Stop paying for SaaS: a self-hosting roadmap
Why run notes, photos, automation and Git on your own server, which apps to start with and a safe plan to begin.
Tutorials · 2 min read
Subscriptions add up: a notes app, photo backup, a link shortener, a form tool, a Git repository… What you pay for the paid tiers of all of them may already exceed the cost of a single server. Self-hosting means running these services on your own server: your data stays with you, the limits are the ones you set, and the cost is fixed.
When does self-hosting make sense?
- When you want your data to stay with you: photos, documents, notes and customer data.
- When you don’t want costs to grow with users: most SaaS is billed per user.
- When you want to learn and experiment: server administration, Docker and networking skills pay off for good.
Let’s be honest: self-hosting is a responsibility. Updates, backups and security are now your job. For critical services that can’t tolerate downtime, a managed solution may still be the right call.
How big a server do you need?
Most light applications (Gitea, note and link tools, n8n) run comfortably on a small cloud server. Media servers and photo management want more memory and disk. A plan around 4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM and 100 GB SSD is enough for many projects to begin with; if you outgrow it you can upgrade the plan.
A suggested roadmap
- Set up and secure the server. Order a cloud server, sign in with an SSH key and follow the security checklist.
- Install Docker. Most apps are defined in a single Docker Compose file: the Docker installation guide.
- Add a reverse proxy. It gives your domains automatic HTTPS: a reverse proxy with Caddy.
- Pick your first app. A light, useful start: Gitea (Git server) or n8n (automation).
- Set up backups. Copy your data off the server and take a snapshot before risky changes.
- Monitor and update. A monthly update round, and remove apps you no longer use.
First app ideas
| Need | On your own server |
|---|---|
| Code and project management | Gitea |
| Workflow automation | n8n |
| Photo backup | Immich |
| Media server | Jellyfin |
Start with Melinhost
Our cloud servers come with full administrator (root) access, a choice of operating system (Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux), power management from the panel and snapshots. Begin your self-hosting journey with our cloud server plans.
