Layer 3 · self-hosting reality check
What it actually takes to self-host GlitchTip
The docs say 1 GB. In practice you want 2 GB. Here is the honest version — real requirements, real monthly cost, what you will be maintaining, and the one thing that catches people out.
Usually reached from Sentry alternatives, where GlitchTip is one of the picks.
| RAM — documented minimum | 1 GB |
|---|---|
| RAM — what it really needs | 2 GB |
| CPU | 2 vCPU |
| Disk | Event volume × retention. Set retention deliberately or it grows without limit. |
| Monthly cost | $12–20/mo, against Sentry pricing that scales with event volume you do not control |
| Setup time | 1 hour |
| How you install it | docker compose — web, worker, PostgreSQL, Redis |
| Ongoing maintenance | Low. Watch the database size and enforce retention. |
| Where it stops scaling | Comfortable for small and mid-size teams. A noisy production incident generating a flood of events is what stresses it. |
The thing that catches people out
It speaks the Sentry SDK protocol, so your existing clients work by changing a DSN — but it is not feature-complete against Sentry. Performance monitoring, session replay and the more advanced release tooling are limited or absent. Check that the features your team actually uses are present before migrating, not after.
When not to self-host GlitchTip
Your team lives in Sentry's performance and replay tooling. Error capture is the part GlitchTip does well.
Every guide here carries this section. A site that only ever tells you to self-host is selling something — the useful answer is sometimes no.
Other Layer 3 self-hosting guides
Common questions
- How much RAM does GlitchTip actually need?
- 2 GB in practice. The documented minimum is 1 GB, which is the figure at which the process starts rather than the figure at which it works under real use. 2 vCPU alongside it.
- What does self-hosting GlitchTip cost per month?
- $12–20/mo, against Sentry pricing that scales with event volume you do not control This is commodity VPS pricing and excludes your time, which is the larger cost for most people — budget for low. Watch the database size and enforce retention.
- How long does it take to set up GlitchTip?
- 1 hour, via docker compose — web, worker, PostgreSQL, Redis.
- When should I NOT self-host GlitchTip?
- Your team lives in Sentry's performance and replay tooling. Error capture is the part GlitchTip does well.
- What is the most common mistake when self-hosting GlitchTip?
- It speaks the Sentry SDK protocol, so your existing clients work by changing a DSN — but it is not feature-complete against Sentry. Performance monitoring, session replay and the more advanced release tooling are limited or absent. Check that the features your team actually uses are present before migrating, not after.