Self-Hosting like it's 2025

Summary

In recent years, self-hosting has emerged as a popular alternative to data-collecting, big-brother services. For a time, I must admit, I was almost addicted to trying out new software, building dashboards, and adding applications I didn't really need. Now that my setup has remained largely the same for over a year, I wanted to take a moment to summarize what I've learned and highlight some software that I found particularly helpful, yet not as widespread as they could be. (And I also needed a topic for my first blog-post ever^^) . I am not trying to present anything as "the best solution." After all, problems vary, and so do their solutions. This is not an ad for any of the softwares presented.Container RuntimesThese days, containers have become the default for hosting, with traditional methods increasingly rare. This trend is great news for homelab enthusiasts, as containers not only simplify software deployment but also offer better performance efficiency than virtual machines. While Docker seems to be the go-to choice for almost everyone, I'm keen to explore alternative solutions. It's worth noting that I'm focusing on using these runtimes in a home environment rather than an enterprise setting.The original container runtime with widespread adoption, Docker is a giant in its field. Thanks to its extensive documentation, even those who aren't highly skilled in IT can often manage to copy-paste a docker-compose.yml file from GitHub to get started. Of course, security considerations are a separate topic.Podman is an emerging container runtime gaining attention for its rootless architecture and Docker CLI compatibility. This makes it an appealing option for those who prioritize security and want to avoid running a daemon (Or learn those topics for work). Podman allows users to manage containers with similar commands, even providing aliases so you can still use the docker command making the transition from native Docker relatively smooth. With growing community suppor...