How Do I Set Up PostgreSQL on a DigitalOcean Droplet?

Self-Hosted vs Managed Database

DigitalOcean offers Managed PostgreSQL (fully maintained, automated backups, high availability), but running PostgreSQL on your own Droplet gives you full control and lower cost for small projects. This guide covers the self-hosted approach.

Step 1 — Install PostgreSQL

sudo apt update
sudo apt install postgresql postgresql-contrib -y
sudo systemctl enable postgresql
psql --version

Ubuntu installs the latest PostgreSQL version available in its repos (typically PostgreSQL 16).

Step 2 — Create a Database and User

sudo -u postgres psql

CREATE USER myapp WITH PASSWORD 'strong_password_here';
CREATE DATABASE myapp OWNER myapp;
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE myapp TO myapp;
\q

Step 3 — Configure Remote Access (Optional)

By default, PostgreSQL only accepts local connections — which is the secure default. If your app runs on the same Droplet, skip this step. To allow connections from another Droplet:

Edit /etc/postgresql/16/main/postgresql.conf:

listen_addresses = 'localhost,10.0.0.5'

Edit /etc/postgresql/16/main/pg_hba.conf and add:

host    myapp    myapp    10.0.0.0/24    scram-sha-256

sudo systemctl restart postgresql

Restrict access to your private network or specific IPs via DigitalOcean Cloud Firewalls.

Step 4 — Connect from Your Application

DATABASE_URL=postgres://myapp:strong_password_here@localhost:5432/myapp

Test the connection:

psql -U myapp -d myapp -h localhost

Step 5 — Basic Maintenance

# Backup
pg_dump -U myapp myapp > backup.sql

# Restore
psql -U myapp myapp < backup.sql

# Check database size
psql -U myapp -c "SELECT pg_size_pretty(pg_database_size('myapp'));"

Security Checklist

• Use strong passwords — never leave the default postgres user unsecured
• Bind to localhost unless remote access is required
• Block port 5432 in Cloud Firewalls for public-facing Droplets
• Schedule automated backups with cron and pg_dump

When your project outgrows a single Droplet, migrate to DigitalOcean Managed PostgreSQL for automated failover and point-in-time recovery.