Why I Still Self-Host Everything: The Control and Cost Benefits

Let me tell you something most cloud services won't - self-hosting is not for the weak-hearted, yet I am a proud advocate of it. You may ask why. Allow me to share my experience and reasoning for self-hosting my infrastructure.

The Pull Factors of Cloud Services

There's no denying the advantages of cloud-based platforms like AWS, Azure, or GCP. They promise speed, scalability, and reliability, all managed with a few clicks. So, why would anyone voluntarily take on the job of playing sysadmin and expose themselves to the perils of managing infrastructure?

The Allure of Total Control

My first draw towards self-hosting came from the control it promised. Are you tired of your servers doing unpredictable, magic stuff behind the scenes? Self-hosting gives you ultimate control over your infrastructure. You can tailor it precisely to suit your requirements, without the arbitrary limitations imposed by cloud services.

Consider this situation - you discover a bug in your live app that's tanking your performance. If you’re self-hosting, you can SSH into your server, go line by line through the logs or even attach a debugger to the live process if required. Now try to do that on AWS Lambda.

Significant Cost Savings

Let’s talk numbers. Self-hosting can result in drastic cost savings. Consider the comparison between running a midsized cloud instance versus a self-hosted server. The cost difference over a span of a year can run into thousands of dollars. Multiply that by the number of services you’re running, and suddenly, you’re saving a fortune.

Privacy and Security

When you self-host, you're in complete control of your data. You know exactly where it resides and who has access to it. If adequately managed, this can drastically minimize the risk of data breaches.

What it Takes

Now the reality check - convenience comes at a cost, and that cost is the effort and expertise necessary to maintain such a system. You need to know your software stack top to bottom. You'll need to monitor your processes, stay on top of security best practices, and essentially be your own sysadmin.

Here's an excerpt from one of my server setup scripts to illustrate this point:

sudo apt update -y
sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo adduser --disabled-password --gecos "" myNewUser
sudo usermod -aG sudo myNewUser

And that's just the beginning! The complexity grows as you add more services and scale up.

The Joy of Building

Self-hosting is not just about control, saving money, or security. It’s about building something from scratch. It's about taking responsibility for something and watching it grow and prosper into something that's truly your own. There's an indescribable joy in building, maintaining, and learning from your own server. It's like having a pet that also makes you money.

The Bottom Line

Self-hosting is not the easiest path, nor is it for everyone. It takes effort and the willingness to learn continuously. However, the rewards—in terms of control, cost savings, and the joy of building—are immense.

Are you a developer inclined towards self-hosting or cloud services? I’d love to hear your thoughts.