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How to Self-Host ONLYOFFICE for Team Collaboration on a VPS

A practical, operations-focused guide to running ONLYOFFICE on a VPS: product choice, sizing, Docker volumes, JWT, NGINX HTTPS, storage integrations, backups, updates and troubleshooting.
Length11 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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For a dependable VPS deployment, run ONLYOFFICE Docs in Docker, begin with at least 4 GB of RAM, 40 GB of free disk and 4 GB of swap, persist every data volume on the host, and place the service behind an HTTPS reverse proxy. Choose Docs when another platform already provides accounts and file storage; choose Workspace when you need an integrated collaboration suite.

Choose the right ONLYOFFICE product first

ONLYOFFICE Docs is the editor service. It opens and converts word-processing, spreadsheet and presentation files, while an existing file portal or collaboration system supplies user accounts, storage and sharing. This is usually the simplest choice when your team already runs a platform such as Nextcloud.

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ONLYOFFICE Workspace is the broader collaboration environment. Its deployment documentation covers Community and Enterprise editions on Docker, Linux and Windows, and it combines document editing with the surrounding collaboration functions. Confirm current edition limits, licensing and support terms immediately before deployment because those terms can change.

  • Choose Docs when identity, permissions and file storage already exist elsewhere.
  • Choose Workspace when you want an integrated environment rather than an editor attached to another portal.

Both products can be self-hosted, but the resource plan, backup scope and administration work differ. The procedure below focuses on ONLYOFFICE Docs in Docker, the documented path for a Linux VPS.

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Size the VPS for real editing activity

ONLYOFFICE counts a concurrent active user as someone who currently has a document open in the editor, whether that person is typing or only viewing it. A person merely logged into an integrated platform does not consume a concurrent-editor slot. This distinction is essential when estimating capacity.

Concurrent active users Reference CPU Reference RAM Reference disk
Fewer than 100 Single-core, 2.8 GHz 4 GB 40 GB
100–200 Dual-core, 2.8 GHz 4 GB 80 GB
200–400 Quad-core, 2.8 GHz 4 GB 160 GB
More than 400 Cluster deployment recommended Scale by cluster design Scale by cluster design

These are reference configurations from the ONLYOFFICE Help Center (2026), not guarantees. Large files, frequent conversions, simultaneous imports and export jobs, and slow storage can raise CPU, memory and disk requirements. The minimum Community Edition guidance is a dual-core processor at 2 GHz or better, 4 GB of RAM, 40 GB of free disk and 4 GB of swap on an amd64 or arm64 Linux VPS.

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Account for more than the document directory

  • Editor headroom: leave CPU and memory available for conversion workers, the reverse proxy, monitoring and the operating system.
  • Document growth: reserve space for the files themselves, temporary conversion data and revisions retained by the connected platform.
  • Database and logs: persistent database state and logs grow independently of the visible document library.
  • Backups: backup archives need free space or an external destination; a full disk can prevent both editing and recovery.
  • Network: active editing is interactive, so latency and stable bandwidth matter even when CPU usage looks modest.

Start with the minimum only for a small team and observe CPU, memory, swap, disk latency and the number of simultaneously open documents. Increase resources before the VPS begins swapping or queueing conversions.

Prepare the Linux VPS and Docker

Prerequisites checklist

  • An amd64 or arm64 Linux VPS with a supported Docker installation.
  • A DNS name whose records point to the VPS.
  • At least the baseline 4 GB RAM, 40 GB free disk and 4 GB swap; more for active editors and large files.
  • Administrative access for Docker, firewall rules and certificate management.
  • A backup destination separate from the VPS.

Keep Docker administration, databases and internal service ports off the public interface. Expose only the web ports required for the reverse proxy and the administration access you actually use.

Create host directories before starting the container

Container replacement must not be allowed to erase operational state. Create dedicated host directories for logs, the document data directory, ONLYOFFICE runtime/cache state and the database:

sudo mkdir -p /srv/onlyoffice/{logs,data,lib,db}
sudo chmod 700 /srv/onlyoffice

In this layout, logs stores service logs, data maps to /var/www/onlyoffice/Data, lib holds the service’s persistent runtime and cache state, and db holds PostgreSQL data. The exact ownership required can vary with the image version; after the first start, inspect the created files and apply the ownership documented for the image you are running.

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Back up these directories as a unit. Omitting the database or runtime state can leave a document service that starts but cannot complete conversions or integrations after restoration.

Run ONLYOFFICE Docs with persistent volumes and JWT

Pull the official image and create the container with a restart policy, explicit volume mappings and a deliberate JSON Web Token secret. The following command illustrates the documented volume layout; keep the same mappings whenever you recreate the container.

sudo docker pull onlyoffice/documentserver

sudo docker run -d 
  --name onlyoffice-docs 
  --restart=always 
  -p 127.0.0.1:8080:80 
  -e JWT_ENABLED=true 
  -e JWT_SECRET='replace-with-a-long-random-secret' 
  -v /srv/onlyoffice/logs:/var/log/onlyoffice 
  -v /srv/onlyoffice/data:/var/www/onlyoffice/Data 
  -v /srv/onlyoffice/lib:/var/lib/onlyoffice 
  -v /srv/onlyoffice/db:/var/lib/postgresql 
  onlyoffice/documentserver

Binding the container to 127.0.0.1 keeps it reachable only through the local reverse proxy. If your proxy runs on another host, bind to a private interface and restrict that interface with firewall rules instead of publishing the editor directly to the Internet.

Generate and protect the JWT secret

Use a high-entropy value, store it in your password manager or secrets system, and configure the identical value in every connector that calls the editor. For example:

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JWT protects editor requests from unauthorized access. In Docker, changing the secret requires recreating the container with the new environment variable; editing a shell history line does not change a running container. A generated default secret can change across replacements and break integrations after a reboot, so set one explicitly.

Verify startup before exposing a domain

  1. Check that Docker reports the container as running: sudo docker ps --filter name=onlyoffice-docs.
  2. Read the startup log: sudo docker logs --tail=200 onlyoffice-docs.
  3. From the VPS, request the local endpoint: curl -I http://127.0.0.1:8080.
  4. Open the returned address through a temporary SSH tunnel or the reverse proxy and confirm the ONLYOFFICE welcome page.

First startup can take time while the database initializes. If the container exits, check the three common causes identified by the Help Center: a port conflict, insufficient memory or incomplete first-time database initialization. Use sudo ss -ltnp to identify a conflicting listener, inspect memory and swap with free -h, and review the complete container log before changing configuration.

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Put the editor behind NGINX and HTTPS

Internet-facing editor traffic should use a trusted certificate. The installation guidance supports certificates issued by a public certificate authority, automated Let’s Encrypt certificates and self-signed certificates when every client explicitly trusts the issuing certificate. Public collaboration normally calls for a publicly trusted certificate.

Reverse-proxy request flow

Point your DNS record at the VPS, terminate TLS at NGINX, and proxy requests to the loopback address. Preserve the original scheme and host so ONLYOFFICE can build correct callback and download URLs.

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server {
    listen 80;
    server_name docs.example.net;
    return 301 https://$host$request_uri;
}

server {
    listen 443 ssl http2;
    server_name docs.example.net;

    ssl_certificate     /etc/letsencrypt/live/docs.example.net/fullchain.pem;
    ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/live/docs.example.net/privkey.pem;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8080;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
    }
}

The critical forwarded headers are X-Forwarded-Proto and X-Forwarded-Host. If either is missing or incorrect, integrations may generate HTTP links from an HTTPS site, reject callbacks or report that the editor URL is unreachable. Test the NGINX configuration with sudo nginx -t, reload it, then open a document through the public hostname.

Certificate and key handling

  • Keep private-key files readable only by the account that needs them, as recommended in the installation guidance.
  • Renew automated certificates before expiry and reload NGINX after renewal.
  • For a self-signed certificate, distribute the trust chain to every browser, desktop client and integration host; otherwise users will see certificate errors.

Connect Nextcloud or another storage platform

When Docs is attached to an existing portal, the portal remains the system of record for users, permissions and files. The editor receives a document URL, opens a session, and returns changes through the connector.

  1. Install or enable the portal’s ONLYOFFICE connector or integration module.
  2. In the connector’s administrator settings, enter the public HTTPS address of the Docs service, such as https://docs.example.net; do not use the container’s private loopback address.
  3. Enable JWT in the connector and enter exactly the same secret used in JWT_SECRET.
  4. Save the settings and use the connector’s built-in connection test, if available.
  5. Open a small test document, edit it in a second browser session and verify that the saved file returns to the portal.

A mismatch in hostname, certificate trust, forwarded headers or JWT is more likely than an editor defect when a connector cannot open a file. Check the portal’s integration log and the Docs container log together so you can match a failed request to its response.

Back up data before every update

ONLYOFFICE recommends storing data outside Docker containers because this allows upgrades without losing data. Treat all mounted paths as part of one recovery set:

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sudo tar -czf /backup/onlyoffice-$(date +%F).tar.gz 
  /srv/onlyoffice/logs 
  /srv/onlyoffice/data 
  /srv/onlyoffice/lib 
  /srv/onlyoffice/db

Copy the archive to external backup storage, apply retention rules, and test extracting it on a separate system. A backup that has never been restored is only an assumption.

Safe image-update sequence

  1. Announce a maintenance window and stop new editing sessions if your portal supports that control.
  2. Archive all mounted directories and confirm that the archive is readable.
  3. Record the current image tag, container configuration and JWT secret location.
  4. Pull the replacement image: sudo docker pull onlyoffice/documentserver.
  5. Stop and remove only the container, never the host directories: sudo docker stop onlyoffice-docs && sudo docker rm onlyoffice-docs.
  6. Recreate it with the identical volume mappings, published port, restart policy and JWT settings.
  7. Watch startup logs, open and edit a test document, and verify a portal save before ending the maintenance window.
  8. Keep the previous image available until the new container has passed those checks, so a rollback does not depend on downloading an image during an incident.

Do not use an anonymous volume or a new host path during an update. That creates an apparently clean installation while leaving the previous data behind.

Operate the VPS securely

Network and access controls

  • Allow inbound TCP 80 and 443 only when needed for certificate issuance and web traffic; restrict SSH to trusted addresses or a VPN.
  • Keep Docker’s socket, database ports and internal services off public interfaces.
  • Use separate administrator accounts and rotate credentials when staff leave.
  • Limit portal permissions so users can edit only the files they are authorized to access.

Patch and monitor

Self-hosting moves responsibility for operating-system patches, Docker updates, ONLYOFFICE updates, certificate renewal, backups, monitoring and incident response to the operator. Monitor container restarts, HTTP error rates, CPU, memory, swap, disk capacity, disk latency and certificate expiry. Alert before the document volume or backup destination reaches capacity.

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Recovery planning

Document who can restore the VPS, where the archives and JWT secret are stored, which DNS record must be changed, and how to validate a restored integration. A recovery drill should include restoring the mounted directories, recreating the container with the same mappings, renewing or reinstalling the certificate, and opening a document through the connected portal.

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Licensing and support decisions

ONLYOFFICE states that its core products are open source under AGPL v3, allowing users and contributors to read, run and modify the source. Your obligations still depend on how the software is integrated and distributed. If you redistribute a modified service or bundle it into a commercial product, obtain legal advice rather than assuming that self-hosting alone determines compliance.

Community and Enterprise offerings can differ in limits, support and deployment rights. Confirm the current terms before choosing an edition, especially when the VPS serves customers or multiple organizations.

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Capacity decisions after launch

When a single VPS is enough

A single host is appropriate when the measured number of open documents stays within the reference range, backups complete within your recovery window, and maintenance can tolerate a short outage. Keep spare CPU and memory for conversion bursts rather than sizing to an average idle day.

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When to scale vertically

Add vCPUs, RAM, faster storage or swap when active editors increase, conversions queue, or the operating system begins reclaiming memory. Increase disk before free space falls low enough to block logs, database writes or temporary files.

When to plan a cluster

Above 400 concurrent active users, the official reference recommends a cluster deployment. A cluster requires deliberate traffic routing, shared or replicated state, coordinated upgrades and a tested failover plan; it is not simply several independent containers with separate data directories.

Troubleshooting by symptom

The welcome page never appears

Check that the container is running, port 8080 is free, and the first-time database initialization has completed. Inspect docker logs before deleting anything. Increasing memory may be necessary when the container is repeatedly killed by the host.

The portal reports an unauthorized request

Compare the portal’s JWT secret with the running container’s value, confirm JWT is enabled, and recreate the container after changing the environment variable. Also verify that the portal calls the public HTTPS hostname rather than an internal address.

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Documents open but cannot save

Check write permissions on the mounted data and database directories, available disk space and the portal callback URL. Review NGINX’s forwarded host and protocol headers; a proxy that hides the original HTTPS scheme can cause callback failures.

Users see certificate warnings

Install a certificate whose name matches the public hostname, serve the complete certificate chain, and reload NGINX after renewal. With a self-signed certificate, install the issuing certificate in every client that must trust the service.

An update looks like a blank installation

Stop the new container, restore the previous host-directory mappings, and recreate it using the archive. This symptom usually means a new empty volume or host path was mounted instead of the established directories.

Practical go-live checklist

  • Docs or Workspace choice matches where identity, storage and sharing are managed.
  • VPS architecture is amd64 or arm64 Linux with Docker, and resources match expected concurrent editors.
  • At least 4 GB RAM, 40 GB free disk and 4 GB swap are available for a small deployment.
  • Logs, document data, runtime/cache state and database state are mounted on the host.
  • JWT is enabled with a stored, high-entropy secret shared with the connector.
  • Only the reverse proxy is Internet-facing; Docker and database interfaces remain private.
  • HTTPS works on the final domain, and NGINX forwards both required headers.
  • A test document opens, edits and saves through the real portal.
  • Backups are external, retained and successfully restored in a drill.
  • Patch, monitoring, access-review and incident-response owners are named.

With those controls in place, a VPS gives your team direct control over document data, metadata and audit logs while making the operational cost explicit: you must maintain the host, protect integrations, patch the stack and prove that recovery works.

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