selfhost

Self-hosting is the practice of running software and services on owned or managed hardware rather than relying on third-party hosted services. It covers a broad range of applications, from personal cloud storage and note-taking to web applications, project management, and home automation. The core idea is data ownership, privacy, and control, allowing individuals or organizations to customize functionality and policies, align with compliance requirements, and avoid vendor lock-in.

It typically involves hardware such as a dedicated server, a NAS, or a single-board computer, plus software that can be installed on premises. Popular approaches include containerization with Docker or orchestration with Kubernetes, virtual machines, or standalone applications. Common infrastructure elements include a reverse proxy for TLS termination, domain name service with dynamic DNS for residential connections, and automated certificate management (Let's Encrypt).

Advantages include greater data control, potential cost savings at scale, and flexibility; disadvantages include upfront hardware costs, ongoing maintenance, security responsibilities, and potential uptime concerns. Self-hosting also requires regular software updates, backups, monitoring, and awareness of network exposure. The ecosystem is largely driven by open-source software, with many projects offering self-hosted options, reflecting a community emphasis on transparency and interoperability.

Typical use cases include personal cloud (for files and calendars), note-taking and knowledge bases, version control and collaboration tools, media servers, and home automation. When considering self-hosting, users should assess their technical skills, hardware reliability, bandwidth, and data risk tolerance, and plan for security measures such as MFA, encryption, audit logging, and disaster recovery.