Every service you self-host is one less company reading your data. Here's what actually works in 2026.
Cloud Storage#
Instead of: Google Drive, Dropbox
- Nextcloud — full suite (files, calendar, contacts, office)
- Syncthing — P2P file sync, no server needed
- Seafile — faster sync, less bloat than Nextcloud
Winner: Syncthing for pure file sync. Nextcloud if you want the ecosystem.
Password Manager#
Instead of: LastPass, 1Password
docker run -d --name vaultwarden \
-v /vw-data/:/data/ -p 80:80 \
vaultwarden/server:latest
Vaultwarden works with all Bitwarden clients. 5 minute setup. Easiest win on this list.
Notes & Documents#
Instead of: Notion, Google Docs
- Joplin — markdown notes with E2EE
- Outline — Notion-like team wiki
- HedgeDoc — collaborative markdown editing
Media#
Instead of: Netflix, Spotify, Google Photos
- Jellyfin — free media server (movies/TV)
- Navidrome — music streaming with Subsonic API
- Immich — Google Photos replacement (face recognition, mobile app)
VPN#
Instead of: NordVPN, ExpressVPN
# WireGuard is the answer
apt install wireguard
# Or use wg-easy for a web UI
Headscale gives you self-hosted Tailscale. Zero-config mesh networking.
DNS & Ad Blocking#
Instead of: Your ISP's DNS
- Pi-hole — network-wide ad blocking
- AdGuard Home — nicer UI, DoH/DoT built-in
Monitoring#
- Uptime Kuma — beautiful uptime dashboards
- Grafana + Prometheus — full observability
The Starter Stack#
If you're new, start with these four:
- Vaultwarden (passwords) — biggest security win
- Syncthing (files) — no server needed
- AdGuard Home (DNS) — blocks ads everywhere
- Uptime Kuma (monitoring) — know when things break
All of these run on a $5 VPS or a Raspberry Pi. Start small, grow as you get comfortable.