Run Redash Locally: SQL Dashboards for Any Data Source

// Before you start

What you need

Docker Desktop installed and running (docker.com/products/docker-desktop)
Docker Compose available (included with Docker Desktop)
At least 4 GB of RAM free for Docker
A terminal app (Terminal on Mac, PowerShell or WSL on Windows)
A database or data source you want to query (PostgreSQL, MySQL, etc.)

Step 1 of 6

Download the Redash Docker setup files

2 min

Redash publishes an official Docker Compose file that pulls all the pieces it needs — the app, a background worker, Redis, and PostgreSQL for storing your queries. You will download just that file, not the entire source code.

Terminal · mac

$ curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/getredash/setup/master/setup.sh

What you should see

A file called setup.sh appears in your current folder. No errors.

This might happen

curl: command not found on Windows

Use WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) or install Git Bash, then run the command inside that terminal.

Step 2 of 6

Make the setup script executable and run it

5 min

This script configures Redash, generates a secret key, and starts all the Docker containers. It needs permission to run as a program first. The whole process takes a few minutes while Docker downloads the images.

Terminal · mac

$ chmod +x setup.sh && sudo ./setup.sh

What you should see

You will see Docker pulling images, then lines like 'redash_server_1 is up' and 'redash_worker_1 is up'. The script ends without errors.

This might happen

Port 80 is already in use — the script fails or Redash does not open

Stop whatever is using port 80 (another web server, for example) or edit the generated docker-compose.yml to change '80:5000' to '8080:5000', then run: sudo docker-compose up -d

Step 3 of 6

Open Redash in your browser and create an admin account

2 min

Once the containers are running, Redash is available at your machine's address. The first time you visit, it walks you through creating an admin user and naming your organization.

Terminal · mac

$ open http://localhost

What you should see

A Redash setup screen appears asking for your name, email, password, and organization name. Fill these in and click 'Setup'.

This might happen

Page does not load — 'connection refused'

Wait 30 more seconds and refresh. Docker may still be initializing the database. Run 'sudo docker-compose ps' to confirm all services show 'Up'.

Step 4 of 6

Connect your first data source

5 min

After logging in, Redash asks you to add a data source. Click 'Connect a Data Source', pick your database type from the list (PostgreSQL, MySQL, BigQuery, etc.), and fill in the host, port, database name, username, and password. Click 'Test Connection' to confirm it works before saving.

Terminal · mac

$ # No terminal command needed — do this entirely in the Redash browser UI.

$ # Navigate to: Settings > Data Sources > + New Data Source

What you should see

After clicking 'Test Connection' you see a green 'Success' message. Click 'Save'.

This might happen

Connection test fails with 'could not connect to server'

If your database is also running locally, use 'host.docker.internal' as the host instead of 'localhost'. Docker containers cannot reach your machine's localhost directly.

Step 5 of 6

Write a query and build your first visualization

10 min

Click 'Create > New Query' in the top menu. Select your data source, type a SQL query in the editor, and click 'Execute'. Once results appear, click 'New Visualization' below the table to turn the data into a bar chart, line chart, pie chart, or other format. Save the query when done.

Terminal · mac

$ # No terminal command needed — everything happens in the browser.

$ # Example SQL to try: SELECT * FROM your_table LIMIT 100;

What you should see

A table of results appears below the query editor. After adding a visualization, a chart renders from your data.

This might happen

Query runs but returns no rows

Double-check the table name matches exactly what is in your database. Use the schema browser on the left side of the query editor to browse available tables.

Step 6 of 6

Add your visualization to a dashboard

3 min

Dashboards combine multiple charts into one shareable page. Click 'Create > New Dashboard', give it a name, then click 'Add Widget' and pick the visualization you just saved. Drag widgets to rearrange them. Click 'Publish' to make the dashboard shareable with a link.

Terminal · mac

$ # No terminal command needed — done entirely in the Redash UI.

What you should see

Your dashboard page shows the chart widget. A shareable URL appears after publishing.

// Status

cooked. baked. worked.

A fully working Redash instance running on your machine at http://localhost, connected to your database, with at least one SQL query and one dashboard you can share via URL.

// the honest bit

The honest part

The official setup script targets Ubuntu Linux servers. On a Mac or Windows laptop it works, but Docker Desktop must have enough memory allocated (set at least 4 GB in Docker Desktop settings). Redash's own cloud-hosted service was shut down in 2023, so self-hosting is now the only free option. The setup script pins a specific Redash version — check the GitHub releases page if you need a newer one. Scheduled query refreshes and email alerts require additional SMTP configuration not covered here.