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For a production self-hosted Metabase deployment, run the application as a Docker container or JAR and store its application data in a separate production database—preferably PostgreSQL. Do not rely on Metabase’s bundled H2 database for production. If you want to avoid operating the infrastructure, Metabase Cloud is the simplest managed route in Metabase’s own guidance.
Choose a deployment path
Metabase offers managed hosting and several self-hosting methods. Its installation documentation recommends Metabase Cloud for the easiest setup and Docker for self-hosting. A standalone JAR is also documented, though Metabase notes that moving a JAR installation into production can be more challenging. Check the current requirements for the Metabase version you plan to install; the documentation version and available releases can change.
- Metabase Cloud: A managed option for teams that prefer not to operate the application infrastructure. Metabase says Cloud handles uptime, backups, and upgrades; verify current plan details in its Cloud documentation.
- Docker: Metabase’s recommended self-hosting route. Pair the container with a persistent, separate application database rather than keeping application data only inside the container.
- Standalone JAR: A documented alternative when a Java-based deployment suits your environment. Metabase cautions that taking this route to production may be more difficult.
Metabase also documents Podman, Azure Web Apps, systemd, and building from source. Its installation guidance says it is not distributed through AWS Marketplace or Azure Marketplace and does not provide an officially supported Helm chart.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteUnderstand the two kinds of data
A Metabase deployment connects two different data stores, and they serve different purposes:
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- Application database: Stores Metabase’s own state, including dashboards, questions, accounts, and configuration. It is required for a production self-hosted instance.
- Connected data sources: The business databases Metabase queries to build reports and dashboards. These are separate from the application database.
Metabase strongly recommends PostgreSQL for the application database. MySQL and MariaDB are also supported. The bundled H2 database is intended for local use and trials, not production. In a container deployment, replacing a container can discard data that was stored only inside it, so keep the application database outside the container and arrange backups.
Plan production capacity
Metabase publishes the following starting recommendations for a self-hosted deployment. They are guidance from Metabase, not independent performance guarantees; actual needs depend on workload and should be checked against observed resource use.
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| Component | Metabase’s recommendation |
|---|---|
| Metabase application server | Baseline: 1 CPU core and 1 GB RAM; add 1 CPU core and 2 GB RAM for every 20 concurrent users. |
| Worked application-server example | For 40 concurrent users: 3 CPU cores and 5 GB RAM. |
| Application database server | Starting point: 1 CPU core and 2 GB RAM; add 1 CPU core and 1 GB RAM for every 40 concurrent users. |
Metabase does not state a publication year for these recommendations. Treat them as a sizing baseline, then monitor CPU, memory, database load, and user concurrency as the deployment grows.
Protect availability and application data
Metabase’s production guidance recommends daily backups and weekly vacuuming and analysis for the application database. Build these into the database operations plan rather than treating the container as the backup. The same guidance discusses using a load balancer, terminating TLS, and retaining both application and proxy logs.
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Use the health endpoints according to what your hosting platform needs to test:
/api/healthchecks Metabase and its connection to the application database./livezis intended for a liveness probe./readyzis intended for a readiness probe.
Platforms vary in how they configure probes, so map these endpoints to the platform’s liveness and readiness settings rather than assuming every health check tests the same thing.
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Decide between Cloud and self-hosting
The practical choice is about operational ownership and control, not only where the application runs. Metabase presents Cloud as the simpler managed route. Self-hosting may fit teams that need a custom build or driver, an air-gapped environment, or deployment under particular regulatory requirements.
- Choose Cloud when reducing the work of managing uptime, backups, and upgrades matters more than controlling the underlying deployment.
- Consider self-hosting when you have the engineering capacity to operate monitoring, backups, upgrades, and availability, or need deployment controls Cloud does not provide for your use case.
Metabase’s Cloud comparison gives approximate self-hosted cost anchors of about $48+/month for high-availability servers, $12+/month for a load balancer, $40–60+/month for a managed database, and $12+/month for SMTP. These are Metabase’s ballpark estimates for a comparable production setup, not quotes or universal current prices; actual infrastructure costs and requirements vary. The comparison page does not state a publication year, so check its current details before using the figures for a budget.
Move from Metabase Cloud to self-hosting
Metabase describes Cloud-to-self-hosted migration as a process involving an application-database snapshot. Its documented outline is:
- Request an application-database snapshot from Metabase’s Success Engineering team.
- Match the self-hosted instance’s major version to the Cloud instance.
- Provision the self-hosted application database.
- Restore the snapshot into that database.
The snapshot contains Metabase application data, not the contents of the connected business databases. For a Pro-plan migration, Metabase says the self-hosted deployment also needs a Pro plan and license token. Because the process is operationally specific and can change, confirm the current migration instructions with Metabase before starting.
Quick Recap
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