Layer 3 · self-hosting reality check
What it actually takes to self-host GrowthBook
The docs say 2 GB. In practice you want 4 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 LaunchDarkly alternatives, where GrowthBook is one of the picks.
| RAM — documented minimum | 2 GB |
|---|---|
| RAM — what it really needs | 4 GB |
| CPU | 2 vCPU |
| Disk | Small — it queries your warehouse rather than storing events |
| Monthly cost | $20–35/mo, against LaunchDarkly pricing that starts high and scales per seat and per MAU |
| Setup time | 2 hours |
| How you install it | docker compose — app, MongoDB, and a connection to your existing data warehouse |
| Ongoing maintenance | Low to moderate. |
| Where it stops scaling | Large experiment volumes, because the heavy lifting happens in your warehouse rather than in GrowthBook. |
The thing that catches people out
The architecture is its best feature and the thing people miss: GrowthBook does not ingest your events, it queries your warehouse where they already are. That means no duplicate data pipeline — but it also means experiment results are only as good as the warehouse behind them, and a badly modelled events table produces confidently wrong statistics. Validate one experiment by hand before trusting the platform.
When not to self-host GrowthBook
You have no data warehouse. GrowthBook assumes your events live somewhere queryable; without that, it has nothing to analyse.
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 GrowthBook actually need?
- 4 GB in practice. The documented minimum is 2 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 GrowthBook cost per month?
- $20–35/mo, against LaunchDarkly pricing that starts high and scales per seat and per MAU This is commodity VPS pricing and excludes your time, which is the larger cost for most people — budget for low to moderate.
- How long does it take to set up GrowthBook?
- 2 hours, via docker compose — app, MongoDB, and a connection to your existing data warehouse.
- When should I NOT self-host GrowthBook?
- You have no data warehouse. GrowthBook assumes your events live somewhere queryable; without that, it has nothing to analyse.
- What is the most common mistake when self-hosting GrowthBook?
- The architecture is its best feature and the thing people miss: GrowthBook does not ingest your events, it queries your warehouse where they already are. That means no duplicate data pipeline — but it also means experiment results are only as good as the warehouse behind them, and a badly modelled events table produces confidently wrong statistics. Validate one experiment by hand before trusting the platform.