Self-host Traefik on a VPS
A modern, dynamic reverse proxy and load balancer.
Route traffic to containers automatically via labels, with automatic TLS and middlewares.
Why self-host Traefik?
Traefik’s service discovery fits containerised setups perfectly, so routing config lives with each service.
How to install Traefik
- 1
Provision a VPS
Choose a plan with room for your data as well as the app.
- 2
Install the stack
Install Single Go binary + Docker labels.
- 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 Traefik its own database user with rights only on its own schema.
- Reverse-proxy Traefik 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 Traefik patched — most self-hosting incidents are unpatched software.
Frequently asked questions
- How much RAM does Traefik need?
- Plan on 1 GB for typical use; add headroom if you expect many concurrent users.
- What stack does Traefik run on?
- Single Go binary + Docker labels.
- Can I run other things on the same VPS?
- Yes — size the plan so Traefik plus your other workloads fit in RAM with room to spare.
Looking for something else? Popular alternatives include Nginx Proxy Manager, Caddy, HAProxy — browse all app guides.
About Traefik
Traefik is open-source software released under the MIT licence. HostingSwift does not maintain, sell or support Traefik itself — you install and run it on your own VPS. These are the official links to the project:
- Website: traefik.io
- Source code: github.com/traefik/traefik
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.