This is part 2 of the Overview and getting started with Request Tracker
1. Easiest Option: Best Practical’s Official Cloud RT (Let Them Manage It)
Best Practical (the company behind RT) offers proper hosted plans called Cloud RT. They run it on AWS, handle all the infrastructure, security patching, updates, and backups, and give you a dedicated environment.
You still get the full open-source RT 6 experience (including the new AI features), but without having to touch servers.
You own your data and can export it anytime. They’ve also been known to help with migrations. This is the closest thing to “set it and forget it” while staying in the open-source world.
2. Self-Host on Your Own Cloud Server (Maximum Control)
Want to avoid their hosting fees and keep full ownership? Run RT yourself on a VPS.
Good cheap options in 2026:
- Hetzner Cloud
- DigitalOcean
- Linode
- AWS (they even have an official Request Tracker AMI in the Marketplace)
- LonestarDomains.com VPS (you are here now)
You’ll need a Linux server (Debian/Ubuntu works great), PostgreSQL, and a web server. The official docs are solid. Once it’s running, you can manage it yourself or pay Best Practical for support and upgrades even on your own infrastructure.
This route is significantly cheaper at scale, but you’re responsible for updates, backups, and security.
3. Offer RT as a Managed Service Yourself
Since RT is open source, you’re free to host it for other organizations and charge them for management.
Many people do this successfully. The usual model is running one dedicated instance (or isolated database) per client so everything stays properly separated.
You handle:
- Provisioning
- Updates and security
- Backups
- Support
Clients get a clean, customizable, open-source ticketing system without dealing with any of the server work. You can position it as the anti-lock-in alternative to Jira, Zendesk, or ServiceNow.
It takes some automation work upfront (Ansible, Terraform, etc.), but once you have the process down, it becomes a nice recurring revenue business.
Quick Recommendation
| Goal | Best Choice | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Zero server headaches | Best Practical Cloud RT | Monthly cost |
| Lowest long-term cost | Self-host on Hetzner/DigitalOcean/LonestarDomains | You handle ops |
| Want to offer it to clients | Self-host + build automation | More work upfront, higher upside |
RT gives you something most closed-source tools won’t: real ownership and escape velocity from their pricing and control games.