---
title: "Deploy Matomo | Open-Source Privacy First Google Analytics Alternative"
description: "Self Host Matomo. Web analytics, GDPR compliant with full data ownership"
category: "Analytics"
url: https://railway.com/deploy/matomo-web-analytics
---

# Deploy Matomo | Open-Source Privacy First Google Analytics Alternative

Self Host Matomo. Web analytics, GDPR compliant with full data ownership

**[Deploy Matomo | Open-Source Privacy First Google Analytics Alternative on Railway](https://railway.com/template/matomo-web-analytics)**

- **Creator:** Heimdall
- **Category:** Analytics
- **Total deploys:** 6

## Template content

### Matomo https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/homarr-labs/dashboard-icons/svg/matomo.svg

- **Image:** matomo:latest
- **Start command:** `/bin/sh -c 'if [ ! -e /var/www/html/matomo.php ]; then tar cf - -C /usr/src/matomo . | tar xf - -C /var/www/html; chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html; fi; a2dismod mpm_event mpm_worker 2>/dev/null; a2enmod mpm_prefork 2>/dev/null; exec apache2-foreground'`
- **Public domain:** Yes

### MySQL https://devicons.railway.app/i/mysql.svg

- **Image:** mysql:9.4
- **Start command:** `docker-entrypoint.sh mysqld --innodb-use-native-aio=0 --disable-log-bin --performance_schema=0 --innodb-buffer-pool-size=1G`

## Documentation

![Matomo logo](https://camo.githubusercontent.com/9c9b79ad1137cf0f18c47da9575134af22dce0729b0737ae7ab1dcda90a1396a/68747470733a2f2f6d61746f6d6f2e6f72672f77702d636f6e74656e742f7468656d65732f776562736974652d6368696c642f6173736574732f696d672f6d656469612f6d61746f6d6f2e706e67)

# Deploy and Host Matomo on Railway

[![Deploy on Railway](https://railway.com/button.svg)](https://railway.com/deploy/matomo-web-analytics?referralCode=QXdhdr)

Deploy Matomo on Railway to run your own privacy-first web analytics platform with full data ownership. Self-host Matomo with a pre-configured MySQL database, persistent volume storage for plugins and configuration, and automatic HTTPS — no server management required.

This template deploys two services: the **Matomo** application (official Apache image with PHP 8.4) and a **MySQL** database for storing analytics data, visitor logs, and site configuration.


## Getting Started with Matomo on Railway

After deployment completes, open your Matomo URL to begin the installation wizard. The database connection is pre-configured via environment variables — the wizard will detect it automatically. Create your super user account with a strong password, then add your first website by entering its name and URL. Copy the JavaScript tracking code from the setup wizard and paste it into your website's `` tag. Visit your tracked website to generate initial data, then return to the Matomo dashboard to see real-time visitor analytics.

![Matomo dashboard screenshot](https://res.cloudinary.com/asset-cloudinary/image/upload/v1776702700/matomo-onboarding_t5ksi7.png)

![Matomo dashboard tracking](https://res.cloudinary.com/asset-cloudinary/image/upload/v1776702701/matomo-dashboard_dudfkq.png)

## About Hosting Matomo Analytics

Matomo is the leading open-source web analytics platform, used by over 1 million websites in 190 countries. Originally released as Piwik in 2007, it provides a complete alternative to Google Analytics while keeping all visitor data on your own infrastructure.

- **100% data ownership** — analytics data never leaves your server
- **GDPR and CCPA compliant** — approved by France's CNIL for cookieless tracking without consent banners
- **Real-time analytics** — live visitor maps, real-time visitor log, and live widget dashboards
- **E-commerce tracking** — orders, revenue, abandoned carts, and product performance out of the box
- **Custom dimensions and events** — track any user interaction with flexible event taxonomy
- **Heatmaps and session recording** — visual behavior analysis (premium plugin)
- **Tag manager** — built-in tag management system, no third-party scripts needed
- **REST API** — over 100 API methods for custom reporting, data export, and integrations

## Why Deploy Matomo on Railway

- Own your analytics data — no third-party access or data sampling
- GDPR-compliant by design — avoid legal risk from US-hosted analytics
- Replace Google Analytics without losing feature parity
- Plugin ecosystem with 100+ community and premium extensions
- One-click deploy with managed MySQL and automatic HTTPS

## Common Use Cases for Self-Hosted Matomo

- **Privacy-compliant website analytics** — track visitors without cookies or consent banners using Matomo's cookieless tracking mode, meeting GDPR/CCPA requirements
- **E-commerce conversion tracking** — monitor product views, cart additions, purchases, and revenue across WooCommerce, Shopify, or custom storefronts
- **Multi-site analytics dashboard** — centralize analytics for dozens of websites, blogs, and apps under a single self-hosted Matomo instance
- **Marketing campaign attribution** — track UTM parameters, referral sources, and campaign ROI with full-resolution data (no sampling)

## Dependencies for Matomo on Railway

- **Matomo** — `matomo:latest` (official Docker Hub image, Apache variant with PHP 8.4)
- **MySQL** — Railway-managed MySQL database for analytics storage

### Environment Variables Reference for Matomo

| Variable | Description | Example |
|----------|-------------|---------|
| `MATOMO_DATABASE_HOST` | MySQL server hostname | `${{MySQL.MYSQLHOST}}` |
| `MATOMO_DATABASE_ADAPTER` | Database driver | `mysql` |
| `MATOMO_DATABASE_USERNAME` | Database user | `${{MySQL.MYSQLUSER}}` |
| `MATOMO_DATABASE_PASSWORD` | Database password | `${{MySQL.MYSQLPASSWORD}}` |
| `MATOMO_DATABASE_DBNAME` | Database name | `${{MySQL.MYSQLDATABASE}}` |
| `MATOMO_DATABASE_TABLES_PREFIX` | Table name prefix | `matomo_` |
| `PHP_MEMORY_LIMIT` | PHP memory allocation | `256M` |
| `PORT` | Apache listening port | `80` |

### Deployment Dependencies

- **Runtime:** PHP 8.4 with Apache 2.4
- **Docker Hub:** [matomo](https://hub.docker.com/_/matomo)
- **GitHub:** [matomo-org/matomo](https://github.com/matomo-org/matomo)
- **Docs:** [matomo.org/docs](https://matomo.org/docs/)

## Hardware Requirements for Self-Hosting Matomo

| Resource | Minimum | Recommended |
|----------|---------|-------------|
| CPU | 1 vCPU | 2 vCPU |
| RAM | 512 MB | 2 GB |
| Storage | 1 GB | 10 GB+ (scales with traffic) |
| Runtime | PHP 8.1+ / Apache or Nginx | PHP 8.4 / Apache 2.4 |

Storage needs grow with tracked pageviews. At ~100k pageviews/month, expect roughly 1 GB/year of database growth. Archive cron jobs and report pre-processing help manage database size at scale.

## Self-Hosting Matomo with Docker

Pull and run the official Matomo Docker image with a linked MySQL database:

```
docker run -d \
  --name matomo \
  -p 8080:80 \
  -e MATOMO_DATABASE_HOST=db \
  -e MATOMO_DATABASE_ADAPTER=mysql \
  -e MATOMO_DATABASE_USERNAME=matomo \
  -e MATOMO_DATABASE_PASSWORD=secure_password \
  -e MATOMO_DATABASE_DBNAME=matomo \
  -v matomo_data:/var/www/html \
  matomo:latest
```

Or use Docker Compose for a complete self-hosted Matomo stack:

```
services:
  db:
    image: mariadb:lts
    environment:
      MARIADB_DATABASE: matomo
      MARIADB_USER: matomo
      MARIADB_PASSWORD: secure_password
      MARIADB_ROOT_PASSWORD: root_password
    volumes:
      - db_data:/var/lib/mysql

  matomo:
    image: matomo:latest
    ports:
      - "8080:80"
    environment:
      MATOMO_DATABASE_HOST: db
      MATOMO_DATABASE_ADAPTER: mysql
      MATOMO_DATABASE_USERNAME: matomo
      MATOMO_DATABASE_PASSWORD: secure_password
      MATOMO_DATABASE_DBNAME: matomo
    volumes:
      - matomo_data:/var/www/html
    depends_on:
      - db

volumes:
  db_data:
  matomo_data:
```

## How Much Does Matomo Cost to Self-Host?

Matomo's core platform is free and open-source under the GPL-3.0 license. Self-hosting means you pay only for infrastructure — on Railway, this typically costs $5-10/month for the app instance plus the managed MySQL database. Premium plugins (heatmaps, session recording, funnels, A/B testing) are available separately. Matomo Cloud, the hosted alternative, starts at EUR 19/month for 50,000 hits.

## Matomo vs Google Analytics

| Feature | Matomo | Google Analytics (GA4) |
|---------|--------|----------------------|
| Data ownership | 100% self-hosted | Google-hosted |
| GDPR compliance | Built-in, CNIL-approved | Requires consent, legally contested in EU |
| Data sampling | No sampling, 100% accurate | Sampled on free tier |
| Cookieless tracking | Yes, built-in | No |
| Open source | Yes (GPL-3.0) | No |
| Price | Free (self-hosted) | Free |
| Real-time reporting | Yes | Yes |
| E-commerce tracking | Yes | Yes |

Matomo is the stronger choice for organizations that need GDPR compliance, unsampled data, and full data sovereignty. Google Analytics offers deeper integration with Google Ads and a larger ecosystem of third-party connectors.

## FAQ

**What is Matomo and why self-host it on Railway?**
Matomo is an open-source web analytics platform that tracks website visitors, conversions, and campaigns. Self-hosting on Railway gives you full ownership of your analytics data, GDPR compliance without consent banners, and no data sampling — with managed infrastructure and automatic HTTPS.

**What does this Railway template deploy for Matomo?**
This template deploys two services: the Matomo application running on the official Apache/PHP Docker image, and a managed MySQL database. The database connection is pre-configured via environment variables, and a persistent volume stores Matomo's configuration, plugins, and uploaded files.

**Why does Matomo need a MySQL database on Railway?**
Matomo stores all visitor data, reports, site configuration, and user accounts in a relational database. MySQL (or MariaDB) is required — Matomo does not support SQLite or PostgreSQL for production use. The Railway-managed MySQL service handles backups, persistence, and connection pooling automatically.

**How do I add the Matomo tracking code to my website?**
After completing the installation wizard, go to Administration > Tracking Code. Copy the JavaScript snippet and paste it before the closing `` tag on every page you want to track. Alternatively, use the Matomo Tag Manager or a CMS plugin (WordPress, Drupal, Joomla) for automatic injection.

**Can I migrate from Google Analytics to self-hosted Matomo?**
Yes. Matomo provides a Google Analytics Importer plugin that imports historical GA data including visits, pageviews, conversions, and e-commerce transactions. After import, you can run both platforms in parallel during a transition period, then remove the GA tracking code once you've verified data accuracy.

**How do I set up automated report archiving in Matomo on Railway?**
For sites with significant traffic, enable the archive cron by adding a Railway Cron service that runs `php /var/www/html/console core:archive` on a schedule. This pre-processes reports so dashboard loading stays fast. For smaller sites (under 50k pageviews/month), browser-triggered archiving works fine out of the box.


## Similar templates

- [Matomo Analytics + MariaDB](https://railway.com/deploy/matomo-analytics-mariadb) — Privacy-friendly analytics with MariaDB and persistent volumes.
- [Bugsink](https://railway.com/deploy/bugsink) — Self-hosted Error Tracking. Sentry-SDK compatible
- [SubTrackr](https://railway.com/deploy/bscottsubtrackr) — Self-hosted Subscription Tracker

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