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  • Development
  • Linux VPS
  • Ubuntu 24.04

Self-host Gitea on a VPS

Gitea runs well on a GhostRDP Linux VPS Basic plan with 2 vCPU and 6 GB RAM in Germany or the Netherlands, from €5.99/mo.

Gitea is a lightweight, open-source Git service with repositories, issues, pull requests and CI. Your code stays on your own server. This guide runs it with Docker Compose and its built-in SQLite database.

Order Basic · €5.99/moInstall steps

  • Git hosting

    Repositories, issues, pull requests and a wiki.

  • Light on resources

    Gitea runs comfortably on a small server.

  • Private code

    Your repositories stay on your own server.

Plans for Gitea

Gitea is light: Basic serves a small team. Pick Standard or Pro for many users, big repositories or Gitea Actions runners on the same server.

  • Linux VPS Basic

    Recommended

    €5.99/mo

    €5.09/mo billed yearly, save €10/year

    • 2 vCPU
    • 6 GB ECC RAM
    • 40 GB NVMe
    • 1 Gbps port
    Order Basic

  • Linux VPS Standard

    €12.99/mo

    €11.04/mo billed yearly, save €23/year

    • 4 vCPU
    • 8 GB ECC RAM
    • 70 GB NVMe
    • 1 Gbps port
    Order Standard

  • Linux VPS Pro

    €25.99/mo

    €22.09/mo billed yearly, save €46/year

    • 6 vCPU
    • 12 GB ECC RAM
    • 90 GB NVMe
    • 1 Gbps port
    Order Pro

What you need

  • Operating system
    Linux VPS with Ubuntu 24.04
  • Minimum resources
    1 vCPU and 1 GB RAM for a small team
  • Software
    Docker with the Compose plugin (installed in step 3)

Official site: docs.gitea.com

How to install Gitea

Written for Ubuntu 24.04 from the official instructions. Run the commands as root and replace YOUR_SERVER_IP with your server's address.

  1. 1

    Connect to your server over SSH

    Use the IP address and root password from your welcome email (the server page has a Copy SSH command button). Windows 10 and 11, macOS and Linux all include an SSH client in the terminal.

    Shell
    ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP
  2. 2

    Update the system

    Install the latest security updates before you add anything else.

    Shell
    apt update && apt -y upgrade
  3. 3

    Install Docker

    Docker's official convenience script adds Docker's own package repository and installs Docker Engine with the Compose plugin.

    Shell
    curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh
sh get-docker.sh
docker --version
  4. 4

    Write the Compose file

    Based on Gitea's basic Docker example: the web interface on port 3000, Git over SSH on port 222, data in /opt/gitea/gitea.

    Shell
    mkdir -p /opt/gitea && cd /opt/gitea
cat > compose.yaml <<'EOF'
services:
  server:
    image: docker.gitea.com/gitea:latest
    container_name: gitea
    environment:
      - USER_UID=1000
      - USER_GID=1000
    restart: always
    volumes:
      - ./gitea:/data
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
      - "222:22"
EOF
  5. 5

    Start Gitea

    Downloads the image and starts the container.

    Shell
    docker compose up -d
docker compose ps
  6. 6

    Run the setup wizard

    Open http://YOUR_SERVER_IP:3000, keep SQLite as the database, set the server domain to your IP or domain and the SSH port to 222, and create the administrator account.

After installing

  • Cloning over SSH
    Add your SSH key in your Gitea settings; clone URLs use port 222 (ssh://git@YOUR_SERVER_IP:222/user/repo.git).
  • HTTPS
    For a domain with HTTPS, put Caddy or nginx in front of port 3000 and update ROOT_URL in Gitea's settings.
  • Backups
    Server backups are not included. Back up /opt/gitea/gitea, or use gitea dump inside the container.

Gitea questions

Which plan do I need for Gitea?

Basic for personal use or a small team. Standard or Pro for many users or CI runners on the same server.

Can I use MySQL or PostgreSQL instead of SQLite?

Yes. Gitea's Docker docs include Compose examples with MySQL and PostgreSQL. SQLite is the simplest start.

Does Gitea have CI?

Yes, Gitea Actions. Runners are a separate program (act_runner) that you register with your Gitea.

Is Gitea free?

Gitea is open source under the MIT license.

Stuck on a step? Our team answers on live chat and in tickets.

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