"If you can build it, you can host it."
Self-hosting has quietly become a power move for developers who want more control, privacy, and resilience in their workflows. Whether you're running your own blog, email server, or full-stack web app, managing your own infrastructure sharpens your skills like nothing else.
In this post, I’ll break down:
- What self-hosting is (and isn’t)
- Why every dev should try it
- What to host and where
- Common pitfalls to avoid
- How to get started fast
What is Self-Hosting?
Self-hosting means running software or services (web apps, APIs, databases, etc.) on infrastructure you control—typically your own machine, a VPS, or a home server.
It’s the opposite of SaaS. Instead of using Gmail, you run your own mail server. Instead of Notion, maybe you use something like AppFlowy or Logseq on your own box. Instead of relying on Heroku or Vercel, you spin up your own Docker stack on a DigitalOcean droplet.
Why Developers Should Care
Level-Up Your DevOps & SRE Skills
You can read about Docker, Nginx, or systemd all day—but until you deploy and debug services live, it’s just theory.
Self-hosting forces you to understand:
- DNS and reverse proxies
- SSL certificates (e.g. Let’s Encrypt)
- Networking (ports, firewalls)
- Logs, uptime monitoring, backups
All the stuff you’ll be expected to know on a senior team.
“It’s like running your own mini-prod.”
Privacy & Ownership
Tired of giving away your data to Big Tech? Self-hosting gives you ownership:
- Your notes: Notion → Obsidian Sync Server
- Your password manager: 1Password → Vaultwarden
- Your analytics: Google Analytics → Plausible or Umami
- You decide what runs, how long it’s stored, and who gets access.
Prototyping and R&D
Want to build a SaaS? First, deploy one.
Self-hosting helps you understand how users will actually run your software. You’ll get insights into:
- Configuration pain points
- Performance issues
- Hosting costs
- UX for sysadmins
If you’re building developer tools, this is mandatory knowledge.
Cost Control
Sure, SaaS is convenient—until you’re paying $200/month for something you could run for $5/month on a VPS.
Self-hosting isn't always cheaper, but it often scales better when you understand what you're doing.
What Can You Self-Host?
Here’s a curated list of useful and fun self-hosted projects:
Category Project Use Case
Blogging Ghost, Hugo Host your own developer blog
Note-Taking Logseq, Joplin Local-first knowledge base
Git Hosting Gitea, Forgejo GitHub alternative
Analytics Umami, Plausible GDPR-friendly web analytics
Media Server Jellyfin, Plex Personal Netflix
Monitoring Uptime Kuma, Netdata Keep services online
CI/CD Drone CI, Build pipelines at home
Docs & Wiki Wiki.js, BookStack Internal documentation
Password Vault Vaultwarden Lightweight Bitwarden clone
There are thousands more at https://awesome-selfhosted.net.
Pitfalls to Avoid
Don’t expose everything to the internet. Use firewalls, VPNs, or tunnels.
Don’t skip backups. Assume your disk will fail.
Don’t ignore security updates. Use watchtower or check Docker Hub.
Don’t blindly trust Docker images. Read the Dockerfile or build your own.
How to Start Self-Hosting Today
Option 1: Quick Cloud Deployment (Good for Beginners)
- Use a VPS (e.g. DigitalOcean, Linode, Hetzner)
- Use CapRover or YunoHost to manage apps
- Deploy from GitHub in minutes
Option 2: Home Lab Setup (Good for tinkerers)
- Old PC, Raspberry Pi, or NUC
- Run Docker or Proxmox
- Use Portainer to manage containers
- Secure with Tailscale or Cloudflare Tunnel
Option 3: Self-Host a Dev Tool You Use
- Try self-hosting your own code-server, Gitea, or CI/CD runner
- Then progressively migrate other tools
TL;DR
Self-hosting is like developer CrossFit: painful at first, empowering long-term.
You’ll:
- Learn how the internet really works
- Sharpen your full-stack + infra skills
- Build systems you actually own
So start small. Spin up a single app. Break it. Fix it. Repeat.
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