How to Install GlitchTip (Sentry Alternative) on Ubuntu 24.04

GlitchTip (Sentry Alternative) on Ubuntu 24.04 (Docker Compose + Nginx + SSL)

GlitchTip is a fully open-source error tracking, performance monitoring, and application observability platform, serving as a modern alternative to Sentry. It supports frontend and backend SDKs, error grouping, release tracking, user feedback, and real-time alerts — all without relying on proprietary cloud services.

Running GlitchTip on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat) provides a secure, stable, and high-performance foundation for your monitoring stack. Ubuntu 24.04 ships with systemd 255, OpenSSL 3, and up-to-date Docker packages, making it ideal for deploying GlitchTip with Docker Compose, PostgreSQL, Redis, Nginx, and SSL encryption for production use.

---

Architecture Overview

Layer	Component	Role
OS	Ubuntu 24.04 LTS	Stable, long-term supported Linux base for server environments
Container Runtime	Docker Engine + Compose	Orchestrates GlitchTip and its dependencies
Application	GlitchTip (Django)	Core web application handling event ingestion and user dashboard
Database	PostgreSQL 15/16	Stores user data, issues, events, and metadata
Cache/Queue	Redis	Manages background jobs and async task queues
Reverse Proxy	Nginx	Handles HTTPS termination, compression, and routing
TLS	Let’s Encrypt / PKI	Secures the dashboard and API endpoints with HTTPS

---

Why Use GlitchTip?

• Open-source alternative to Sentry – same core functionality without cloud lock-in.
• Privacy-friendly – fully self-hosted, with no external data sharing.
• Compatible SDKs – supports existing Sentry client libraries.
• Modern stack – powered by Django, PostgreSQL, and Redis.
• Team management – invite users, assign roles, and organize multiple projects.
• Performance tracking – measure slow transactions and frontend errors.
• Email notifications – built-in support for SMTP alerts.

---

GlitchTip vs Other Error Tracking Tools

Feature/Capability	GlitchTip (Self-hosted)	Sentry (Cloud/Self-hosted)	LogRocket	Elastic APM
Hosting	Self-hosted / Cloud	Cloud or on-premise	Cloud only	Self-hosted / Cloud
Database	PostgreSQL	PostgreSQL	Proprietary	Elasticsearch
Source available	100% open-source	Partially open	No	Yes
SDK compatibility	Sentry SDKs supported	Native	No	Partial
Cost	Free, open-source	Paid tiers	Subscription	Depends on license
Best for	SMBs / DevOps teams	Enterprises	Frontend apps	Large infra monitoring

GlitchTip offers Sentry-level observability at zero cost, making it a top choice for development teams who want error visibility and performance analytics without sacrificing data ownership.

---

Security & Best Practices

• Deploy GlitchTip behind Nginx with HTTPS enabled.
• Store database passwords and keys securely in .env files or Docker secrets.
• Use separate PostgreSQL and Redis containers for modular scaling.
• Configure SMTP credentials for email notifications and alerts.
• Restrict ports using UFW or nftables, exposing only 80 and 443.
• Keep Docker images and Ubuntu packages regularly updated.
• Automate SSL renewal with Certbot or Traefik’s ACME integration.
• Enable fail2ban or rate limiting on login endpoints.

---

Typical Use Cases

• Error monitoring for web, mobile, and backend applications.
• Frontend JS crash tracking using Sentry-compatible SDKs.
• Performance analytics for slow API requests or database queries.
• Infrastructure observability for internal microservices.
• Private Sentry alternative for teams requiring GDPR or HIPAA compliance.

---

Deploying GlitchTip on Ubuntu 24.04 with Docker Compose gives you a fully self-hosted, Sentry-compatible error monitoring solution that combines the power of open-source software with modern observability — ideal for developers, startups, and DevOps teams seeking privacy, scalability, and insight.

---

Step 1: Create a Shape.Host Cloud VPS Instance

Go to Shape.Host and log in.

Click Create → Instance.

Choose your preferred data center location.

Select a plan with at least 2 CPUs, 4 GB RAM, and 20 GB SSD.

Choose Ubuntu 24.04 (64-bit) as the operating system.

Click Create Instance.

Once ready, copy your public IP address from the “Resources” tab.

---

Step 2: Connect to Your Server

SSH into your instance using:

ssh root@your_server_ip

---

Step 3: Update the System

Keep your system packages up to date:

apt update

---

Step 4: Install Docker and Dependencies

Install essential tools:

apt install ca-certificates curl gnupg

Create a directory for Docker’s GPG key:

install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings

Download and store Docker’s official GPG key:

curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc

Set permissions for the key file:

chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc

Add Docker’s official repository:

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

Update repositories:

apt update

Install Docker Engine, CLI, and Compose plugin:

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

Check Docker versions:

docker --version
docker compose version

---

Step 5: Create a Directory for GlitchTip

Create the installation directory and navigate into it:

mkdir -p /opt/glitchtip
cd /opt/glitchtip

---

Step 6: Create the Docker Compose Configuration

Open the configuration file:

nano docker-compose.yml

Paste the following configuration:

version: '3.8'

services:
  postgres:
    image: postgres:15
    container_name: glitchtip_postgres
    restart: always
    environment:
      POSTGRES_DB: glitchtip
      POSTGRES_USER: glitchtip
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: strongpassword
    volumes:
      - ./postgres-data:/var/lib/postgresql/data

  redis:
    image: redis:7
    container_name: glitchtip_redis
    restart: always

  glitchtip:
    image: glitchtip/glitchtip:latest
    container_name: glitchtip_app
    depends_on:
      - postgres
      - redis
    environment:
      DATABASE_URL: postgres://glitchtip:strongpassword@postgres:5432/glitchtip
      SECRET_KEY: changethiskeytoarandomstring
      EMAIL_URL: smtp://smtp.example.com:587
      DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL: noreply@example.com
      CELERY_BROKER_URL: redis://redis:6379/0
      ENABLE_SIGNUPS: "True"
      GLITCHTIP_DOMAIN: glitchtip.example.com
    ports:
      - "8000:8080"
    volumes:
      - ./uploads:/app/uploads
    restart: always

volumes:
  postgres-data:
  uploads:

⚙️ Replace:

• strongpassword → your preferred PostgreSQL password
• changethiskeytoarandomstring → a secure random string (use openssl rand -hex 32)
• smtp.example.com → your SMTP mail server
• glitchtip.example.com → your actual domain name

Save and exit (CTRL + O, ENTER, CTRL + X).

---

Step 7: Start GlitchTip

Pull and start the containers:

docker compose up -d

Check if all containers are running:

docker ps

---

Step 8: Initialize the Database

Run database migrations:

docker compose exec glitchtip python3 manage.py migrate

Create an admin user:

docker compose exec glitchtip python3 manage.py createsuperuser

Follow the prompts to set an email, username, and password.

---

Step 9: Install and Configure Nginx

Install Nginx:

apt install nginx

Create a configuration file:

nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/glitchtip.conf

Paste this configuration:

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

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8000;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        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;
        proxy_buffering off;
    }
}

Enable the configuration:

ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/glitchtip.conf /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/

Test and reload Nginx:

nginx -t
systemctl reload nginx

---

Step 10: Enable SSL with Certbot

Install Certbot and Nginx plugin:

apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx

Request and apply an SSL certificate:

certbot --nginx -d ubuntu-tutorials.shape.host --email contact@shape.host --agree-tos --non-interactive

Reload Nginx:

systemctl reload nginx

---

Step 11: Final Database Sync (Optional)

If you modify configurations, re-run the migration commands:

docker compose exec glitchtip python3 manage.py migrate
docker compose exec glitchtip python3 manage.py createsuperuser

---

Step 12: Access GlitchTip

Visit your domain in the browser:

https://glitchtip.example.com

You’ll be greeted by the GlitchTip web interface, where you can log in with your admin credentials.

---

You installed GlitchTip on Ubuntu 24.04 using Docker Compose, Nginx, and SSL encryption.

GlitchTip provides a robust, open-source alternative to Sentry — ideal for monitoring applications without third-party dependencies.

Deploy it on a Shape.Host Linux SSD VPS for reliable uptime, scalable performance, and complete data ownership.