Why "Ditch the Cloud"?
Why I started this site, what you'll find here, and why self-hosting is worth your time.
The cloud is just someone else's computer. That's not inherently bad — but it means someone else sets the rules, someone else sees your data, and someone else decides the price. And when they decide to shut it down, raise the rate, or change the terms? You're along for the ride.
Self-hosting flips the script. You run the services. You own the data. You control the costs.
Who's Behind This
I run a fully self-hosted smart home off-grid on solar — Home Assistant, Frigate NVR with local AI detection, local voice control, self-hosted media, and a Proxmox server tying it all together. If it can run without phoning home, I've probably tried it. This blog is where I share what I've learned building it.
What You'll Find Here
I'll be writing about the stuff I've actually built and run: replacing cloud services with things you own, setting up infrastructure that doesn't phone home, and securing it all without needing a dedicated IT team.
Expect practical, real-world guides covering:
- Getting started — hardware choices, operating systems, and your first self-hosted services
- Replacing cloud services — Google Drive, Gmail, photo storage, password managers, and more
- Infrastructure — reverse proxies, DNS, VPNs, backups, and monitoring
- Security — hardening your setup so you can sleep at night
Every guide will be tested on real hardware, written for people who value their time, and updated when things change.
The Stack
This site itself is a good example of the philosophy:
- Astro for static site generation — fast, no JavaScript shipped to the browser by default
- Keystatic for content management — a local-first CMS that stores content as files in the repo
- Gitea for source control — self-hosted Git, keeping even the source code off someone else's platform
No monthly CMS fees. No vendor lock-in. Full control over every piece of content.
Stay Tuned
I've got a lot of guides planned. If you're tired of subscription fatigue, privacy erosion, and services that disappear overnight — you're in the right place.
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