Self-hosting · Homelab · Privacy
Leaving the cloud: a home server instead of Google, iCloud & co.
At home I run a Proxmox server with 15+ services. Here is which cloud services it replaces for me, what it costs – in time – and where you are better off staying in the cloud.
Why run your own server?
Photos, documents, calendars, films: most of it sits with big cloud providers – convenient, but with subscription fees, someone else’s terms of use and no real control. My home server replaces a large part of it. As a developer I also learn what counts in operations: virtualization, containers, networking, backups and monitoring.
What you can replace
| Cloud service | Self-hosted | What for |
|---|---|---|
| Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox | Nextcloud | Sync and share files |
| Google Photos, iCloud Photos | Immich | Back up and search photos and videos from your phone |
| Streaming for your own library | Jellyfin, Navidrome, Calibre-Web | Films, music and e-books from your own collection |
| Scanner apps and cloud filing | Paperless-ngx | Scan documents, make them searchable with OCR, file them |
| Vendor smart-home clouds | Home Assistant, MQTT | Control and automate devices locally |
| Cloud cameras | Frigate | Store and analyze camera footage locally |
| Per-device ad blockers | AdGuard | Filter ads and trackers network-wide |
| Monitoring SaaS | Uptime Kuma, Glances | Keep an eye on availability and load |
Note: Jellyfin does not replace a streaming catalogue like Netflix. It only manages media you own yourself.
Where you are better off staying in the cloud
- E-mail: I recommend not hosting it yourself. Deliverability and spam reputation cost more upkeep than they are worth.
- Anything that must never go down: my products (MeisterMeld, PflegeOasis) do not run at home, but on rented servers in Germany.
What it really costs
- Hardware: a used mini PC is enough. Mine is an HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Mini with 16 GB RAM running 15+ services.
- Time: updates, backups and troubleshooting are now your job.
- Responsibility: if the data is gone, there is no support desk. That is why backups come before everything else.
Rule of thumb: self-host what you do not want to lose or hand over – and only if you are willing to test your backups regularly.
Keep reading
Proxmox · LXC · Homelab
Proxmox & LXC in a homelab: which containers I run and why
Four containers, four roles: how my home server is built, which programs run where and how I laid out the storage.
Access · Security · Backup
Reaching and protecting a home server: Tailscale, Cloudflare Tunnel, vzdump
A home server is only as good as its access and its backups. My principle: no port forwarding, every access path a conscious decision, a backup every day.
DevOps · Cloudflare · Zero Trust
Zero Trust for the homelab: Cloudflare Tunnel and Access instead of open dashboards
An internal dashboard was publicly reachable via a subdomain. Here is how I locked it down with Cloudflare Tunnel, Cloudflare Access and Tailscale.
Field report · Hardware · Linux
Why I left macOS – and what my 2013 iMac can still do
An iMac with 32 GB of RAM and a good display is not junk after twelve years. Why I switched to Windows and Linux anyway – a personal field report, not a benchmark.
More from my homelab
Find the whole series, more notes and case studies here.
All notes Case study MeisterMeld Case study PflegeOasis Case study Kernbohr-Expert Back to the homepage
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