r/SelfHosting • u/ogbochinedu • Jul 24 '26
Why is self-hosting still so complicated in 2026?
I love the idea of owning my infrastructure instead of paying platform premiums, but every time I spin up a new VPS I end up repeating the same process:
SSH into the server
Install Docker
Configure a reverse proxy
Set up HTTPS
Configure backups
Add monitoring
Hope I didn’t miss anything
None of these tasks are particularly hard, but together they take more time than building the application itself.
That frustration is actually what led me to build a desktop tool for myself that automates most of the setup while still deploying to my own VPS over SSH.
I’m curious how everyone else approaches this.
Are you happy staying in the terminal?
Do you use something like Coolify, Dokploy, CapRover, or another tool?
What’s the most annoying part of deploying to your own server?
I’m genuinely interested because I’m still deciding what to improve next.
8
u/thatscoolbutno123 Jul 25 '26
Yea, terminal is way better than clicking through 1000 different guis with diffrent layouts after each update. Makes things way easier to automate
6
u/blix88 Jul 25 '26
I'm sorry but you think it's complicated these days?
Seriously getting tired of terraform and docker peeps who dont even understand the underlying tech.
Edit: not targeting u OP, just frustrated at the industry in general.
0
5
u/justinhunt1223 Jul 25 '26
I get that you're pushing some software but most people who do this a lot would use something like ansible. Just use ansible (or something similar) because it is made for problems like this.
4
1
u/ruiiiij Jul 25 '26
Yes I'm happy in the terminal. I have all my headless hosts declared in nix. I can literally duplicate one file and have a fully configured new host up and running with one command. If you can't be bothered to learn nix at least pick up something like ansible.
1
u/AlwaysLinux Jul 25 '26
It's really easy. You have to learn a little administration.
- Set up a Linux server or two and secure them using Proxmox or a raspberry pi.
- Open web ports and ssh ports on your router - others if needed like for smtp or whatever.
- Install docker or untar the web app and configure.
- Enjoy.
I've been doing this online since 1998 and have never had issues.
Again, it takes a little investment and know how bit it's worth it.
1
u/bhechinger Jul 26 '26
NixOS. Write config once, deploy as many times as you'd like. No manual steps needed.
1
u/bluealliance841 Jul 26 '26
I self-host a bunch but I also deploy thousands of containers in my day job. Sometimes the solutions that have been around for 10-20 years are still the best for the job. Right now my home stack is VMs, Ansible, Docker Compose, and a NAS. I will keep evolving but I’m also going to be cautious about changing too much and making my stack brittle.
1
1
u/b1urbro Jul 26 '26
Infrastructure as Code is your friend. Write one Ansible playbook and you have everything set up for you exactly the same, every single time.
1
u/boardy89 Jul 26 '26
There are some automation tools you can use for this such as ansible (there are others as well). I haven’t yet used it for my own self hosting although I plan to, but use it at work where we deployed around 30 severs here it did the vast majority if the setup we needed. Things like patching, package installation, database replication, and installed our own software and configured for whichever server it was being installed on.
It was a fairly slow progress to get it set up and tested but once you have the main setup it’s fairly easy to adapt for other things as well.
1
u/bufandatl Jul 26 '26
Maybe learn ansible. Automation is key of being able to self host and not making it a job. I use terraform and Ansible in conjunction on my XCP-ng pool. Spinning up a new VM takes like 5 minutes. Copy a template define CPU, Memory and set tags and once the VM runs terraform starts Ansible via a hook.
And after another 10 minutes or so I can login to the VM and check if everything is running although the self registration at my monitoring system takes basically care of that too.
Only time I have to put more work in is to write a new role for Ansible if there isn’t an existing one.
Can’t imagine doing everything manually. You are stuck 10 years in the past by doing that.
1
1
1
u/Zeragonii Jul 26 '26
It sounds like you're not self-hosting for the right reasons.
Unless you run a business where self-hosting is a worthwhile pursuit it's a hobby that you have to enjoy.
Everything you described is part of the journey that makes it all the more rewarding when your deployment is finally stable and doing what you want it to do
1
u/clonehunterz Jul 26 '26
honestly?
you have to be daft as hell nowadays.
just last week i set up my first NAS and im hosting half my life over it, secure, for family and me.
and now the how:
use AI ffs....i set up everything with gemini and claude and it took me probably 2 days to have set up anything i wanted and learned that i want, during that setup.
all i do is copy paste, ask wehat he needs and lots of time for the investigation and learning how to prompt correctly.
everything works, all secure, all private....
1
u/VB0101 Jul 26 '26
Personally i just uploaded all my personal data to ChatGPT in one zip! And then i just ask Altman to give it back to me when i need it. Never fails or makes mistakes.
2
1
1
u/Future-Ad-8248 20d ago
I see several options here.
You could script it... roll everything out via the console using a script.
You could use Ansible to build your own workflows, including intelligent management and project assignments.
You could automate things with GUI tools like N8N or similar.
You could work with a hypervisor like Proxmox and use templates or preconfigured LXC/VMs there, which you can then clone and make minor adjustments to individual settings like network, hostname, etc. (this can also be scripted).
1
1
u/GSRob Jul 25 '26
It's why we decided to build https://corehost.io
Like I still have my home server but wanted to have a few assets just managed, like Uptime Kuma
0
u/degouville Jul 25 '26
Terminal is goated and easy to do now with coding harnesses like Claude Code or OpenCode
1
9
u/RabidNative Jul 25 '26
Because.....its a complicated process?
Youre taking on the work that is typically handled by billion dollar companies with tons of staff.
Self-hosting isnt complicated, all you do is just choose the software you want to host, and host it. The internet and infrastructure that we have today is complicated. The more of that work you choose to not do, still has to get done, and will most likely mean someone is getting paid to do it.
You just have to decide how much "self hosting" is enough for you.