10 Open Source Apps Every Developer Should Self-Host
From Git servers to CI/CD pipelines, here are the essential open-source tools every developer should be running on their own infrastructure.
Why Developers Should Self-Host
As a developer, you understand the value of controlling your tools. Self-hosting gives you root access to your productivity stack, eliminates per-seat pricing, and keeps your code and data private.
1. Gitea — Git Hosting
Lightweight Git server with a GitHub-like interface. Perfect for private repos without paying GitHub Enterprise prices. Supports pull requests, issues, CI/CD via Gitea Actions, and package registries.
2. Drone CI — Continuous Integration
Container-native CI/CD that uses simple YAML pipelines. Connects to your Gitea or GitHub repos and runs builds in isolated Docker containers. Fraction of the cost of GitHub Actions minutes.
3. Uptime Kuma — Monitoring
Beautiful uptime monitoring dashboard. Track HTTP, TCP, DNS, and ping status for all your services. Supports notifications via Slack, Discord, Telegram, and email.
4. Plausible Analytics — Web Analytics
Privacy-focused, lightweight alternative to Google Analytics. No cookies required, GDPR compliant out of the box. See your traffic without selling your visitors' data.
5. Outline — Documentation
Modern wiki and knowledge base. Markdown-native, real-time collaboration, and a beautiful editor. Replace Notion for team documentation without the per-user fees.
6. Minio — Object Storage
S3-compatible object storage you can run anywhere. Perfect for storing backups, media files, and build artifacts. Use the same AWS S3 SDK you already know.
7. Vaultwarden — Password Management
Lightweight Bitwarden-compatible password manager. Supports all Bitwarden clients and browser extensions. Keep your credentials on your own server.
8. n8n — Workflow Automation
Zapier alternative with 400+ integrations. Build complex automations with a visual editor. Self-hosting means no per-execution limits.
9. Grafana + Prometheus — Observability
The industry-standard monitoring stack. Grafana for dashboards, Prometheus for metrics collection. Monitor everything from server health to application performance.
10. Portainer — Container Management
Web UI for managing Docker containers. See running containers, view logs, manage networks and volumes. Essential if you're running multiple self-hosted services.
Deploy All of These Today
With TinyPod, you can deploy every app on this list in minutes. No Docker knowledge required — just pick an app and click deploy.