.io/daemonless/postgres:latest
      - template: !ENV '${PWD}/postgres-template.conf'
    volumes:
      - postgres_data: /var/lib/postgresql/data
  plausible-clickhouse:
    name: plausible_clickhouse
    options:
      - from: ghcr.io/daemonless/clickhouse:pkg-latest
      - template: !ENV '${PWD}/template.conf'
    volumes:
      - clickhouse_data: /var/db/clickhouse
volumes:
  PLAUSIBLE_CONFIG_PATH:
    device: '/containers/plausible'
  postgres_data:
    device: !ENV '${POSTGRES_DATA_LOCATION}'
  clickhouse_data:
    device: !ENV '${CLICKHOUSE_DATA_LOCATION}'

# Makejail

ARG tag=latest

OPTION container=boot
OPTION overwrite=force
OPTION from=ghcr.io/daemonless/plausible:${tag}

Save the files above, then run appjail-director up.

Interactive Configuration

Parameters

Environment Variables

Variable	Default	Description
`PUID`	`1000`	User ID for the application process
`PGID`	`1000`	Group ID for the application process
`TZ`	`UTC`	Timezone for the container
`BASE_URL`	`http://localhost:8000`	Full public URL of this instance, e.g. https://plausible.example.com. The tracking script and every link use it
`SECRET_KEY_BASE`	`<SECRET_KEY_BASE>`	Optional. 64+ random bytes, base64 (`openssl rand -base64 48`). Generated into /config/secrets.env on first start if unset
`TOTP_VAULT_KEY`	`<TOTP_VAULT_KEY>`	Optional. 32 random bytes, base64 (`openssl rand -base64 32`), encrypts 2FA secrets. Generated alongside SECRET_KEY_BASE if unset
`POSTGRES_PASSWORD`	`plausible`	Password for the bundled PostgreSQL (letters and digits only). Set it once, before the first start
`CLICKHOUSE_PASSWORD`	`plausible`	Password for the bundled ClickHouse (letters and digits only). Set it once, before the first start
`DISABLE_REGISTRATION`	`invite_only`	`invite_only` (default): after the first account, new users join by invitation. `true` closes sign-up entirely, `false` opens it to anyone
`DATABASE_URL`	``	A PostgreSQL of your own instead of the bundled one, e.g. postgres://plausible:secret@db.example.com:5432/plausible_db. Unset, Plausible uses the stack's postgres with POSTGRES_PASSWORD
`CLICKHOUSE_DATABASE_URL`	``	A ClickHouse of your own instead of the bundled one, e.g. http://default:secret@ch.example.com:8123/plausible_events_db. Unset, Plausible uses the stack's clickhouse with CLICKHOUSE_PASSWORD
`MAILER_EMAIL`	``	From address for the emails Plausible sends (verification, reports)
`SMTP_HOST_ADDR`	``	SMTP server for outgoing email; with SMTP_HOST_PORT, SMTP_USER_NAME, SMTP_USER_PWD and SMTP_HOST_SSL_ENABLED
`MAXMIND_LICENSE_KEY`	`<MAXMIND_LICENSE_KEY>`	Optional. A MaxMind key for the GeoLite2 city database; without it the bundled DB-IP country database is used

Volumes

Path	Description
`/config`	Secrets, the geolocation database and caches

Requirements

Plausible needs PostgreSQL and ClickHouse. Both are part of the compose file; Plausible creates its databases and runs migrations at every start. Pick POSTGRES_PASSWORD and CLICKHOUSE_PASSWORD before the first start: the databases are initialised with them.

Secrets

SECRET_KEY_BASE and TOTP_VAULT_KEY are generated into /config/secrets.env on first start, so there is nothing to prepare. Keep /config on persistent storage: a new SECRET_KEY_BASE signs everyone out and a new TOTP_VAULT_KEY locks out every 2FA user. To supply your own, set them in the environment; the environment always wins.

First run

Open BASE_URL: an instance without users goes straight to registration, and the first account becomes the owner. After that, sign-up is by invitation only (DISABLE_REGISTRATION=invite_only, the default). BASE_URL must be the address browsers use: the tracking snippet points at it.

Email

Without an SMTP server Plausible cannot send verification mail; account verification is off unless ENABLE_EMAIL_VERIFICATION=true. See the configuration wiki for every setting.

License

Plausible is licensed under the AGPL-3.0.

Implementation Details

Architectures: amd64
User: bsd (UID/GID set via PUID/PGID). Defaults to 1000:1000.
Base: Built on ghcr.io/daemonless/base (FreeBSD 15.1).

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