> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.areawp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Requirements

> Server and software requirements for the AreaWP panel and managed servers.

<Info>
  This page applies to the **self-hosted** version of AreaWP only. If you are on the **hosted** plan, the server is fully managed by the AreaWP team — no installation or server configuration is required on your end.
</Info>

## Panel Server Requirements

The AreaWP panel (the control dashboard) runs on a dedicated Linux server or VPS.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Minimum" icon="server" color="#f59e0b">
    1 vCPU · 1 GB RAM · 20 GB disk
  </Card>

  <Card title="Recommended" icon="server" color="#10b981">
    2 vCPU · 2 GB RAM · 40 GB disk
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

### Supported Operating Systems

| OS     | Version   | Status            |
| ------ | --------- | ----------------- |
| Ubuntu | 22.04 LTS | ✅ Fully supported |
| Ubuntu | 20.04 LTS | ✅ Supported       |
| Debian | 11 / 12   | ✅ Supported       |
| Fedora | 35+       | ✅ Supported       |

<Warning>
  AreaWP is **Linux only** and requires a **fresh, clean OS installation**. Installing on a server that already has other software running (web servers, databases, control panels) may cause conflicts and is not supported.
</Warning>

### Software (installed automatically by the installer)

| Dependency     | Version     | Purpose                |
| -------------- | ----------- | ---------------------- |
| Python         | 3.11 – 3.12 | Flask backend          |
| Node.js        | 20.x        | Frontend build         |
| PostgreSQL     | 14+         | Panel database         |
| Nginx          | Latest      | Reverse proxy          |
| Docker         | 24+         | App container runtime  |
| Docker Compose | v2          | Multi-container stacks |
| Gunicorn       | 23+         | WSGI server            |

***

## Multi-Server Requirements

<Info>
  Connecting additional servers via the binary agent is **exclusive to the Hosted plan**. Self-hosted installations manage only the server AreaWP is installed on.
</Info>

Each additional server you connect to AreaWP needs only the lightweight agent binary installed.

| Requirement   | Value                                   |
| ------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| OS            | Ubuntu 20.04+, Debian 11+, Fedora 35+   |
| RAM           | 256 MB free                             |
| Disk          | 1 GB free                               |
| Outbound port | 443 (to panel)                          |
| Docker        | Optional — required for app deployments |

<Tip>
  The agent is a single static Go binary (\~15 MB) with no runtime dependencies. It runs as a systemd service.
</Tip>

***

## Network Requirements

### Panel Server Ports

| Port | Purpose                      |
| ---- | ---------------------------- |
| 80   | HTTP (redirects to HTTPS)    |
| 443  | HTTPS — panel access         |
| 5000 | Backend API (localhost only) |

### Managed Server Ports

| Port      | Purpose                             |
| --------- | ----------------------------------- |
| 22        | SSH — for initial agent install     |
| 443       | Agent WebSocket (outbound to panel) |
| 80, 443   | Hosted websites                     |
| 8001–8999 | Docker app containers (internal)    |

<Info>
  The agent connects **outbound** to the panel. No inbound rules need to be opened on managed servers for the agent.
</Info>

***

## License

AreaWP requires a valid license key validated against your registered domain.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Get a License" icon="key" href="https://areawp.com/pricing">
    View plans and purchase
  </Card>

  <Card title="Configure License" icon="shield-check" href="/administration/settings">
    Set up your key in Settings
  </Card>
</CardGroup>