Development
Self-host SonarQube on a VPS
Continuous code quality and security analysis.
Scan your codebases for bugs, vulnerabilities and code smells with quality gates wired into your CI.
Why self-host SonarQube?
Self-hosting SonarQube keeps your source and results on your own servers, which matters for private and regulated code.
How to install SonarQube
- 1
Provision a VPS
Pick a Debian/Ubuntu template and get root SSH in about a minute.
- 2
Install the runtime
Install Java + PostgreSQL.
- 3
Deploy the application
Net what you need from the project’s official source and run it.
- 4
Put it behind TLS
Reverse-proxy with Nginx and issue a Let’s Encrypt certificate.
- 5
Add it to your backups
Include the data directory and database in your backup routine before you rely on it.
Practical tips
- Give SonarQube its own database user with rights only on its own schema.
- Reverse-proxy SonarQube and terminate TLS at the proxy so certificates are managed in one place.
- Take a VPS snapshot before major upgrades so you can roll back cleanly.
- Keep SonarQube patched — most self-hosting incidents are unpatched software.
Frequently asked questions
- How much RAM does SonarQube need?
- Plan on 4 GB (8 GB recommended) for typical use; add headroom if you expect many concurrent users.
- What stack does SonarQube run on?
- Java + PostgreSQL.
- Can I run other things on the same VPS?
- Yes — size the plan so SonarQube plus your other workloads fit in RAM with room to spare.
Looking for something else? Popular alternatives include Semgrep, CodeQL (GitHub), SonarCloud (hosted) — browse all app guides.