Articles
News, tips, and deep dives into the self-hosting ecosystem.
Best NVMe SSD for a Mini PC Homelab
A mini PC homelab cares about write endurance, heat in a sealed chassis, and whether the drive physically fits. Here is which NVMe SSD to buy, and why.
Best Mini PC for Jellyfin or Plex (2026)
Transcoding capacity comes from the QuickSync generation, not the core count. Which mini PC to buy for Jellyfin or Plex, and how to avoid overspending on cores.
ThinkCentre M720q vs M920q vs OptiPlex
ThinkCentre M720q vs M920q vs OptiPlex 7060 Micro for Proxmox: RAM ceilings, VT-d, NICs compared, and which one actually earns its price gap.
Is Self-Hosting Worth It? It Depends on You
Whether self-hosting pays off depends less on the math than on your temperament. Here is how to tell which kind of person you are before you spend a dollar.
BookStack vs Outline vs Wiki.js for a Homelab
A self-hosted wiki comparison for homelabs: BookStack, Outline, and Wiki.js, judged on what they actually cost you in dependencies, RAM, and setup time.
Prebuilt NAS vs DIY NAS: Synology or Build?
Synology and UGREEN sell convenience; a DIY build sells capability per dollar. The real cost of each once drives are in, and which suits a budget homelab.
Mini PC RAM Upgrades for a Homelab
RAM got expensive in 2026. How much a homelab mini PC needs, what your machine will accept, and when to buy a configured box instead of upgrading.
Homelab vs Cloud: Break-Even Calculator
Does self-hosting beat paying for the cloud? A break-even calculator with example figures: enter your hardware cost, running cost, and subscriptions replaced.
Homepage vs Glance Homelab Dashboards
Homepage vs Glance for a homelab dashboard: YAML service tiles and live widgets vs a single-binary, widget-first feed board. I run both; here's where each wins.
Used Enterprise SSDs for a Homelab
Used data center SSDs on eBay look like a bargain. What you actually get, what the endurance numbers mean, and when a new consumer drive is smarter.
Best Budget Managed Switch for VLANs
The 2026 shortlist of the best budget managed switches for homelab VLANs: the hero pick, its closest rival, and upgrade tiers for PoE and 2.5G networking.
TL-SG108E vs Netgear GS308E
TL-SG108E or GS308E for homelab VLANs? Real differences in VLAN capacity, price, warranty, and expansion, plus which one wins for IoT isolation.
TrueNAS vs Unraid vs OpenMediaVault (2026)
TrueNAS is free but wants matched drives and 8GB+ RAM. Unraid takes mismatched drives for $49-$149. OpenMediaVault is free and lightest.
Best UPS for a Homelab in 2026
How to pick a UPS for a homelab: size it by watts instead of VA, which units are worth buying, runtime from a calculator, and how to wire up auto shutdown.
My Homelab Stack: Everything I Run
A tour of my homelab stack: the hardware and the services I run, grouped by job, with a calculator for working out your own monthly cost.
Vaultwarden vs Passbolt vs KeePassXC 2026
Vaultwarden vs Passbolt vs KeePassXC vs official Bitwarden. I run Vaultwarden and used KeePassXC for about a year; Passbolt and Bitwarden are researched only.
Rack vs Tower Server vs Mini PC
I run two HP DL380 Gen9 rack servers. What rack gear buys you (iLO, ECC, drive bays), what it costs in noise and power, and when a tower or mini PC fits better.
What Is Actually Worth Self-Hosting at Home
Not everything belongs in a container. A category-by-category look at what self-hosting pays off for at home and what you should keep paying for.
Portainer vs Dockge vs CLI for Docker
Three ways to manage Docker in a homelab: Portainer, Dockge, and the plain command line. Which to pick based on how you actually run your stack.
Low-Power Homelab Under 25 Watts
Build a homelab that idles under 25W while running 15+ services. Hardware picks, container density tips, power budget table, and honest trade-offs.
iCloud Optimize Storage and Immich Backups
Running Immich for photo backup? iCloud Optimize Storage can quietly back up 3MP thumbnails instead of originals. How to audit your library and fix it.
Start Here: From Zero to a Working Homelab
Not sure where to begin? This is the reading order through Budget Homelab, from your first mini PC to a fully self-hosted stack.
How Much Does a Homelab Actually Cost?
Year-one total cost of ownership for a budget homelab: hardware, electricity, time, storage, recurring fees, and the upgrade spiral, with example figures.
WireGuard vs Tailscale for Your Homelab
WireGuard vs Tailscale for homelab remote access: which to run based on your setup, your patience for configuration, and how often you need to get in.
Best GPU for a Self-Hosted AI Homelab
A buyer's guide to GPUs for local LLMs: the used 3060 12GB, 3090, P40, and Intel Arc compared on VRAM, noise, power draw, and real inference speed.
Best Mini PC for Home Assistant in 2026
A 2026 buyer's guide to mini PC hardware for Home Assistant: five picks across price tiers, performance notes, and the accessories that complete the setup.
Nginx Proxy Manager vs Caddy vs Traefik
A direct comparison of the three most common reverse proxies for self-hosting. Which one to pick based on how you actually run your homelab.
Homelab Security Basics: What to Lock Down
The practical security checklist for homelabs: what actually matters, what's overkill, and what most guides skip entirely.
Mini PC vs Old Server vs Raspberry Pi
Mini PC, used enterprise server, or Raspberry Pi for a first homelab? A direct comparison of cost, power, noise, and what each path is actually good at.
Plex vs Jellyfin: Which Should You Self-Host?
An honest comparison of Plex and Jellyfin for self-hosted media: where each one wins, where each one loses, and which to pick for your homelab.
How to Build a Homelab on a Budget
How to build a homelab on a budget: a real, working build covering hardware, setup, and what you can actually run, with a full parts list, under $300 total.
Best Used Mini PC for a Homelab Under $200
The best refurbished and used mini PCs for running Proxmox, Docker, and self-hosted services without paying new-hardware prices. Real picks and what to check.
Beelink vs MINISFORUM Mini PCs
A direct comparison of Beelink and MINISFORUM mini PCs for homelab use. Which brand builds the better budget self-hosting machine in 2026?
Homelab Backup Strategy: 3-2-1 Made Simple
A practical backup strategy for your homelab that actually gets done: what to back up, where to put it, and how to automate it without overcomplicating it.
Best Self-Hosted Apps for Beginners
The five best apps to self-host first, chosen for low complexity, high value, and real impact on your privacy and monthly bill.
Why Your Homelab Needs a Reverse Proxy
A reverse proxy puts your services behind one entry point with HTTPS and clean domain names. Why it matters and how to set one up with NPM or Caddy.
Proxmox Cluster: High Availability at Home
Proxmox clustering migrates VMs between nodes automatically when one fails. How it works, what you need to set it up, and whether it is worth the complexity.
How to Set Up VLANs in a Homelab
Set up homelab VLANs on a budget managed switch: tag VLANs, configure trunk ports, route between networks, and isolate untrusted IoT devices. Config included.
Setting Up a VPN Kill Switch for Your Homelab
A VPN kill switch blocks all traffic if the VPN connection drops. Here's how to implement one for specific containers or your whole server, and why it matters.
Open-Source Google Workspace Alternatives
Google Workspace costs $72-$216/user/year. These self-hosted alternatives cover email, docs, calendar, and storage, and they run on hardware you already own.
Best Mini PCs for a Homelab in 2026
Every homelab mini PC tier, from used corporate micro PCs to Ryzen workstations, with processor TDP from spec sheets and example power costs.
Homelab Power Usage: Measure and Reduce
Your homelab runs 24/7, and that adds up on your electric bill. Here's how to actually measure what you're using and cut it without cutting your setup.
Replacing Google One With a Home Server
Google One keeps raising prices. Here's what it actually takes to replace it with a self-hosted alternative, and whether the trade-offs make sense.
Kubernetes at Home: Is K3s Worth It?
K3s makes Kubernetes small enough for a Raspberry Pi. But should you? An honest take on when home Kubernetes makes sense and when Docker Compose wins.
NAS vs DAS for Homelab Storage
A NAS isn't always the right answer for homelab storage. When direct-attached storage wins, when it doesn't, and how to decide which one you need.
Self-Hosted Vaultwarden Password Manager
Vaultwarden is a self-hosted Bitwarden server that runs on almost nothing. The setup walkthrough, backup strategy, and trade-offs before trusting it.
The Hidden Costs of a Homelab
Electricity and hardware get all the attention. Here's the full list of what a homelab actually costs, including the things most guides skip.
Homelab Monitoring: Prometheus and Grafana
Prometheus scrapes metrics. Grafana makes them pretty. Together they give you dashboards that actually tell you what's happening on your homelab.
Build a Homelab for Under $500 in 2026
How to split a $500 homelab budget across compute, storage, and networking: which mini PC to buy, what to skip, and what to add first as you grow.
Homelab Subreddit Hardware Buying Guide
What r/homelab and r/selfhosted actually recommend for hardware, and what the forum consensus gets right and wrong for budget builds.
Homelab Storage: NAS vs DAS vs Raw Drives
How to think about storage for your homelab: the tradeoffs between a NAS, direct-attached storage, and drives in your server, with real recommendations.
How Much Does a Homelab Cost Per Month?
A homelab's monthly cost is power, hardware amortization, domain, and fees. Use this calculator with example figures, then enter your own wattage and rate.
Docker vs Proxmox: Which for Your Homelab?
Docker on bare metal vs Proxmox: a direct comparison of both approaches, when to pick each, and when running both on the same machine is the right call.
Don't Use .local for Your Homelab Domain
Using .local for your homelab DNS zone conflicts with mDNS (Bonjour/Avahi). Here's why resolution breaks intermittently and what to use instead.
Why You Shouldn't Open Ports on Your Router
Port forwarding exposes every forwarded service to the internet. Why to avoid opening ports on your router for homelab access, and what to use instead.
The Budget Homelab Starter Stack: 5 Services
Skip the overwhelm. These five self-hosted services cover file sync, password management, reverse proxying, remote access, and document storage.
Self-Hosting vs the Cloud: When It Pays Off
A clear-eyed breakeven analysis of self-hosting versus cloud subscriptions, with real costs, real trade-offs, and an honest answer for different situations.
What Is a Homelab? A Plain-English Intro
A homelab is a server you run at home. Here's what that actually means, what people do with them, and how to figure out if you need one.
Why Self-Hosting Matters in 2026
Cloud services keep getting pricier and less private. The cost, privacy, and time case for building your own homelab this year, trade-offs included.