Security
Self-host Gophish on a VPS
An open-source phishing simulation framework.
Run authorised phishing-awareness campaigns and track who clicks, to train your team.
Why self-host Gophish?
Gophish lets you measure and improve security awareness internally, without a paid platform.
How to install Gophish
- 1
Provision a VPS
Choose a plan with room for your data as well as the app.
- 2
Install the stack
Install Go + SQLite.
- 3
Deploy the application
Follow the project’s official install guide for your distribution.
- 4
Enable HTTPS
Serve it on your own domain behind a reverse proxy with a certificate.
- 5
Back it up
Schedule a database dump plus a copy of any uploaded files to an off-box location.
Practical tips
- Give Gophish its own database user with rights only on its own schema.
- Reverse-proxy Gophish 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 Gophish patched — most self-hosting incidents are unpatched software.
Frequently asked questions
- How much RAM does Gophish need?
- Plan on 1 GB for typical use; add headroom if you expect many concurrent users.
- What stack does Gophish run on?
- Go + SQLite.
- Can I run other things on the same VPS?
- Yes — size the plan so Gophish plus your other workloads fit in RAM with room to spare.
Looking for something else? Popular alternatives include Evilginx (research), KnowBe4 (hosted), Custom training — browse all app guides.