Featured Guides
Start here if you're new to self-hosting.
Self-Hosting Tutorials
Browse 138 homelab and self-hosting tutorials. Step-by-step guides for Docker, reverse proxies, VPS
Securing Your VPS: Fail2Ban, UFW, and SSH Hardening for Self-Hosters
Step-by-step VPS security guide covering UFW firewall rules, Fail2Ban intrusion prevention, and SSH
Zero-Trust Access to Self-Hosted Apps Using Cloudflare Tunnel and Docker
Learn how to expose self-hosted Docker apps securely with Cloudflare Tunnel — no open ports, no VPN,
Latest Tutorials
Step-by-step guides. 139 published and counting.
Self-Hosting Tutorials
Browse 138 homelab and self-hosting tutorials. Step-by-step guides for Docker, reverse proxies, VPS
Securing Your VPS: Fail2Ban, UFW, and SSH Hardening for Self-Hosters
Step-by-step VPS security guide covering UFW firewall rules, Fail2Ban intrusion prevention, and SSH
Zero-Trust Access to Self-Hosted Apps Using Cloudflare Tunnel and Docker
Learn how to expose self-hosted Docker apps securely with Cloudflare Tunnel — no open ports, no VPN,
Docker Compose Networking: Isolating Services with Custom Bridge Networks
Learn how to isolate Docker services with custom bridge networks in Compose. Real examples, security
Setting Up Ollama on a VPS: Running Local LLMs in the Cloud
Learn how to install Ollama on a VPS, expose it securely with Caddy, and run open-source LLMs like L
Setting Up Ollama with Open WebUI on a VPS Using Docker Compose
Learn how to deploy Ollama and Open WebUI on a VPS using Docker Compose. Run local LLMs in the cloud
From the Blog
Shorter notes on tradeoffs, gear, and strategy. 0 posts.
Why CompactHost?
Real Commands
No vague architecture diagrams. Every guide has actual config and working commands you can paste.
Honest Tradeoffs
Not everything is worth self-hosting. We tell you which setups are maintenance nightmares and which are set-and-forget.
Home to Small-Team
Whether it's a Raspberry Pi or a used Dell server, the advice scales to your actual hardware.