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To install Django, use a supported Python 3 release, create a virtual environment for your project, and install Django with pip. For local development, start the project with Django’s runserver. For a VPS, use a production WSGI or ASGI server instead, then configure a reverse proxy, HTTPS, static files, and the other deployment settings Django requires.
What do you need before installing Django?
Django is a Python web framework, so a compatible Python installation is the prerequisite. The compatible range depends on the Django release you plan to use; installing the newest Python available is not automatically the right choice if that release falls outside the supported range.
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Django’s FAQ lists these Python ranges for the releases shown below. It also says that only the latest micro release in each supported Python series is officially supported. Check the compatibility information for the Django version you intend to install before choosing Python, especially if you are following an older project’s instructions.
| Django release | Supported Python series |
|---|---|
| Django 5.2 | Python 3.10–3.14 |
| Django 6.0 | Python 3.12–3.14 |
| Django 6.1 | Python 3.12–3.15 |
| Django 6.2 | Python 3.12–3.15 |
These ranges are release-specific, not a promise that every Django version supports every listed Python version. The Django version you choose also determines which Python releases are suitable. If a project already specifies a Django version, check that version’s compatibility before upgrading Python or installing a different Django release.
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Check that Python and pip are available
Open a terminal (or PowerShell on Windows) and check the Python command available on your system:
python --version
python -m pip --versionOn macOS and many Linux distributions, the Python 3 command may instead be python3. On Windows, the Python launcher can be invoked as py. Use the command that corresponds to the Python installation you intend to use; using python -m pip ties pip to that interpreter more reliably than running a standalone pip command.
How do you install Django locally on Windows, macOS, or Linux?
Create a virtual environment inside the project directory, activate it, update pip within that environment, and install Django there. This keeps project packages separate from system Python and other projects, and avoids needing administrator privileges for an ordinary project installation.
1. Create a project directory
Choose or create a directory for the application, then open a terminal in it. The examples below use .venv as the virtual-environment directory name. Keeping it inside the project makes the environment easy to identify; the environment itself is local setup, not a replacement for tracking the project’s source code and dependency choices.
2. Create and activate the virtual environment
On macOS or Linux, run:
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activateOn Windows PowerShell, run:
py -m venv .venv
..venvScriptsActivate.ps1After activation, update pip and install Django. Keep using the same terminal session so the activated environment remains in effect:
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python -m pip install DjangoWindows also supports installing with py -m pip install Django. Whichever command you use, it should refer to the interpreter used to create the environment. Installing into the activated environment prevents a global Django installation from being confused with the version your project actually uses.
3. Decide whether to install the latest available package or pin a release
python -m pip install Django asks pip to install the package version it selects as current and compatible with the interpreter and package constraints. For a project that needs a reproducible setup, choose an explicit release after checking Django’s official release information, then install that version with a pin:
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python -m pip install Django==6.1.26.1.2 is an example of a specific release, not a claim that it is the latest release now or the right version for every project. Release numbers change; check the official release information before copying a pin into a new project. A version pin is useful when you need a known version on another machine or during deployment, but it also means upgrades do not happen simply because a newer release becomes available.
4. Verify the installation and create a project
Check which Django version is available in the active environment, then create a project in the current directory:
python -m django --version
django-admin startproject config .The final dot in startproject config . means “put the generated project files in this directory” rather than creating another nested directory. The project package is named config in this example; you can choose another valid name. The command produces manage.py in the project directory, which you use for project-level Django commands.
Apply the initial database migrations and start the local development server:
python manage.py migrate
python manage.py runserverOpen http://127.0.0.1:8000/ on the same machine to see the development site. The server prints its local address in the terminal. Stop it with Ctrl+C when finished. This is a convenient feedback loop for development, not a production deployment method.
What changes when you install Django on a VPS?
The package installation is similar, but a VPS needs an operational deployment around the Django application. Use a non-root account for the app, keep its Python packages in a virtual environment, and run it with a production WSGI or ASGI server. A web server or reverse proxy commonly sits in front to handle public web traffic, HTTPS, and static files.
1. Connect and install Python tooling
For a typical Ubuntu- or Debian-style Linux VPS, connect over SSH and install the Python tools shown here:
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ssh your-user@your-server
sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3 python3-venv python3-pipThe account name and server address are examples to replace with the values for your server. Package names and commands differ among Linux distributions, so use the distribution’s package manager and package names if they do not match. Do not run the application as root; use a regular account with access to the application files and only the privileges it needs.
2. Prepare the application environment
Create a directory for the app, enter it, create its virtual environment, and install the packages needed by the deployment:
mkdir -p ~/apps/myproject
cd ~/apps/myproject
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
python -m pip install --upgrade pip
python -m pip install Django gunicornHere, Gunicorn is an example of a production WSGI server. Install the Django version and all application dependencies that the project requires; installing Django and Gunicorn alone does not transfer the application code or automatically configure the service. Copy or clone the project into the VPS application directory, then run subsequent project commands from the appropriate directory and with the intended environment active.
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Once the project files and environment-specific configuration are in place, run the project’s migrations, collect static files, and ask Django to check deployment settings:
python manage.py migrate
python manage.py collectstatic --noinput
python manage.py check --deployMigrations apply database schema changes required by the application. collectstatic gathers static assets into the configured collection location so they can be served in deployment. The deployment check can identify configuration issues to address before launch; a successful check is not a substitute for reviewing security, infrastructure, and application behavior.
4. Choose WSGI or ASGI and run a production server
Django supports two application interfaces: WSGI and ASGI. A WSGI server such as Gunicorn can load the application callable generated in the project’s wsgi.py. An ASGI deployment uses the corresponding callable in asgi.py and an ASGI-capable server.
Django’s documented server options include Gunicorn, uWSGI, Apache/mod_wsgi, Daphne, Hypercorn, Uvicorn, and Granian. The right choice depends on the interface and deployment you are setting up. Installing a server package is only one step: configure how the process starts, which application entry point it loads, and how it is kept running and restarted when needed. Gunicorn’s own guide recommends installing it inside a virtual environment and documents gunicorn --version as a way to verify the installed command.
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Do not expose Django’s runserver as the public server. It is deliberately a lightweight development server, not the production application server. The production server handles application requests behind the web-server arrangement appropriate for your host.
5. Put a web server or reverse proxy in front
A common VPS arrangement places Nginx or Apache in front of the WSGI or ASGI server. The front-end web server can terminate HTTPS, serve static files efficiently, and proxy dynamic application requests to the application server. The exact proxy configuration and process-management setup depend on the distribution, provider, server choice, domain, and deployment layout; the package-install commands alone do not create these parts.
Configure the VPS firewall to expose only the ports needed for SSH and the public web proxy. Keep the application process and internal application-server endpoint behind that public-facing layer as your deployment design requires. Confirm that the service manager starts the app at boot and that the application recovers appropriately after a process restart or server reboot.
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SQLite is a practical default for local work: it is included with Python and is convenient for a small project without a separate database service. For a substantial production application, Django’s FAQ recommends PostgreSQL. Django also officially supports MariaDB, MySQL, SQLite, and Oracle.
When practical, develop against the same database family you plan to use in production. Differences between database engines can affect the application, so relying on SQLite during development while deploying to another engine can leave database-specific behavior untested. For a VPS, provision a dedicated database and a database user with only the privileges the application needs. Put connection values in environment-specific configuration rather than embedding production credentials in source code, and run migrations as part of deployment.
The appropriate engine and its setup commands depend on the application and hosting provider. The Django installation steps do not create a production database, database account, backup schedule, or secure connection; treat those as separate deployment tasks.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What must you configure before a Django VPS goes live?
Before launch, review Django’s deployment settings and the surrounding service setup. Production safety depends on more than replacing the development server: configure the application for its real host, protect secrets, serve static assets, enable HTTPS, and make the service observable and recoverable.
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- Deployment checks: Run
python manage.py check --deployagainst the production configuration and resolve issues it identifies. - Host and secret settings: Set
ALLOWED_HOSTSfor the hosts that should serve the site, keep secret values in environment-specific configuration, and use production-appropriate debug settings and other critical settings. - HTTPS and cookies: Enable HTTPS at the web-server layer and configure the application’s secure-cookie settings consistently with that arrangement.
- Static files: Configure where
collectstaticplaces files and how the web server or another intended static-file layer delivers them. - Logging and errors: Set up error reporting and logging so you can investigate failures after deployment rather than relying on the interactive development terminal.
- Database operations: Review backups and the migration procedure. Verify that the database is reachable by the app and that its credentials have appropriate privileges.
- Process operations: Set worker counts and timeouts for the chosen server, decide restart behavior, and ensure the service starts automatically and remains available after a reboot.
- Network exposure: Check that the firewall exposes only the access needed for SSH and the public web proxy.
These are connected checks, not interchangeable fixes. For example, collecting static files does not configure HTTPS, and a deployment check does not establish that backups work or that a service restarts correctly. Verify each layer in the environment where the application will actually run.
How do local and VPS installations differ?
Local setup prioritizes isolation and a fast development loop; VPS setup adds production serving and operational controls. The same project can move between them, but the server role, database choice, and security configuration must change with the environment.
| Area | Local development | VPS deployment |
|---|---|---|
| Python packages | Project-specific virtual environment and pip-installed Django. | Project-specific virtual environment with the application’s dependencies and production server. |
| Request serving | Django runserver for development and testing. |
Production WSGI or ASGI server; do not use runserver publicly. |
| Database | SQLite is convenient for small local projects. | PostgreSQL is Django’s recommended production choice; other officially supported engines are available. |
| Traffic handling | Access the local development server directly on the machine. | Commonly use Nginx or Apache as a reverse proxy and web server in front of the app server. |
| Operations | Run commands interactively while developing. | Configure HTTPS, static-file delivery, logs, backups, process restarts, and deployment settings. |
Use the local workflow to build and test the application, but treat deployment as a separate configuration task rather than copying the local server command to a public machine. The app code may be shared; the environment settings and infrastructure responsibilities are not.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can `python` and `python3` show different versions?
A computer can have more than one Python installation, and each command may resolve to a different one. Create the virtual environment with the interpreter you intend to use, then use that environment’s activated `python` command for pip and Django commands.
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What does `python manage.py migrate` do?
It applies the database changes described by the project’s migrations, allowing the database schema to match what the installed application expects. Run it against the intended database configuration; on a VPS, that means confirming the production connection settings before applying changes.
Can I keep Django’s development server running on a VPS for a private preview?
It is useful for local development and testing, but Django explicitly says `runserver` is not suitable for production. For a VPS deployment, use a production WSGI or ASGI server even if the site is small or temporarily accessible to a limited audience.
Do I need both a WSGI or ASGI server and Nginx or Apache?
They commonly have different roles: the application server runs Django, while a front-end web server or reverse proxy handles public traffic, HTTPS, and often static files. The exact arrangement depends on the deployment, but Django’s production guidance does not treat `runserver` as a substitute for it.
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