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FerretDB

FerretDB is a MongoDB-compatible database that is open source and free to use. It serves as a drop-in replacement for MongoDB, converting MongoDB wire protocol queries to SQL and using PostgreSQL as its backend storage engine.

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For organizations that require a 100% open-source stack, FerretDB provides a truly open-source MongoDB-compatible database alternative—free from SSPL licensing restrictions—allowing you to run GrowthBook without any proprietary database dependencies.

Install FerretDB​

Follow the the FerretDB installation guide to install FerretDB. Make sure your FerretDB instance is running and accessible before proceeding.

Start GrowthBook with FerretDB​

docker run -d \
  --name growthbook \
  --network ferretdb \
  -p 3000:3000 \
  -p 3100:3100 \
  -v growthbook_uploads:/usr/local/src/app/packages/back-end/uploads \
  -e MONGODB_URI="mongodb://username:password@<ferretdb-host>:27017/growthbook" \
  growthbook/growthbook:latest

Replace username, password, and <ferretdb-host> with your FerretDB connection details.

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Ensure that the FerretDB instance is accessible to the GrowthBook container. If both are running in Docker, make sure they're on the same network.

Launch GrowthBook​

That's it! GrowthBook is now running with FerretDB. Access it at http://localhost:3000.

GrowthBook will automatically create the necessary collections in FerretDB to manage:

  • User authentication and permissions
  • Feature flags and their configurations
  • Metrics and experiments
  • Organization settings and metadata

Verify the Connection​

After setting up GrowthBook, you can verify that data is being stored correctly in FerretDB by:

  • Creating a feature flag or experiment in GrowthBook
  • Connecting to your FerretDB instance using a MongoDB client
  • Checking the growthbook database for collections like experiments, features, and users

Additional Resources​