--- title: "Install HitKeep Self-Hosted Web Analytics | HitKeep" description: "Deploy HitKeep as single-binary self-hosted analytics on a VPS, VM, bare-metal server, Docker Compose, or Kubernetes with Helm." canonical: "https://hitkeep.com/guides/installation/" --- # Install HitKeep Self-Hosted Web Analytics HitKeep is self-hosted web analytics with one Go binary, embedded DuckDB, and embedded NSQ. It runs on your infrastructure: a $6/month VPS, a VM, a bare-metal server, a Kubernetes cluster with Helm, or a restricted internal network. Use this page when you want analytics under your control without adding PostgreSQL, Redis, ClickHouse, Kafka, or a hosted analytics vendor. If you want the same product without managing upgrades, backups, SMTP, or servers, start with [HitKeep Cloud](https://hitkeep.com/pricing/) instead. Choose the deployment method that fits your environment and security requirements: | Environment | Recommended path | Why | | --- | --- | --- | | Small VPS, VM, bare metal, Raspberry Pi, or restricted network | Single Binary | One process and one data directory are easiest to operate and back up | | Docker-first server with an existing reverse proxy | Docker Compose | Provides predictable volumes and service wiring without a larger platform | | Existing Kubernetes platform | Kubernetes and Helm | Fits teams that already operate persistent workloads and ingress | | Any deployment behind a proxy or load balancer | Trusted Proxies | Required for correct client IP handling, rate limits, exclusions, and geo metadata | [Single Binary](https://hitkeep.com/guides/installation/binary/)Download and run directly on bare metal or VMs. Best for low-resource Linux servers, Raspberry Pi, and restricted networks. [Docker Compose](https://hitkeep.com/guides/installation/docker-compose/)Pre-configured networking and persistent storage volumes. The fastest path from zero to production with a reverse proxy. [Kubernetes and Helm](https://hitkeep.com/guides/installation/kubernetes/)Official Helm chart or plain StatefulSet manifest with persistent storage for DuckDB data, QR assets, archives, and backups. [Trusted Proxies](https://hitkeep.com/guides/installation/trusted-proxies/)Required if running behind Caddy, Traefik, nginx, or a cloud load balancer. Ensures real client IPs are used for analytics and rate limiting. ## After Installation Once HitKeep is running, the setup wizard guides you through creating the first admin user and adding your first site. Paste the tracking snippet into your site’s `` and analytics begins flowing into your database immediately. The browser snippet records normal pageviews, automatic events, and AI-referred human visits. If you also need AI crawler fetches, add a server-side feed after the first site is working. If you need approved assistants or internal reporting tools to query aggregate analytics, enable MCP, create a scoped API client token, and install the [HitKeep Agent Skills](https://hitkeep.com/guides/integrations/hitkeep-agent-skills/) where your assistant supports them. All data is stored under HitKeep’s data directory on your server. In single-team installs that is just `hitkeep.db`; multiteam installs also include `tenants/*/hitkeep.db`. Back up the full directory tree. Export it any time in open formats. Move it to any platform. It’s yours. Prefer managed infrastructure with explicit region choice? [HitKeep Cloud →](https://cloud.hitkeep.eu/signup?plan=free&billing=monthly&utm_source=hitkeep_docs&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=cloud_signup&utm_content=docs_inline) runs HitKeep in your chosen managed region: EU (Frankfurt) or US (Virginia). Next paths: - [Tracker Architecture](https://hitkeep.com/guides/tracking/tracker-architecture/) - [AI Fetch Ingest](https://hitkeep.com/guides/tracking/ai-fetch-ingest/) - [AI Fetch on AWS](https://hitkeep.com/guides/tracking/ai-fetch-aws/) - [Official MCP Server](https://hitkeep.com/guides/integrations/mcp/) - [HitKeep Agent Skills](https://hitkeep.com/guides/integrations/hitkeep-agent-skills/) [Previous AI development with HitKeep](https://hitkeep.com/guides/integrations/ai-development/)[Next Binary installation](https://hitkeep.com/guides/installation/binary/)