If you are a productivity enthusiast or work pretty much exclusively on a computer, there’s a good chance you are hooked to a bunch of web-based apps for daily use.
From productivity enhancers like project management tools to accounting software, personal dashboards, and more, practically every web-based service has switched to a subscription model.
Sure, you might start with the basic free tier, but essential features are often locked behind paywalls. But there’s a better way.
I’ve spent the last week testing out some of the best self-hosted productivity apps that are both free and feature-packed. This list highlights the best self-hosted apps for productivity nerds.
Getting started
Getting started with hosting your apps doesn’t require an engineering degree. However, it will require some knowledge of a few SSH commands and setting up a server.
In this article, we will focus more on Docker-based installs. The containerization software ensures that all relevant files and dependencies are automatically installed. One of the most affordable ways to get started is via DigitalOcean.
DigitalOcean droplets can cost as little as $4 a month for an entry-level configuration for light use. All the services in this list were tested using a droplet with 2GB of RAM and 2 CPU cores allocated to it.
You will need SSH access to the webserver to install all the apps on this list, but that’s easy enough. On a Mac or Linux, you can just fire up the Terminal app. If you are on Windows, installing Putty is the way to go.
From there, type in the command ssh root@<IP address>. Enter your password, and that’s it. You now have full access to your remote server.
Heads up: some apps will require you to edit a .env or environment file to configure basic settings. That, too, is easy enough using the built-in nano text editor. Just type out nano .env, and you’ll dive right into the file. Make the needed changes, save, and proceed.
Container management – Portainer
The first app on our list isn’t a productivity app per se, but it’ll make managing all the apps we install much easier. Portainer offers a graphical interface to manage Docker containers and lets you start, stop, restart, or even delete apps using a click versus diving into the terminal every single time. Installing Portainer only requires two commands that you can copy and paste from the company’s website.
Once logged in, tap the live connect button to connect Portainer with the Docker instances running on your server. You can now follow through the dashboard to control all the services running.
Start page – Dashy
A self-hosted start-up page is an excellent way to customize your browser’s home page and get quick access to shortcuts, tiles that show off photos, or an overview of your system status. Dashy provides an aesthetically pleasing way to do just that with several built-in themes and easy customization.
Dashy stands out from other alternatives with its support for multiple workspaces. I find separating personal bookmarks and work-related dashboards to be an easy way to achieve work-life balance in my browser.
Dashy’s interactive editor is also a step above the configuration-based editors many other dashboards offer. If you are new to self-hosted apps and configuration files, you might still have to spend some time with the documentation, but by and large, the barrier to entry here is low. The community forums are also chock-full of examples of custom dashboards to inspire you, or even copy configuration snippets from.
Bookmark management – LinkDing
LinkDing is laser-focused on pure and simple bookmarking, and is better for it than the rest. While many open-source solutions tend to go overboard with features, LinkDing keeps it simple.
Tap the Add Bookmark button, enter the URL, and the utility automatically populates info like the page title and description. You can also add tags for better organization.
The speed of the app is what stands out to me in particular. You can also search for bookmarks and tags directly from the homepage, making it a cinch to find a specific how-to or article you’ve saved for later reading.
Don’t mind its simplistic interface, though. Diving into the settings reveals a lot more functionality. For example, LinkDing can archive every bookmark to the Internet Archive, ensuring that you can always go back to the source even if the website goes down.
Of course, the app comes with accompanying Chrome and Firefox bookmarklets that make saving a web page a one-click affair.
Note-taking – Flatnotes
What Flatnotes lacks in tagging and management, this note-taking app makes up for with its fluid and well-laid-out interface.
The app is easy to install using Docker and takes minutes to get up and running. Just tap the New Note button, and start writing. If you prefer Markdown, you can use the in-built preview option to see how your text will look at any time.
The lack of tagging makes it a bit inconvenient if you plan to jot down thousands of notes, but the built-in search function is quick enough and can search within text as well.
Compared to alternatives like BeNotes, Flatnotes is more suited for folks who prefer intentional tagging. It’s also a great choice for anyone who prefers to get to the task at hand instead of fiddling with settings.
Project management – Vikunja
Having worked remotely for years, I’ve tried out most project management apps out there. However, I haven’t really seen any of them achieve a balance of fluidity, ease of use, and features quite like Vikunja.
This free-to-use self-hosted project management tool doesn’t overload you with too much information on the home screen. In fact, its clean look encourages you to add in a task or quickly jump into existing tasks right away.
Under the hood, you’ll find all the features you’d expect from a modern project management app, like the ability to separate tasks by project, add labels, priority status, progress, and more.
Vikunja also comes with multi-user capabilities. This allows you to assign tasks to users, set due dates, and even build relational tasks that work across projects.
Overall, the tool works well for a small to medium organization and is simple enough to double up as a management tool for personal chores.
Issue tracking – Plane
If you need something geared a bit more towards professional or business use, Plane might be a better fit. Designed as an open-source issue tracker similar to Jira, Plane’s terminology is geared towards clearing issues instead of helping you better manage tasks.
Plane’s overarching view of the number of open tasks, users who have closed the most issues, and more are excellent tools for data fiends. However, some of Plane’s best features are tucked behind a paywall. For example, you’ll need a Pro plan to spot high-priority issues in a separate window.
Similarly, if you want to gauge team performances based on their ability to clear tasks, that’s a Pro feature as well.
File syncing – SyncThing
SyncThing is a P2P application that keeps your folders continuously synced across computers and phones. It is also on our list of the best backup software for Linux.
Once installed, there’s not much configuration required to start using it. You can, and should set up a username and password to keep your instance secure, though.
SyncThing assigns each instance a Device ID, the identifier used to connect devices. Tapping the remote device button lets you add Device IDs for additional computers and phones, and set up folders to be shared.
Here’s where it gets interesting. Since Syncthing is a P2P tool, the two nodes at either end must be online to sync things. As such, a cloud instance can be configured as a gateway to hold files temporarily. This is particularly useful if you wish to transfer files to a computer back at home while on vacation.
If your computer is switched off, you can configure your phone to back up photos or any other file in your cloud instance. Your computer will then pull down these photos the next time it is switched on.
When hosted locally, SyncThing is an excellent tool to beam over files from multiple devices to a single computer or NAS. It just works.
File sharing and storage – Filegator
If your file management requirements are less about syncing and more about cloud-based storage, FileGator will be right up your alley. The free and open-source software keeps things light and simple with its basic feature set.
Once installed, you can easily create new folders and upload files to them. File management options are limited to the usual functions like copy, paste, move, download, and the ability to create a zip file out of multiple files.
You can, however, create multiple users and even set up guest access to allow users to download files via a shared link.
Tips for self-hosting apps
If you’re just getting started with self-hosted apps, it might be a good idea to first install Docker on your computer and get accustomed to all the different options available. Not only is it faster, but it can also save you a bit of money in hosting fees and computing time.
Another rookie mistake is to set the same port for multiple apps accidentally. This won’t allow the secondary app to install and can occasionally disrupt the original app, too. When entering the commands into the terminal app, make sure you set a unique four-digit port number. The aforementioned Portainer is a great way to keep an eye on all the ports that have already been allocated to apps.
Finally, you might be tempted to run the apps on a spare computer and use a reverse proxy service like Tailscale to access them remotely. However, if you are just starting with self-hosting, this can lead to lapses in security and allow unwanted bad actors to access your server. Paying a few dollars a month for a remote server can help mitigate the risk to a large degree while also offering greater reliability and reducing power consumption by not having your server switched on all the time.
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