When to install software and when not to.
WHAT SELF-HOSTING GIVES YOU
Control over your data No per-user subscription costs The ability to modify and extend Independence from a service that may change or close
WHAT IT COSTS
Installation and configuration Updates, indefinitely Backups, and testing them Security, which is yours Being the person who fixes it when it breaks Eventual migration when the platform is abandoned
WHEN IT MAKES SENSE
A website or shop, where self-hosting is the norm and the tooling is mature Where data control is a genuine requirement Where the economics at your scale clearly favour it Where you have the skills and the time
WHEN IT DOES NOT
Email, at any scale beyond basic mailboxes File sync for a team Project management, for a small team Anything requiring persistent processes on shared hosting Anything where the maintenance exceeds the value
THE HONEST TEST
Will you still be updating this in two years? If not, use a hosted service. An abandoned self-hosted application is a liability rather than an asset.
