Self-hosting is a tradeoff
Self-hosting can be cheaper and more controllable, but it only works if backups, updates, monitoring, and recovery are treated as part of the project.
Self-hosting is not magic. It is a tradeoff. You get control, predictable costs, and fewer vendor surprises. You also own the operational work.
The good part
For steady workloads, a small server or homelab can run a surprising amount of useful software: CRM, docs, file storage, dashboards, internal apps, and automation services.
The catch
Someone has to patch it. Someone has to monitor disk space. Someone has to know how to restore from backup. If that plan does not exist, the cheap setup gets expensive at the worst possible time.
The practical version
Use boring infrastructure, document the services, automate the restart path, and test a backup restore before calling it done.
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