Summary: Saving Money by Self-Hosting 5 Open Source Tools

This article details how the author, co-founder of a Docker hosting platform (Sliplane), significantly reduced monthly software expenses by self-hosting five open-source tools instead of using paid SaaS alternatives. The core message is that self-hosting is a viable strategy for cost-conscious individuals, bootstrapped startups, or freelancers to save money, gain control, and maintain flexibility, provided they have the technical skills and time for setup and maintenance.

Central Theme: Mitigating high SaaS costs by self-hosting open-source software.

Key Points/Arguments:

• SaaS subscriptions can quickly accumulate, becoming a significant expense.
• The author saved over €150/month by self-hosting specific tools.
• Five self-hosted examples and savings:
  • Plunk (Email Platform): Replaces Mailchimp/Customer.io (€30-€80/mo). Self-hosted cost: ~€2/mo. Ideal for simple transactional/marketing emails via AWS SES.
  • n8n (Automation Engine): Replaces Zapier/Make or n8n Cloud (€60/mo). Self-hosted cost: ~€1/mo. Offers powerful automation and AI integrations.
  • Postgres (Database): Replaces managed Postgres/Timescale Cloud (€100-€300/mo). Self-hosted cost: ~€15/mo. Provides full control, especially useful for extensions like TimescaleDB, but requires careful management.
  • Nextcloud (File Sharing/Sync): Replaces Dropbox/Google Drive (€10-€30/mo/user). Self-hosted cost: ~€1-€2/mo. Good for data privacy and GDPR compliance.
  • Redis (Cache): Replaces Redis Cloud (€5/mo). Self-hosted cost: <€0.50/mo. Suitable for small workloads and allows co-location with other services.
• Total Savings: The author estimates potential monthly savings between €205 and €475, reducing costs to around €20 when self-hosting these tools, often on shared infrastructure.
• Considerations: Self-hosting involves a time vs. money trade-off. It’s recommended to start with lower-risk tools (like n8n, Plunk) before tackling critical infrastructure (like Postgres).
• The author notes their platform, Sliplane, facilitates cheap hosting by charging per server, not per service, allowing multiple tools on one affordable server.

Conclusion: Self-hosting select open-source tools is a practical and rewarding way for technically adept users to cut costs significantly. While not suitable for everyone due to the time investment required, it offers substantial financial benefits and greater control over one’s software stack.

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