Pepper can run on shared hosting, a VPS or your own server when it meets the requirements. A cPanel or Plesk account alone does not establish compatibility.
Check before buying hosting
- PHP 8.4 or newer and the required extensions.
- SQLite 3.44+, MySQL 8.4, or MariaDB 10.11, 11.4 or 11.8.
- A domain or subdomain of its own with HTTPS. Subfolder installation is unsupported.
- File access and permission to write application storage.
- An email provider and a cron job that runs every minute.
- Writable private storage for browser export and import. SQLite needs no database server. Older SQL recovery and server-engine update backups also need database command-line tools.
Installation sequence
- Choose the database. For SQLite, no database server or database user is needed; check that private application storage is writable. For MySQL or MariaDB, create a new, empty database and a database user.
- Upload and extract the installation package. It includes PHP dependencies and compiled frontend assets.
- Point the domain at the package’s
public/directory. Follow the manual’s alternative if your Apache host cannot change the document root. - Select the PHP version and enable HTTPS before opening the installer.
- Follow the installation procedure, including its setup proof, database check and owner account.
- Configure company details, email, cron and backups. Check an invoice and its delivery result before using the installation for live work.
A normal installation requires no Composer, npm, Node.js or Redis. Keep existing databases intact. The installer is for a fresh installation; use the update procedure for an existing Pepper installation.
Start by checking your host against the requirements. Once it qualifies, follow the installation procedure and set up backups.