Comparisons

Traefik vs Caddy vs Nginx Proxy Manager: Reverse Proxy Showdown 2026 Every self-hoster hits the same wall: you’ve got a dozen services running on different ports, and you want clean URLs with HTTPS. You need a reverse proxy. The question is which one. Traefik, Caddy, and Nginx Proxy Manager are the three most popular choices in the self-hosting world. They all solve the same core problem — route app.yourdomain.com to the right container with automatic SSL — but they do it very differently. ...

If you’re leaving Google Photos (or Apple iCloud, or Amazon Photos), you’ve probably narrowed it down to two options: Photoprism and Immich. Both are excellent. Both are self-hosted. Both will keep your photos private. But they’re built for different people. Here’s the honest breakdown after running both in production throughout 2025 and into 2026. The Quick Answer Choose Immich if you want a Google Photos replacement with automatic mobile backups and you’re comfortable with a fast-moving project that occasionally has breaking changes. ...

Choosing a reverse proxy is one of the first big decisions when self-hosting. It sits in front of all your services, handles SSL certificates, and routes traffic to the right container. Pick the wrong one and you’ll waste hours fighting configuration files. This guide compares the three most popular options — Nginx Proxy Manager, Caddy, and Traefik — from a beginner’s perspective. By the end, you’ll know exactly which one to start with. ...

Every self-hosting journey starts with the same question: where do I run my stuff? While a Raspberry Pi or old laptop works for tinkering, a VPS (Virtual Private Server) gives you a public IP, reliable uptime, and enough power to run dozens of services. But there are hundreds of VPS providers. This guide cuts through the noise and compares the six best options for self-hosters in 2026, based on what actually matters: price per performance, network quality, Docker support, and the little details that make daily management easier. ...

Remote access to your self-hosted services is essential. Whether you’re checking on your media server from a coffee shop or managing your homelab while traveling, a VPN creates a secure tunnel back to your network. But which VPN should you run? The three dominant options — WireGuard, OpenVPN, and Tailscale — take very different approaches. This guide compares all three so you can make the right choice for your setup. ...

Choosing a media server for your home setup is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as a self-hoster. Jellyfin and Plex are the two most popular options, but they take fundamentally different approaches. In this comprehensive comparison, I’ll help you decide which one is right for your needs. The Quick Answer Choose Jellyfin if: You want a completely free, open-source solution with no accounts required and full control over your data. ...