Self-Hosting Guide for Small Businesses | TinyPod

Small businesses spend thousands on SaaS subscriptions. Self-hosting can cut that bill by 90% while improving privacy.

The Small Business SaaS Problem

A typical small business (10-25 employees) spends $500-2,000/month on SaaS subscriptions. Per-user pricing adds up fast, and most tools have features you'll never use.

The Self-Hosted Alternative

Replace your SaaS stack with open-source alternatives on a $5-10/month server:

Communication: Mattermost

Replace Slack ($8-15/user/month). Channels, direct messages, file sharing, integrations. No per-user fees.

Project Management: Plane

Replace Jira/Asana ($10-25/user/month). Issues, sprints, kanban boards, roadmaps.

Documentation: Outline

Replace Notion ($10/user/month). Wiki, knowledge base, real-time collaboration.

File Storage: Nextcloud

Replace Google Workspace/Dropbox ($6-15/user/month). Files, calendar, contacts, video calls.

CRM: Twenty

Replace HubSpot ($30-100/user/month). Contact management, pipeline tracking, email integration.

Analytics: Plausible

Replace Google Analytics (free but privacy-invasive). Simple, privacy-friendly website analytics.

Invoicing: Invoice Ninja

Replace FreshBooks/QuickBooks ($15-55/month). Invoicing, expenses, time tracking.

Cost Savings Example (20 Employees)

Before (SaaS)

Slack Business+: $12.50/user = $250/mo

Asana Business: $25/user = $500/mo

Notion Team: $10/user = $200/mo

Google Workspace: $12/user = $240/mo

HubSpot Starter: $30/user = $600/mo

**Total: $1,790/month ($21,480/year)**

After (Self-Hosted on TinyPod)

2 TinyPod servers: $10/mo

**Total: $10/month ($120/year)**

Annual Savings: $21,360

Implementation Strategy

1. Start with one tool — the most expensive SaaS you're replacing

2. Run both old and new for 2 weeks

3. Migrate users and data

4. Cancel the SaaS subscription

5. Repeat for the next tool

Don't try to migrate everything at once. One tool at a time, one month at a time.

Self-Hosting for Small Businesses: A Practical Guide