Quick Start

Go from “I’ve never self-hosted anything” to “I’m running my own infrastructure” in under an hour. This guide is your roadmap — follow it in order.

Understand the Basics

5 min read

What self-hosting actually means, why you'd do it, and the three things you need. No jargon, no gatekeeping.What is Self-Hosting?

Deploy Your First Tool

5 min hands-on

One Docker command. One running tool. Prove to yourself that self-hosting works. We start with Uptime Kuma — it's beautiful, useful, and takes 30 seconds.Your First Deployment

Get a Real Server

15 min hands-on

Move from localhost to a VPS. We compare providers, recommend the best value, and walk you through SSH hardening, firewalls, and Docker installation.Choosing a Server

Set Up Domains & SSL

10 min hands-on

Give your tools proper domains like uptime.yourdomain.com with automatic HTTPS. We cover Caddy, Nginx Proxy Manager, and Traefik.Setting Up a Reverse Proxy

✓

Deploy Your Starter Kit

20 min hands-on

Your first real stack: Uptime Kuma + Plausible + Coolify. Three tools that replace ~$35/mo in SaaS, all running on a $6/mo server.The AltStack Starter Kit

Prerequisites

Before you start, you need:

A computer with a terminal — Mac Terminal, Windows PowerShell, or any Linux shell
Docker installed — Get Docker (3 minutes)
$0–6/mo budget — Free for localhost experiments, ~$6/mo for a real VPS

That’s genuinely it. No Kubernetes. No cloud certifications. No weekend-long setup marathons.

Fast Track (Experienced Users)

Already comfortable with Docker and have a VPS? Skip straight to the good stuff:

The Starter Kit — Deploy Uptime Kuma + Plausible + Coolify in 20 minutes
Deploy Guides — Pick any of our 65+ tools and ship it
Curated Stacks — Grab a complete toolkit for your use case