---
description: >-
  Overview of how to set up the open source RudderStack in your development
  environment.
---

# RudderStack Open Source

Follow the guides in this section if you want to set up RudderStack in your preferred development environment.

The [RudderStack backend](https://github.com/rudderlabs/rudder-server) is written in Go, with a simple React.js UI to manage your sources, destinations, and the connections between them.

## Overview

Installing and setting up open source RudderStack involves the following steps:

Setting up the control plane to manage your source and destination configurations.

[ Control Plane Setup](https://rudderstack.com/docs/rudderstack-open-source/control-plane-lite/)

Setting up the data plane(backend) for RudderStack to track, process, and route the events.

[ Data Plane Setup](https://rudderstack.com/docs/rudderstack-open-source/installing-and-setting-up-rudderstack/)

Sending test events to verify your RudderStack installation.

[ Sending Test Events](https://rudderstack.com/docs/rudderstack-open-source/installing-and-setting-up-rudderstack/sending-test-events/)

## FAQ

### Do I need to sign up for an account to set up open source RudderStack?

Signing up for [RudderStack Open Source](https://app.rudderstack.com/signup?type=opensource) is the easiest way to set up and manage your data pipelines. The web app is only used for source/destination configuration and does not have access to your data. It also provides a [Live Events](https://www.rudderstack.com/docs/rudderstack-cloud/live-events/) feature for debugging purposes, only for a limited time.

**RudderStack does not persist any of your data**.

However, if you do not wish to sign up for RudderStack and want to self-host the source/destination configurations, you can use the open source [Control Plane Lite](https://rudderstack.com/docs/rudderstack-open-source/control-plane-lite/) utility. To set up the RudderStack server (backend) in your own environment, follow the steps listed in the [Data Plane Setup](https://rudderstack.com/docs/rudderstack-open-source/installing-and-setting-up-rudderstack) guide.

The control plane set up using Control Plane Lite does not have features like [Transformations](https://rudderstack.com/docs/transformations) and [Live Events](https://www.rudderstack.com/docs/rudderstack-cloud/live-events/).

### What is a data plane URL? Where do I get it?

For routing and processing the events to the RudderStack backend, a **data plane URL** is required.

Refer to the [RudderStack Architecture](https://rudderstack.com/docs/get-started/rudderstack-architecture) guide for more information the RudderStack data plane.

If you're using open source RudderStack, you are required to set up your own data plane by [installing and setting up RudderStack](https://rudderstack.com/docs/rudderstack-open-source/installing-and-setting-up-rudderstack) in your preferred environment.

An open source RudderStack data plane URL typically looks like `http:localhost:8080`, where `8080` is the port where your RudderStack data plane is hosted.

## Contact us

For more information on any of the sections covered in this guide, you can [contact us](mailto:%20docs@rudderstack.com) or start a conversation in our [Slack](https://rudderstack.com/join-rudderstack-slack-community) community.
