To self-host Monica Personal CRM on an Ubuntu VPS, run Monica’s official Docker image with Docker Compose, a MariaDB or MySQL database, a generated APP_KEY, and persistent volumes. Put the container behind a reverse proxy, set APP_ENV=production, and terminate HTTPS at the proxy before exposing the service to the internet. The Docker route is the most reproducible; manual installation is available when you need direct control of PHP and the web server.
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What the deployment consists of
A production Monica installation has four essential pieces:
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- A Monica application container (or a manually installed Monica codebase).
- A MySQL or MariaDB database.
- Persistent storage for Monica’s application files and the database.
The application container must be able to reach the database by its Compose service name. A generated application key protects encrypted application data and must remain stable for the life of the installation. If you replace it later, data encrypted with the old key may become unreadable.
Self-hosted Monica software is free. The hosted service is a separate paid offering; choosing a VPS means you take responsibility for updates, TLS, access control, monitoring and backups.
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Docker Compose or manual installation?
Docker Compose is the sensible default for most Ubuntu VPS deployments because the application and its dependencies are described together and can be recreated consistently. Manual installation is useful when your organization already standardizes on a host-managed PHP stack or needs complete control over system packages.
| Decision point | Docker Compose | Manual installation |
|---|---|---|
| Setup reproducibility | Usually better: application and database services are declared in one Compose file. | You install and maintain PHP, Composer, the web server and database packages separately. |
| Control over host packages | Less direct control because the application runs in an image. | More control over PHP extensions, web-server configuration and package versions. |
| Reverse-proxy complexity | The Apache image can serve HTTP internally; an FPM image requires a separate web server. Either way, public HTTPS belongs at a reverse proxy. | You configure the web server and PHP integration yourself. |
| Updates and backups | You still own image updates, database migrations, volume backups and recovery tests. | You still own code updates, Composer dependencies, database migrations, backups and recovery tests. |
Ubuntu VPS requirements and RAM guidance
Use an actively supported Ubuntu release and a hostname you control, such as crm.example.net. Install Docker Engine and the Compose plugin through the Docker package path supported for your Ubuntu release, then verify both commands:
docker --versiondocker compose version
The Monica project README recommends at least 1.5 GB of RAM for hosting and, especially, for successful builds and updates. Treat that as a practical recommendation rather than a guaranteed minimum for every workload. A small contact database may run with less memory during ordinary use, but updates can fail when memory is tight. Leave room for the database, the operating system, reverse proxy and temporary update processes.
Before deployment, also prepare:
- A DNS record pointing your chosen hostname to the VPS.
- A firewall policy that permits only the web ports needed by the reverse proxy and SSH administration.
- A plan for encrypted off-site backups and a place where you can test restoring them.
Deploy Monica with Docker Compose
1. Create a private application directory
Connect to the VPS over SSH and create a directory that is readable by administrators but not published in a public repository:
sudo mkdir -p /opt/monica
sudo chown "$USER":"$USER" /opt/monica
cd /opt/monicaKeep the Compose file and any environment file under administrator control. Database passwords and APP_KEY should never be committed to a public Git repository or pasted into issue trackers.
2. Generate Monica’s application key
Generate a strong key on the VPS with the command used in Monica’s Docker documentation:
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3. Create the Compose file
Create /opt/monica/compose.yaml. This example binds the application only to localhost so that the reverse proxy, rather than the container, is the public entry point. The Apache image serves Monica’s HTTP application internally. MariaDB is reachable only on the private Compose network because it has no host port mapping.
services:
app:
image: monica:apache
depends_on:
- db
ports:
- '127.0.0.1:8080:80'
environment:
APP_ENV: production
APP_KEY: 'base64:PASTE_THE_GENERATED_KEY_HERE'
DB_CONNECTION: mysql
DB_HOST: db
DB_PORT: 3306
DB_DATABASE: monica
DB_USERNAME: monica
DB_PASSWORD: 'USE_A_LONG_RANDOM_DATABASE_PASSWORD'
volumes:
- monica_storage:/var/www/html/storage
db:
image: mariadb:10.11
environment:
MYSQL_DATABASE: monica
MYSQL_USER: monica
MYSQL_PASSWORD: 'USE_A_LONG_RANDOM_DATABASE_PASSWORD'
MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: 'USE_A_DIFFERENT_LONG_RANDOM_ROOT_PASSWORD'
volumes:
- monica_db:/var/lib/mysql
volumes:
monica_storage:
monica_db:The service names matter: DB_HOST is db because that is the database service name on the Compose network. Use the MariaDB image tag supported by the Monica release you deploy; do not change database major versions casually on an existing installation. If you choose Monica’s FPM image instead of the Apache variant, add a separate host web server or proxy container to serve the application.
For a real deployment, you may prefer an untracked .env file and variable references in compose.yaml. Ensure that file is mode 600, owned by the administrator, and excluded from backups that are not encrypted.
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4. Start the services
From /opt/monica, start the stack:
docker compose up -dCheck the service state and follow the application log while the initial database migrations complete:
docker compose ps
docker compose logs -f appLeave the log view with Ctrl-C; that stops log viewing, not the containers. If the application starts before MariaDB is ready, it may retry or briefly report a connection error. Wait for the database health and application startup messages before treating a transient error as a configuration failure.
5. Run Monica’s production setup command
After the initial start and migration activity, run the production setup command once:
docker compose exec app php artisan setup:productionOpen http://127.0.0.1:8080 from the VPS itself, or use the reverse proxy after it is configured, and create the first user account. Do not expose port 8080 directly to the internet. If you need to test from another machine before DNS and TLS are ready, use an SSH tunnel rather than changing the bind address:
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ssh -L 8080:127.0.0.1:8080 your-user@your-vpsThen browse to http://127.0.0.1:8080 on your local computer.
6. Confirm persistence
Monica’s application data is stored under /var/www/html/storage in the container, mapped here to the named volume monica_storage. MariaDB data is stored in monica_db. Removing and recreating containers should not remove these volumes, but deleting volumes intentionally will delete the data they contain.
Before entering significant contact history, stop and restart the stack and confirm that the account and data remain:
docker compose down
docker compose up -dDo not add -v to docker compose down unless you deliberately intend to remove the named volumes.
Put Monica behind HTTPS
Why the basic port mapping is not a finished public deployment
Monica’s documentation requires production mode and HTTPS for internet exposure. The Apache Compose example serves HTTP for use behind a proxy; it does not provide public TLS by itself. The safe layout is:
- DNS sends
crm.example.netto the VPS. - A host-level reverse proxy listens on ports 80 and 443.
- The proxy obtains and renews the certificate, redirects HTTP to HTTPS, and forwards requests to
127.0.0.1:8080. - The database remains on the private Compose network with no published host port.
Reverse-proxy configuration requirements
Regardless of whether you use Nginx, Caddy, Apache or another proxy, configure the equivalent of the following:
- Proxy the public hostname to
http://127.0.0.1:8080. - Pass the original
Hostheader and the client protocol so Monica can generate correct absolute URLs. - Allow request bodies large enough for the attachments and imports you actually use.
- Enable certificate issuance and automatic renewal, then verify renewal before relying on it.
- Redirect plain HTTP to HTTPS after certificate issuance is working.
Do not proxy to the container’s database port, publish MariaDB on 0.0.0.0, or expose the Docker application port directly as a substitute for TLS. Firewall rules and backup intervals are operational choices, not Monica’s fixed requirements; document them for whoever administers the VPS.
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Apache image versus FPM image
The Apache variant is the simpler choice when the container only needs to serve HTTP to the host proxy. The FPM variant separates PHP processing from the web server and therefore requires a correctly configured reverse-proxy web server that can serve Monica’s public files and pass PHP requests to FPM. Choose FPM when you already operate that architecture; otherwise, Apache reduces the number of moving parts.
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Back up both named volumes
A database dump alone is not a complete Monica backup because the application storage volume may contain uploaded files and other persistent data. Back up the database and application volume together, encrypt the backup at rest, store a copy away from the VPS, and periodically perform a restore into an isolated test stack.
A logical MariaDB dump can be created from the database container. Supply the same database credentials used by the Compose file and write the dump to a protected backup directory:
mkdir -p /opt/monica-backups
docker compose exec -T db mariadb-dump -u monica -p'USE_A_LONG_RANDOM_DATABASE_PASSWORD' monica > /opt/monica-backups/monica-$(date +%F).sqlProtect the resulting file immediately; a shell command containing a password can also appear in shell history or process listings, so use a safer secret-injection method for automated jobs. For the application volume, use a temporary helper container or your backup system’s Docker-volume integration. The important check is that the restored volume contains Monica’s storage data and that the restored database opens with the same APP_KEY.
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Before an update, take a fresh database dump and application-volume backup, record the current image tags, and read the release notes for migration requirements. Pull the chosen images and recreate the stack:
docker compose pull
docker compose up -dFollow the application log and confirm that migrations finish. Keep the previous image reference until you have verified login, contacts, attachments and scheduled tasks. Never replace APP_KEY during an update. Monica’s official pricing page describes version 3 as expected before the end of 2026; treat that as a dated project statement rather than a guarantee of a particular release date, and check the project’s current upgrade instructions before a major-version change.
Apply host and container security updates
Patch Ubuntu, Docker and the reverse proxy on a maintenance schedule. Remove unused images, limit SSH access, use key-based authentication, and review logs for repeated authentication failures. Keep MariaDB private and use a nontrivial password even though the database is not published to the internet.
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Manual installation without containers
Manual installation avoids Docker but increases the number of packages you must maintain. The Monica project README lists these prerequisites:
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- An HTTP server with PHP support, such as Apache, Nginx or Caddy.
- Composer.
- MySQL.
The README recommends at least 1.5 GB of RAM because update builds can fail on smaller systems even when normal runtime use is lighter. This recommendation applies to the build and update process, not just the idle web process.
Manual-installation sequence
- Provision Ubuntu, create a non-root administrator and install PHP 8.1 or newer with the extensions required by the Monica release, plus Composer, MySQL and your chosen web server.
- Obtain the Monica release code in a private application directory and install its Composer dependencies according to the release documentation.
- Create a dedicated MySQL database and user with a strong password. Do not grant the database user broader privileges than the installation requires.
- Configure Monica’s environment with
APP_ENV=production, a generatedAPP_KEY, the database host, database name, username and password, and the correct public URL. - Point the web server’s document root at Monica’s public directory, not the project’s private configuration files. Deny direct access to environment files and application internals.
- Run the documented database migrations and production setup command, create the first user, then verify login and file uploads.
- Configure HTTPS, automatic certificate renewal, scheduled backups and a restore procedure before making the service public.
The trade-off is operational: Docker makes the runtime reproducible, while manual installation gives you direct control over PHP and web-server packages. Neither approach removes the need for backups, updates or a tested recovery plan.
Troubleshooting common failures
The app reports a database connection error
Check that the database service is running with docker compose ps, that DB_HOST exactly matches the Compose service name (db in the example), and that the database name, username and password match on both services. Do not use localhost for DB_HOST inside the app container; that points back to the app container itself, not MariaDB.
The site shows a server error after changing the key
Restore the original APP_KEY from your protected configuration backup. A new key is not a routine rotation mechanism for an existing installation because encrypted values may depend on the old key.
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Data disappears after recreation
Inspect docker volume ls and confirm that the Compose project still references monica_storage and monica_db. Check that nobody ran docker compose down -v and that the host’s Docker data directory was not deleted. Restore from the tested volume and database backups if a volume was removed.
The proxy loops, redirects incorrectly or reports a mixed protocol
Confirm that the proxy forwards the original host and HTTPS protocol headers, that Monica is configured for the public HTTPS URL, and that the proxy forwards to the local HTTP listener rather than trying to terminate TLS inside the Apache container. Clear browser cookies only after correcting the proxy; cookies rarely fix a protocol-header error.
Updates fail or the VPS runs out of memory
Check available RAM and swap, review the application and database logs, and avoid running unrelated build jobs during the update. The project’s 1.5 GB recommendation exists because update builds can require more memory than normal browsing. Take a backup before retrying, and do not delete the database volume as a troubleshooting shortcut.
The FPM image serves blank pages or downloads PHP files
FPM does not replace a web server. Verify that the reverse proxy is serving Monica’s public directory and passing PHP scripts to the FPM socket or network endpoint defined by the image documentation. If you do not already need FPM, switch to the Apache image and keep the proxy-to-local-HTTP design.
Quick Recap
Final deployment checklist
- Ubuntu is patched and Docker plus the Compose plugin run successfully.
- The application uses a strong, permanently stored
APP_KEY. - Database credentials are private, nontrivial and consistent across both services.
- Monica storage and MariaDB data are on persistent volumes.
docker compose exec app php artisan setup:productionhas run once after the initial start.- The first account can log in and data remains after a controlled restart.
- The public hostname reaches a reverse proxy, not a directly exposed container port.
APP_ENV=productionis set and public traffic uses HTTPS.- MariaDB has no internet-facing port.
- Encrypted backups cover both the database and application storage, and a restore has been tested.
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