GuestLens
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Requirements
You need web hosting, a database, and about ten minutes. You do not need SSH or the command line at any point. Most cPanel hosting plans already have everything on this page.
What your hosting needs
| Item | Needs to be | Why |
|---|---|---|
| PHP | 8.3 or newer | GuestLens is built on Laravel 13, which needs PHP 8.3 at least. |
| Database | MySQL 8.0+, MariaDB 10.6+, or SQLite 3.26+ | MySQL or MariaDB is recommended. See Which database to use. PostgreSQL is not supported. |
| PHP extensions | pdo_mysql (or pdo_sqlite), gd, fileinfo, mbstring, openssl, zip, curl | The installer checks each one and tells you which are missing. |
| Cron | One job, every minute | See The cron job. It is not optional. |
| Disk space | As much as you plan to sell | Or use S3-compatible storage and keep almost nothing on the server. |
A small upload limit is fine. Shared hosting often limits uploads to 2 or 8 MB.
GuestLens sends every file in small pieces, so a 100 MB video still uploads on a host like that.
You do not need to change any PHP setting. See How uploads work.
Keep PHP up to date. In October 2026 PHP fixed two serious security holes
(CVE-2026-109618 and CVE-2026-109619) that let attackers take over a server. Every older PHP
version has them, and nothing in GuestLens or any other PHP app can block them. Run PHP 8.3.36,
8.4.27, 8.5.12, or newer. If your server is older, the installer and the System health screen
warn you. Some hosts patch PHP but keep the old version number, so if your host says your PHP is
already patched, you can ignore the warning.
To turn on a missing PHP extension in cPanel, open Select PHP Version, then Extensions, and tick it. If you cannot find it, ask your host. Every host can turn these on.
Which database to use
You pick the database in the installer. Choose one of these two:
| Database | Use it when |
|---|---|
| MySQL or MariaDB | You run a real business on GuestLens. This is the recommended choice. Every cPanel host includes it, and it stays fast when a hundred guests upload at the same moment. |
| SQLite | You want to try GuestLens, or you run a few small events at a time. There is nothing to create in cPanel: the whole database is one file on your server. |
Before you choose SQLite. SQLite lets only one visitor save at a time, and the
others wait their turn for up to five seconds. That is fine for most events. At a large event,
where many guests upload at the same moment, some uploads can fail with "database is locked" and
have to retry. Do not use SQLite if your host keeps files on a network drive, because SQLite is
not safe there. There is no tool to move from SQLite to MySQL later, so if you expect to grow,
start on MySQL.
What you do not need
- SSH or a terminal. Everything is done in a browser.
- Node.js. The JavaScript and CSS are already built and included.
- Composer on the server. All the libraries are in the zip.
- ffmpeg. Videos are stored as they arrive. Nothing is converted.
- Redis. Sessions, cache, and the job queue all use your database. On SQLite, sessions and the cache use files instead.
- ImageMagick. GuestLens uses GD, because every host has it.
- A queue worker. The cron job does all the background work.