How to Self-Host LibreSpeed with Docker Compose

What Is LibreSpeed?

LibreSpeed is a self-hosted speed test that measures download speed, upload speed, ping, and jitter between your device and your server. It’s a private alternative to Ookla’s Speedtest.net — no third-party tracking, no ads, and results stay on your server. Useful for testing internal network speeds, VPN throughput, or providing a speed test for users on your network. Official site

Prerequisites

A Linux server (Ubuntu 22.04+ recommended)
Docker and Docker Compose installed (guide)
100 MB of free disk space
128 MB of RAM minimum

Docker Compose Configuration

Create a docker-compose.yml file:

services:
  librespeed:
    image: lscr.io/linuxserver/librespeed:5.4.1
    container_name: librespeed
    environment:
      - PUID=1000
      - PGID=1000
      - TZ=America/New_York
      - PASSWORD=change-this-admin-password  # Admin panel password
      - CUSTOM_RESULTS=true                  # Store test results
      - DB_TYPE=sqlite                       # sqlite or mysql
    volumes:
      - ./config:/config
    ports:
      - "8080:80"
    restart: unless-stopped

Environment variables:

Variable	Purpose	Required
`PUID`	User ID for file permissions	Yes
`PGID`	Group ID for file permissions	Yes
`TZ`	Timezone	Yes
`PASSWORD`	Admin password for results panel	Yes — must change
`CUSTOM_RESULTS`	Enable result storage	Recommended
`DB_TYPE`	Database type (sqlite or mysql)	No (default: sqlite)

Start the stack:

docker compose up -d

Initial Setup

Open http://your-server-ip:8080
The speed test is immediately available — click Start to run a test
Results are stored if CUSTOM_RESULTS=true
Access the results panel at http://your-server-ip:8080/results/stats.php with your admin password

Configuration

Result Storage with MySQL

For higher-traffic deployments, use MySQL/MariaDB instead of SQLite:

services:
  librespeed:
    image: lscr.io/linuxserver/librespeed:5.4.1
    container_name: librespeed
    environment:
      - PUID=1000
      - PGID=1000
      - TZ=America/New_York
      - PASSWORD=change-this-admin-password
      - CUSTOM_RESULTS=true
      - DB_TYPE=mysql
      - DB_HOSTNAME=librespeed_db
      - DB_NAME=librespeed
      - DB_USERNAME=librespeed
      - DB_PASSWORD=change-this-db-password
    volumes:
      - ./config:/config
    ports:
      - "8080:80"
    depends_on:
      - librespeed_db
    restart: unless-stopped

  librespeed_db:
    image: mariadb:11.7
    container_name: librespeed_db
    environment:
      - MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=change-this-root-password
      - MYSQL_DATABASE=librespeed
      - MYSQL_USER=librespeed
      - MYSQL_PASSWORD=change-this-db-password
    volumes:
      - db-data:/var/lib/mysql
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  db-data:

Telemetry Settings

LibreSpeed stores test results with optional client information:

IP address (can be anonymized)
ISP information (via IP geolocation)
Download/upload speeds
Ping and jitter
Timestamp

Configure what’s collected in config/settings.php.

Advanced Configuration (Optional)

Multiple Test Servers

If you have servers in different locations, configure them as test endpoints. Users can select which server to test against.

Customizing the UI

Mount a custom index.html to rebrand the speed test:

volumes:
  - ./custom-index.html:/config/www/index.html

HTTPS

When behind a reverse proxy with SSL, LibreSpeed works without additional configuration. For direct HTTPS, use Caddy or Nginx Proxy Manager in front.

Reverse Proxy

Example Nginx Proxy Manager configuration:

Scheme: http
Forward Hostname: librespeed
Forward Port: 80

Reverse Proxy Setup

Backup

tar -czf librespeed-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz ./config

Backup Strategy

Troubleshooting

Speed Test Shows Very Low Results

Symptom: Results show much lower speeds than expected. Fix: The test measures speed between your client and the Docker container. If the server has limited bandwidth, results will be capped. For LAN testing, ensure both devices are on the same subnet. Check if the Docker network is the bottleneck — test with host networking mode.

Results Not Saving

Symptom: Tests complete but results don’t appear in the admin panel. Fix: Ensure CUSTOM_RESULTS=true is set. Check that the /config volume is writable (correct PUID/PGID). If using MySQL, verify the database connection.

Test Fails to Start

Symptom: Clicking “Start” does nothing or shows an error. Fix: Check browser console for JavaScript errors. LibreSpeed requires a modern browser. If behind a reverse proxy, ensure WebSocket connections are passed through.

Resource Requirements

RAM: ~50 MB
CPU: Low (spikes during active tests)
Disk: ~10 MB for the application, grows minimally with results

Verdict

LibreSpeed is the go-to self-hosted speed test. It’s simple, works out of the box, and gives you the exact same functionality as Speedtest.net without the tracking. Deploy it on your LAN to test internal network speeds, or expose it publicly as a service for your users. For tracking speed test results over time with historical charts, pair it with Speedtest Tracker.

FAQ

LibreSpeed vs Speedtest Tracker?

Different tools. LibreSpeed is a speed test you run manually in your browser. Speedtest Tracker automatically runs tests on a schedule and tracks results over time. Many people run both — LibreSpeed for manual tests, Speedtest Tracker for monitoring.

Can I test LAN speeds with LibreSpeed?

Yes. Deploy LibreSpeed on your server and test from devices on the same network. Results measure the throughput between your device and the server, including network overhead.

Is LibreSpeed accurate?

For measuring the connection between your device and the server, yes. For measuring your ISP speed, you need the server to have more bandwidth than your ISP connection — otherwise the server is the bottleneck.