Install with uv

Install LNbits from source using the uv package manager - the fastest installation method.

uv is a fast Python package manager written in Rust. It's the quickest way to install LNbits from source.

Prerequisites

• Python 3.10+
• uv

# Install uv
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

Install LNbits

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/lnbits/lnbits.git
cd lnbits

# Create virtual environment and install
uv venv
source .venv/bin/activate
uv pip install .

# Copy config
cp .env.example .env

Run

# Activate the venv (if not already active)
source .venv/bin/activate

# Start LNbits
lnbits

LNbits is now running at http://localhost:5000.

Development mode

For development with auto-reload:

uv pip install -e ".[dev]"
lnbits --reload

LNbits CLI

After installation, the lnbits-cli command is available for common operations:

# See all available commands
lnbits-cli --help

# Run database migrations
lnbits-cli migrate

# Create a superuser
lnbits-cli superuser

Install script (Debian/Ubuntu)

The official one-line install script handles everything: system dependencies, cloning, venv setup, and configuration.

wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lnbits/lnbits/main/lnbits.sh && chmod +x lnbits.sh && ./lnbits.sh

After installation, use ./lnbits.sh to run, or for more control: cd lnbits && uv run lnbits.

Updating

cd lnbits
git pull --rebase
uv sync --all-extras

After updating, use Admin UI → Extensions → "Update All" to update extensions.

Next steps

• Configuration - customize your instance
• Funding sources - connect a Lightning backend
• Reverse proxy - set up HTTPS

Related Pages

• Installation Overview - all installation methods
• Install with Poetry - alternative source install
• Updating LNbits - keep LNbits up to date