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The Beginner's Guide to Self-Hosting: Where to Start

New to self-hosting? Start here. What you need, which apps to try first, common mistakes to avoid, and how to grow your setup.

self-hostingbeginnerguidegetting-started

What You Need


1. A server (VPS for $5-10/month, or old computer at home)

2. A domain name ($10-15/year)

3. Basic comfort with command line (or use TinyPod)


Start Here (Beginner Apps)


These apps are easy to set up and immediately useful:


1. **Vaultwarden** — Password manager (daily use, high impact)

2. **Uptime Kuma** — Monitor your services

3. **Memos** — Quick notes

4. **IT Tools** — Developer utilities

5. **Homer/Dashy** — Dashboard for your services


Next Steps


6. **AdGuard Home** — Network-wide ad blocking

7. **Miniflux** — RSS reader

8. **Gitea** — Git hosting

9. **Plausible/Umami** — Website analytics

10. **Paperless-ngx** — Document management


Common Mistakes


Don't

  • Self-host email (it's incredibly hard)
  • Run without backups
  • Expose services without HTTPS
  • Skip updates
  • Try to migrate everything at once

    • Do

  • Start with one app and learn
  • Set up a reverse proxy from the start
  • Configure automatic backups
  • Use strong, unique passwords
  • Keep your system updated

    • The Reverse Proxy


    Set up Caddy or Nginx Proxy Manager first. All other services go behind it. This gives you:

  • HTTPS for everything
  • One server, many domains
  • Clean URLs

    • Using TinyPod


    TinyPod simplifies the server and deployment parts. You choose the app, we handle the infrastructure. Ideal for beginners who want the benefits of self-hosting without the sysadmin work.


    The Journey


    Self-hosting is a journey, not a destination. Start small, learn as you go, and add services when you genuinely need them — not because you can.