Self-hosted software, developer tools, and homelab guides
Take Control of Your Tech Stack
In-depth guides for developers and self-hosters who want to replace expensive cloud services with powerful, privacy-respecting alternatives they actually own.
Featured Guides
Best Self-Hosted Dashboards for Your Homelab in 2026: Homarr, Heimdall, Homer & More
Compare the top self-hosted dashboards for your homelab. Docker setup, features, and honest pros and cons for Homarr, Heimdall, Homer, Dashy, Organizr, and Flame.
Read guide →How to Back Up Docker Containers & Volumes: A Complete Guide for 2026
Learn how to back up Docker containers, volumes, and compose stacks. Practical scripts for automated backups with restic, borg, duplicati, and cron.
Read guide →Gitea vs GitLab vs Forgejo: Best Self-Hosted Git Platform in 2026
A deep comparison of Gitea, GitLab, and Forgejo for self-hosted Git. Docker setup, CI/CD, resource usage, and which platform wins for your use case.
Read guide →Docker Security Best Practices: A Complete Guide for 2026
Harden your Docker containers with proven security practices. Image scanning, rootless mode, secrets, network isolation, and runtime protection.
Read guide →Homelab Automation with Ansible: From Zero to Fully Automated in 2026
Learn Ansible from scratch for your homelab. Complete playbooks for Docker, updates, backups, monitoring, and full infrastructure automation.
Read guide →Environment Variable Security: How to Stop Leaking Secrets in Your Code
Learn best practices for managing environment variables securely. Covers .env file security, secrets management, Docker secrets, CI/CD pipelines, and common mistakes developers make.
Read guide →What We Cover
Self-Hosted Software
Deploy Nextcloud, Immich, Vaultwarden, and dozens more. We test everything on real hardware before writing about it.
Developer Tools
Honest comparisons — Traefik vs Caddy, Gitea vs GitLab, Bruno vs Postman. No sponsored content, no affiliate bias.
Homelab & Infrastructure
From your first Proxmox install to a full production stack with monitoring, backups, and automation.
Security & Networking
VPNs, firewalls, SSO, 2FA, Docker security hardening — keep your infrastructure locked down.
Monitoring & Ops
Prometheus, Grafana, uptime monitoring, log management — know when things break before your users do.
Docker & Containers
Docker Compose stacks, container security, backup strategies, orchestration — everything containerized.
More Guides
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Vaultwarden Setup Guide: Self-Host Your Own Bitwarden Password Manager
Deploy Vaultwarden (formerly Bitwarden_rs) with Docker in minutes. Complete guide covering installation, HTTPS setup, admin panel, backups, and mobile sync.
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Complete Proxmox VE Setup Guide 2026: From Bare Metal to Production Homelab
Step-by-step guide to installing and configuring Proxmox VE for your homelab. Covers installation, networking, storage, VMs, LXC containers, and best practices.
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How to Set Up Immich: The Best Self-Hosted Google Photos Alternative in 2026
Complete guide to deploying Immich on your own server. Replace Google Photos with a privacy-first, self-hosted photo management solution using Docker.
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Kubernetes vs Docker Swarm vs Nomad: Container Orchestration for Homelabs 2026
Compare Kubernetes, Docker Swarm, and HashiCorp Nomad for homelab and small business use. Setup examples, resource overhead, and honest recommendations.
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How to Set Up Authelia: Self-Hosted SSO and 2FA for Your Services
Complete Authelia setup guide with Docker Compose. Configure self-hosted single sign-on, two-factor authentication, and integrate with Traefik or Nginx.
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Monitoring Your Homelab: Prometheus + Grafana Stack Complete Guide 2026
Deploy a full monitoring stack with Prometheus, Grafana, Node Exporter, and Alertmanager using Docker Compose. Dashboards, alerts, and best practices.
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Bruno vs Postman in 2026: Why Developers Are Switching to Open Source API Testing
A detailed comparison of Bruno and Postman for API testing in 2026. Performance benchmarks, features, pricing, and why open source is winning devs over.
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The Complete Guide to Self-Hosting in 2026: Replace Every Cloud Service You Use
Learn how to self-host alternatives to Google, Dropbox, and more. Save money, protect your privacy, and take full control of your data in 2026.
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Best Self-Hosted Email Servers 2026: Mailcow vs Mail-in-a-Box vs Docker Mailserver
Compare Mailcow, Mail-in-a-Box, and Docker Mailserver for self-hosted email. Setup guides, Docker Compose configs, spam filtering, and honest recommendations.
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Docker Compose Made Easy: Deploy 10 Essential Self-Hosted Apps in Minutes
Complete Docker Compose examples for 10 must-have self-hosted apps. Copy-paste configs for Nextcloud, Immich, Jellyfin, Vaultwarden, and more.
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11 Best Free Uptime Monitoring Tools in 2026 (Self-Hosted & Cloud)
A comprehensive comparison of the 11 best free uptime monitoring tools in 2026. Self-hosted and cloud options with features, pricing, pros/cons, and recommendations.
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Best Self-Hosted Analytics Tools in 2026: Plausible vs Umami vs Matomo vs PostHog
An in-depth comparison of the four leading self-hosted analytics platforms. Docker installation, privacy compliance, resource usage, and recommendations for every use case.
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Nginx vs Traefik vs Caddy: Best Reverse Proxy for Self-Hosting in 2026
A hands-on comparison of Nginx, Traefik, and Caddy for self-hosted setups. Config examples, performance benchmarks, auto-TLS, Docker integration, and clear recommendations.
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Tailscale vs WireGuard vs ZeroTier: VPN for Self-Hosters in 2026
A practical comparison of Tailscale, WireGuard, and ZeroTier for self-hosted access. Setup guides, performance, pricing, ACLs, and clear recommendations.