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Getting Started

Everything a beginner needs to go from curiosity to a running home server: what a home server is, why you'd want one, how to choose your first hardware and operating system, and how to avoid the most common mistakes.

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TutorialsGetting StartedBeginner

How to Install Nextcloud with Docker

Deploy a private cloud for files, calendars and contacts using Docker Compose, with MariaDB, Redis, HTTPS and a solid backup plan.

3 min read
ArticlesGetting StartedBeginner

What Is a Home Server? A Plain-English Introduction

A beginner-friendly explanation of what a home server is, what you can do with one, and how to decide if you should build one.

2 min read
ComparisonsGetting StartedBeginner

Nextcloud vs ownCloud

Compare the two private-cloud forks: features, apps, licensing and which fits your homelab.

5 min read
GuidesGetting StartedBeginner

The Complete Home Server Beginner's Guide

Go from zero to a running home server: choose hardware, pick an operating system, deploy your first apps, and keep everything secure and backed up.

2 min read
GuidesGetting StartedBeginner

Self-Hosting Starter Guide: Replace the Cloud

Discover which cloud services you can replace with self-hosted alternatives, and how to get started.

1 min read

Comparisons

Nextcloud · ownCloud

Nextcloud vs ownCloud

Compare the two private-cloud forks: features, apps, licensing and which fits your homelab.

Software

A self-hosted document manager with OCR.

Open sourceFreeSelf-hosted

A lightweight self-hosted Git service.

Open sourceFreeSelf-hosted

A private, self-hosted personal budgeting app.

Open sourceFreeSelf-hosted

Glossary

Home Server

A computer you run at home to provide services such as file storage, media streaming, backups or self-hosted apps to your devices.

Self-Hosting

Running software on hardware you control instead of relying on third-party cloud services.

Homelab

A personal lab environment at home used to learn, experiment with and run IT infrastructure.