Self-Hosting

$A desktop compute box on a workbench linked to a home outweighs a stack of monthly cloud-bill coins on a balance scale$

n8n and Ollama Local AI: $0/Month, Honest Hardware Math

Running private n8n and Ollama AI automations at home costs $0/month in software, but the hardware bill is real. The honest anchor: a used 64GB Mac Studio near EUR1,995 can replace a $90 to $125 monthly cloud bill, yet local tool-calling stays broken until you raise Ollama’s default num_ctx from 2048 to 8192.

Key Takeaways

“$0/month” covers software only. The hardware and electricity are still real costs.
Dockerized n8n reaches Ollama at host.docker.internal:11434, never localhost.
Ollama’s 2048 context default cuts off tool results. Raise it to 8192.
qwen2.5:14b is the most reliable local model for the AI Agent node.
Once set up, a local n8n stack runs for months without babysitting.

What is the n8n and Ollama local AI stack?

Ollama is the local engine that runs language models on your own machine. It serves them over port 11434, so anything on your network can send prompts to it. The same engine powers other local builds, like an Ollama-driven terminal assistant wired into shell scripts. n8n is the workflow orchestrator. It has over 400 integrations and dedicated AI nodes, so you can chain a model into real automations.

Three Docker management tools shown as a multi-server console, an industrial control panel, and a small single-host unit on a workbench

Komodo vs Portainer vs Dockge: A 2026 Homelab Decision Guide

Pick Komodo for Git-driven deploys across many Docker servers from one screen. Choose Portainer if you run Kubernetes, which Komodo does not support. Pick Dockge for a single lightweight host. Komodo added a dedicated Docker Swarm resource in 2026, closing what used to be the single most-cited reason people held off, a complaint that once drew 168 votes on Reddit.

Key Takeaways

Komodo wins on Git-driven deploys across many servers from one screen.
Portainer stays ahead for Kubernetes and mature production tooling.
Dockge is the lightest pick if you run a single host.
Komodo now manages Docker Swarm; Kubernetes is the remaining orchestration gap.
Komodo’s default VPS setup is insecure until you lock the agent port.

What is Komodo and what problem does it solve?

Komodo is an open-source tool that builds and deploys Docker software across many servers from one place. It is licensed under GPL-3.0 and written in Rust and TypeScript. The project lives at moghtech/komodo and was renamed from “Monitor” before the rebrand.

Four colored framework cargo containers being moved from a glossy cloud platform dock onto a self-hosted server rack

Best React Frameworks in 2026: Next.js vs Remix vs Astro

Picking a React framework in 2026 comes down to one question most comparisons skip: how cleanly does it run on your own box without Vercel? On that axis, Astro and React Router 7 (the merged Remix) self-host most cleanly, Next.js carries the heaviest hosting-feature footprint, and TanStack Start stays client-first while everyone else leans into React Server Components.

Key Takeaways

Remix is now React Router 7; the React version merged into the router itself.
Astro and React Router 7 self-host on a plain Node box with the least friction.
Next.js bets hardest on React Server Components; TanStack Start stays client-first.
Astro ships almost no JavaScript by default, so static export is its sweet spot.
All four can leave Vercel, but each loses something different when you do.

Why This Comparison Ignores the Vercel Default

Most “best React framework” posts assume one thing without saying it: a one-click Vercel deploy, edge functions on tap, and image optimization handled for you. Strip that away and the rankings shift. The framework that looks best on a managed platform is not always the one that runs cleanly on your own hardware.

Three locomotive engines race along parallel tracks toward a single glowing home server rack on a workbench

Node vs Bun vs Deno in 2026: The Self-Hosting Verdict

For self-hosting real apps in 2026, pick Node.js 24 LTS for stable long-running processes, Bun 1.3 for install speed, and Deno 2.8 for single-binary deploys. On my own box, Bun installs an 847-package monorepo in 1.2 seconds versus npm’s 32, but Node still wins the 3am stability test.

Key Takeaways

Node.js 24 LTS stays the safest default for long-running production processes.
Bun installs dependencies 20 to 40 times faster than npm in real projects.
Deno compiles to a single 28MB binary, the simplest self-host deploy there is.
Node now ships a test runner, watch mode, and TypeScript, closing the gap.
Native C/C++ addons work in Node and Bun but not in Deno.

Three runtimes now fight for the same job: running your server-side JavaScript. Node.js is the 16-year incumbent. Bun bets on raw speed. Deno bets on security and a single binary. This post compares them for one specific use: self-hosting a real app on hardware you own, not a synthetic hello-world race.

Three differently sized water reservoirs piping into a single server rack, illustrating SQLite, MariaDB, and PostgreSQL scaling ceilings.

Self-Hosted Databases in 2026: Postgres vs SQLite vs MariaDB

Picking a self-hosted database in 2026 comes down to one question: when does it force you to migrate? SQLite holds until about one write-heavy app server (~10 GB, single writer). PostgreSQL 18 is the default that almost never makes you move. MariaDB 12.3 LTS earns its spot mainly when you already live in the MySQL world.

Key Takeaways

SQLite serializes writes, so one busy app server is its real ceiling.
Postgres 18 is the default that almost never makes you migrate later.
MariaDB fits best when you already run MySQL tooling.
SQLite runs with no daemon and almost no RAM, while Postgres needs tuning.
The SQLite to Postgres jump is a planned move, not an emergency.

What are the best self-hosted databases for web apps in 2026?

For a self-hosted web app, three engines cover almost every case: PostgreSQL is the do-everything default, SQLite is the embedded single-file engine, and MariaDB is the MySQL-compatible community fork. All three are open source and free to run on your own box.

Podman vs Docker for Self-Hosting: I Measured the Difference

For self-hosting on Linux in 2026, Podman is the better default. It has no daemon, runs rootless out of the box, and its Quadlet unit files make containers behave like any other systemd service on your box. I say that as someone whose own stack still runs on Docker . After years of reading that Podman is lighter, faster, and safer, I installed it next to Docker and measured the difference on my own hardware. Some claims held up: rootless Podman with pasta networking (Podman’s user-mode network layer) beat rootful Docker’s bridge on download throughput in every run. There is also no daemon holding memory between deployments. One claim did not survive: the often-repeated “Podman starts containers about 50 ms faster” was a statistical tie on my machine.