Self-host ArchiveBox on a VPS
Self-hosted web archiving.
Save URLs as durable local archives — HTML, screenshots, PDFs and more — so pages never vanish.
Why self-host ArchiveBox?
ArchiveBox preserves the web for reference and evidence, entirely on your own storage.
How to install ArchiveBox
- 1
Provision a VPS
Choose a plan with room for your data as well as the app.
- 2
Install the stack
Install Python + SQLite + extractors.
- 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 ArchiveBox its own database user with rights only on its own schema.
- Reverse-proxy ArchiveBox 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 ArchiveBox patched — most self-hosting incidents are unpatched software.
Frequently asked questions
- How much RAM does ArchiveBox need?
- Plan on 2 GB for typical use; add headroom if you expect many concurrent users.
- What stack does ArchiveBox run on?
- Python + SQLite + extractors.
- Can I run other things on the same VPS?
- Yes — size the plan so ArchiveBox plus your other workloads fit in RAM with room to spare.
Looking for something else? Popular alternatives include Wallabag, Shiori, Internet Archive (hosted) — browse all app guides.
About ArchiveBox
ArchiveBox is open-source software released under the MIT licence. HostingSwift does not maintain, sell or support ArchiveBox itself — you install and run it on your own VPS. These are the official links to the project:
- Website: archivebox.io
- Source code: github.com/ArchiveBox/ArchiveBox
Read the project's own documentation before deploying. We credit upstream projects because we genuinely run and recommend them — see our full open-source directory.