Self-Hosting 101: Own Your Data

Self-hosting means running software on a server you control instead of renting someone else's cloud. It takes a little effort, but you get privacy, no subscriptions, and full ownership. Here's a starter kit.

Files: Nextcloud

Nextcloud is the Swiss Army knife of self-hosting — file sync and share, calendars, contacts, and more. A self-hosted answer to Dropbox and Google Drive.

Passwords: Bitwarden

Bitwarden can be self-hosted, so your vault lives on your own server. Open source and battle-tested.

Calls: Jitsi Meet

Jitsi Meet is open-source video conferencing you can host yourself — no accounts, no limits, a free Zoom alternative.

Notes: Joplin

Joplin syncs to storage you control and encrypts end-to-end, keeping your notes private.

Networking: WireGuard

WireGuard is a fast, modern VPN protocol you can self-host to reach your services securely from anywhere.

Start small

You don't need a data centre — a cheap VPS or a Raspberry Pi is plenty to begin. Browse self-hostable apps and pick one to try this weekend.