Your data.
Your infrastructure.
Your rules.
Practical guides for running Proxmox, Docker, and self-hosted services on budget hardware. Built from a real homelab, not a sponsored lab. New to homelabs? Here's how to build a homelab on a budget. Not sure where to begin? Start here for the full reading order.
Setup Guides
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Jellyfin Hardware Transcoding with Intel QuickSync
Turn on QuickSync hardware transcoding in Jellyfin on Docker. Device passthrough, permissions, the settings that actually matter, and how to prove it is working.
Plex Media Server on a Mini PC: Complete Setup Guide
Run Plex on a low-power mini PC with Docker. Full Compose config, hardware transcoding setup, remote access, and an honest look at what Plex Pass actually costs.
LXC vs VM in Proxmox: When to Use Each (With Real Examples)
A reference list of 18 real homelab services and whether each one belongs in a Proxmox LXC container or a VM, plus the mistake most beginners make with Docker sprawl.
Latest Articles
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Self-Hosting Is Worth It (For This Kind of Person)
Whether self-hosting pays off has almost nothing to do with the math and almost everything to do with your temperament. Here's how to tell which kind of person you are before you spend a dollar.
BookStack vs Outline vs Wiki.js: Which Self-Hosted Wiki for Your Homelab?
A self-hosted wiki comparison for homelabs: BookStack, Outline, and Wiki.js, judged on what they actually cost you in dependencies, RAM, and setup time.
Prebuilt NAS vs DIY: Should You Buy a Synology or Build Your Own?
Synology and UGREEN sell convenience. A DIY build sells capability per dollar. Here's the real cost of each once drives are in, and which one is actually right for a budget homelab.
Mini PC RAM Upgrades for a Homelab: What to Buy and What Actually Fits
RAM is the cheapest upgrade that makes a homelab mini PC useful. Here's how much you actually need, what your machine will really accept, and which kits to buy without wasting money.
Homelab vs. Cloud: The Real Cost After 2 Years of Self-Hosting
Two years ago I projected self-hosting would beat my cloud subscriptions in under a year. Here is the actual 24-month ledger, including the costs I did not predict and the subscriptions I went back to paying.
Homepage vs Glance: The Dashboard I Run vs the One I'm Still Testing
A homelab dashboard comparison: Homepage, my daily driver wired into my whole stack, versus Glance, the newer tool I spun up to evaluate but haven't switched to.