Self-Hosted Installation Guide

Complete guide to install and setup a production-ready Chatwoot instance on your own infrastructure.

Welcome to the Chatwoot self-hosted installation guide. This comprehensive documentation will help you deploy, configure, and maintain your own Chatwoot instance with full control over your data and infrastructure.

Why Self-Host Chatwoot?

Self-hosting Chatwoot gives you complete control over your customer support platform:

• Data Privacy: Keep all customer data on your own servers
• Customization: Modify the platform to fit your specific needs
• Cost Control: No per-agent pricing - scale as much as you need
• Compliance: Meet specific regulatory requirements
• Integration: Deep integration with your existing infrastructure

Deployment Options

Chatwoot supports multiple deployment methods to fit different infrastructure needs:

🐧 Linux VM Deployment

Deploy directly on Ubuntu/Linux virtual machines with our automated installation script.

• Best for: Traditional server environments
• Complexity: Low to Medium
• Maintenance: Manual updates required

🐳 Docker Deployment

Use Docker containers for consistent, portable deployments.

• Best for: Containerized environments
• Complexity: Medium
• Maintenance: Easy updates with container pulls

☸️ Kubernetes Deployment

Deploy on Kubernetes clusters for enterprise-scale operations.

• Best for: Large-scale, high-availability deployments
• Complexity: High
• Maintenance: Automated with proper CI/CD

☁️ Cloud Provider Deployments

One-click deployments on major cloud platforms:

• AWS: EC2, ECS, and Marketplace options
• Azure: Container Instances and VM deployments
• DigitalOcean: Droplets and App Platform
• Google Cloud: Compute Engine and Cloud Run
• Heroku: Simple one-click deployment

System Requirements

Minimum Requirements

• CPU: 2 cores
• RAM: 4GB
• Storage: 20GB SSD
• OS: Ubuntu 20.04+ or compatible Linux distribution

Recommended for Production

• CPU: 4+ cores
• RAM: 8GB+
• Storage: 50GB+ SSD
• Database: PostgreSQL 12+
• Cache: Redis 6+
• Reverse Proxy: Nginx or similar

What You’ll Need

Before starting your Chatwoot installation, ensure you have:

Technical Requirements

• Server or cloud instance meeting minimum requirements
• Domain name (recommended for production)
• SSL certificate (Let’s Encrypt recommended)
• SMTP server for email notifications

Access Requirements

• SSH access to your server
• Root or sudo privileges
• Firewall configuration access

Optional but Recommended

• Object storage (AWS S3, Google Cloud Storage, etc.)
• CDN for static assets
• Monitoring tools (APM, logging)
• Backup solution

Security Considerations

When self-hosting Chatwoot, consider these security aspects:

• Regular Updates: Keep Chatwoot and system packages updated
• Firewall Configuration: Only expose necessary ports
• SSL/TLS: Always use HTTPS in production
• Database Security: Secure PostgreSQL with strong passwords
• Backup Encryption: Encrypt sensitive backup data
• Access Control: Implement proper user access controls

Getting Started

Ready to deploy Chatwoot? Choose your preferred deployment method:

Quick Start with Docker

Get up and running quickly with Docker containers

Linux VM Installation

Traditional server deployment with our automated script

Kubernetes Deployment

Enterprise-scale deployment on Kubernetes

Cloud Providers

One-click deployments on major cloud platforms

Community and Support

• Documentation: Comprehensive guides and API references
• GitHub: Source code and issue tracking
• Discord: Community chat and support
• Forum: Community discussions and Q&A