Self-Hosting with Docker¶

Run your own private instance of TrackMyRupee on any Linux server in about 10 minutes.

Who this is for

Self-hosting gives you full data control. Your transactions never leave your server. This guide covers the Docker Compose path, which is the recommended approach. For a bare-metal Python setup without Docker, see the Manual Python Setup section below.

1. Clone the Repository¶

git clone <repository-url>
cd django-finance-tracker

2. Create Your Environment File¶

Create a file named .env in the repository root. At minimum you need the following settings:

# Required
SECRET_KEY='replace-with-a-long-random-string'
DEBUG=False

# Database (leave blank to use SQLite)
# DATABASE_URL='postgres://user:password@localhost:5432/dbname'

# Email: choose one option below

# Option A: Brevo API (recommended for self-hosting)
# BREVO_API_KEY=''

# Option B: SMTP
# EMAIL_HOST='smtp.gmail.com'
# EMAIL_PORT=587
# EMAIL_USE_TLS=True
# EMAIL_HOST_USER=''
# EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD=''

# Optional features
# GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID=''          # Google OAuth login
# GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET=''
# RAZORPAY_KEY_ID=''           # Payments
# RAZORPAY_KEY_SECRET=''
# RAZORPAY_WEBHOOK_SECRET=''
# VAPID_PUBLIC_KEY=''          # Web Push notifications
# VAPID_PRIVATE_KEY=''
# VAPID_ADMIN_EMAIL='[email protected]'
# GEMINI_API_KEY=''            # AI category insights
# GOOGLE_ANALYTICS_ID=''
# SENTRY_DSN=''
# RECAPTCHA_PUBLIC_KEY=''
# RECAPTCHA_SECRET_KEY=''

Never commit .env to git

Your .env file contains your SECRET_KEY and any API credentials. Confirm that .env is listed in your .gitignore file before pushing any code.

3. Start the Containers¶

docker-compose up --build

On first start, the container automatically runs database migrations and sets up a demo user with sample data. This may take 2 to 3 minutes on first build while it downloads the base image.

4. Open the App¶

Navigate to http://localhost:8000 in your browser.

Sign up vs. demo

The demo user (demo / demo) is pre-populated with sample data and is read-only. Click Create Account to register your real account.

5. Manual Python Setup¶

If you prefer to run without Docker, follow these steps.

Requirements: Python 3.8 or later, pip

# 1. Clone
git clone <repository-url>
cd django-finance-tracker

# 2. Create a virtual environment
python3 -m venv env
source env/bin/activate   # On Windows: env\Scripts\activate

# 3. Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# 4. Create .env (use the same variables from Step 2 above)

# 5. Run migrations
python manage.py migrate

# 6. Optional: load demo data
python manage.py setup_demo_user

# 7. Start the server
python manage.py runserver

6. Production Hardening Checklist¶

Before exposing your instance to the internet, complete the following steps:

[ ] Set DEBUG=False in .env
[ ] Set SECRET_KEY to a long random string (generate one with python -c "import secrets; print(secrets.token_hex(50))")
[ ] Put a reverse proxy such as Nginx or Caddy in front of the app for HTTPS
[ ] Set ALLOWED_HOSTS in settings.py or via an environment variable to your domain
[ ] Use PostgreSQL instead of SQLite for production by setting the DATABASE_URL variable
[ ] Enable email for password reset and notifications
[ ] Set up regular database backups

Real-world use case

Rohan runs his own instance on a Rs. 600 per month Hetzner VPS. He sets DEBUG=False, puts Caddy in front for automatic HTTPS, and points his domain finance.rohan.me at the server. His family uses the shared instance with each member having their own account, and the data never leaves their own server.

7. Localization¶

TrackMyRupee ships with English, Hindi, and Marathi translations. To add or update translations:

# Requires gettext
# macOS: brew install gettext
# Ubuntu: sudo apt install gettext

# Extract translatable strings
python manage.py makemessages -l mr -l hi

# Apply common financial term translations
python update_translations.py

# Compile
python manage.py compilemessages