How to Install Ackee (Self-Hosted Analytics) on Debian 12

Ackee (Self-Hosted Analytics) on Debian 12

Ackee is a lightweight, open-source self-hosted web analytics platform built with a clear goal: provide useful website insights without invading user privacy. It tracks essential metrics such as page views, referrers, browsers, devices, and screen sizes, while deliberately avoiding cookies, user profiling, and cross-site tracking.

Unlike traditional analytics platforms, Ackee is privacy-first by design and typically does not require cookie consent banners, making it an excellent choice for GDPR-conscious websites. It’s ideal for site owners who want transparency, simplicity, and full ownership of their analytics data.

Running Ackee on Debian 12 (Bookworm) gives you a stable, secure, and long-term supported operating system known for its reliability in production environments. Debian 12 includes OpenSSL 3, systemd 252, and mature Docker and Nginx packages, making it a solid foundation for deploying Ackee with Docker, MongoDB, Nginx, and HTTPS.

Architecture Overview

Layer	Component	Role
OS	Debian 12 (Bookworm)	Stable, production-grade Linux base
Container Runtime	Docker / Docker Compose	Runs Ackee and MongoDB services
Application	Ackee (Node.js)	Analytics engine and web dashboard
Database	MongoDB	Stores anonymized analytics data
Reverse Proxy	Nginx	HTTPS termination, routing, compression
TLS	Let’s Encrypt / PKI	Secure access to the analytics interface

Ackee’s simple architecture makes it easy to deploy, easy to maintain, and easy to back up, even on small VPS instances.

Why Use Ackee?

Privacy-first analytics – no cookies, no personal data collection
GDPR-friendly by default – often no consent banner required
Self-hosted & open-source – complete control over analytics data
Lightweight and fast – minimal server and client-side overhead
Clean, focused dashboard – only meaningful metrics, no noise
Simple JavaScript tracking snippet – easy integration into any site
Multi-site support – track multiple domains from a single instance

Ackee is designed for people who want ethical analytics without sacrificing clarity or control.

Ackee vs Other Analytics Platforms

Feature / Capability	Ackee	Google Analytics	Plausible	Umami
Hosting	Self-hosted	Cloud only	Cloud / self-hosted	Cloud / self-hosted
Cookies	❌ No	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
GDPR friendly	✅ Yes	❌ No (by default)	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Data ownership	Full	Google-controlled	Partial	Full
Tracking depth	Essential	Very detailed	Essential	Moderate
Cost	Free, open-source	Free / Paid	Paid	Free / Paid

Ackee is best suited for blogs, company websites, landing pages, and privacy-focused projects where trust and transparency matter more than aggressive data collection.

Security & Best Practices on Debian 12

Run Ackee behind Nginx with HTTPS enabled.
Keep Ackee and MongoDB accessible only via internal Docker networks.
Store admin tokens and database credentials using environment variables.
Use UFW or nftables to allow only ports 80 and 443.
Automate SSL certificate renewal using Certbot.
Regularly update Debian, Docker, Ackee, and MongoDB images.
Back up MongoDB data volumes on a scheduled basis.
Restrict dashboard access to trusted users or IP ranges when possible.

Typical Use Cases

Personal blogs and portfolios – privacy-respecting visitor insights
Company websites – GDPR-friendly analytics without cookie banners
Landing pages – track referrers and traffic sources ethically
Agencies & developers – analytics for multiple client sites
Open-source, NGO, or non-profit projects – transparent and ethical tracking

Deploying Ackee on Debian 12 with Docker, MongoDB, Nginx, and SSL gives you a fast, privacy-friendly, and fully self-hosted analytics solution — delivering essential insights while keeping user trust and data ownership firmly in your hands.

Create a Debian 12 Instance on Shape.Host

Go to https://shape.host and log in

Click Create

Choose Instance

Select a server location

Choose Debian 12 (64-bit)

Pick a plan (recommended minimum):

2 CPU cores

4 GB RAM

20 GB NVMe SSD

Click Create Instance

Wait for provisioning

Copy the public IP address

Step 1: Connect to the Server via SSH

From your local machine:

ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

You are now logged in as the root user.

Step 2: Update the System

apt update
apt upgrade -y

Ensures your system has the latest security patches and package updates.

Step 3: Install Required System Packages

apt install ca-certificates curl gnupg lsb-release

These tools are required to securely add the Docker repository.

Step 4: Create Docker Keyrings Directory

mkdir -p /etc/apt/keyrings

Stores trusted cryptographic keys for package verification.

Step 5: Add Docker GPG Key

curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/debian/gpg | gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg

Ensures Docker packages are authenticated.

Step 6: Add Docker Repository

echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg] \
https://download.docker.com/linux/debian \
$(lsb_release -cs) stable" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list

Adds the official Docker package source.

Step 7: Update Package Index

apt update

Loads packages from the newly added Docker repository.

Step 8: Install Docker and Docker Compose

apt install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin

Installs Docker Engine and Docker Compose v2.

Step 9: Verify Docker Installation

docker version
docker compose version

Confirms Docker is installed and working correctly.

Step 10: Create Ackee Directory

mkdir -p /opt/ackee
cd /opt/ackee

This directory will store Ackee configuration and MongoDB data.

Step 11: Create Docker Compose Configuration

nano docker-compose.yml

Paste the following content:

services:
  mongo:
    image: mongo:6
    container_name: ackee-mongo
    restart: unless-stopped
    volumes:
      - ./mongo-data:/data/db

  ackee:
    image: electerious/ackee:latest
    container_name: ackee
    restart: unless-stopped
    depends_on:
      - mongo
    environment:
      - ACKEE_MONGODB=mongodb://mongo:27017/ackee
      - ACKEE_USERNAME=admin
      - ACKEE_PASSWORD=STRONG_ADMIN_PASSWORD
      - ACKEE_ALLOW_ORIGIN=https://analytics.example.com
    ports:
      - "127.0.0.1:3000:3000"

Explanation:

MongoDB stores analytics data
Ackee connects internally to MongoDB
Ackee listens only on localhost for security
Admin credentials are defined via environment variables

Save and exit the file.

Step 12: Start Ackee

docker compose up -d

Starts Ackee and MongoDB in the background.

Step 13: Check Running Containers

docker ps

You should see:

ackee
ackee-mongo

Both should be running.

Step 14: Test Ackee Locally

curl http://127.0.0.1:3000

This confirms Ackee is responding before exposing it publicly.

Step 15: Install Nginx

apt install nginx

Nginx will act as a reverse proxy.

Step 16: Enable and Start Nginx

systemctl enable nginx
systemctl start nginx

Step 17: Create Nginx Configuration

nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/ackee

Paste:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name analytics.example.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:3000;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
    }
}

Step 18: Enable Nginx Site

ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/ackee /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/ackee
rm /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/default

Step 19: Test and Reload Nginx

nginx -t
systemctl reload nginx

Step 20: Install SSL Certificate

apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx
certbot --nginx -d debian-tutorials.shape.host

Certbot automatically enables HTTPS.

Access Ackee Analytics

https://your-domain.com

Username: admin
Password: STRONG_ADMIN_PASSWORD

Ackee performs best on stable infrastructure with fast storage.

Shape.Host Cloud VPS offers:

NVMe SSD storage
Instant instance deployment
Clean Debian images
Reliable networking
Excellent performance for Docker workloads

Deploy your next self-hosted analytics stack at https://shape.host.

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