My experience replacing 4 SaaS subscriptions with self-hosted alternatives in 2026

Over the past year I replaced 4 SaaS tools with self-hosted ones. Total annual savings: ~$900. Here's the rundown.

The 4 swaps

1. Google Drive → Nextcloud

Was paying: $100/year for 2TB
Now: $0 (runs on my NAS)

Setup: ~2 hours including SSL via Caddy. Mobile apps sync automatically. Sharing works via secure links with passwords.

What I lost: real-time collaborative editing (Google Docs). Workaround: OnlyOffice or Collabora. I personally use OnlyOffice for the rare times I need collab.

What I gained: 2TB local storage with no monthly fee, plus my data lives on my NAS.

2. Dropbox → Nextcloud (same machine)

Was paying: $120/year for 2TB (kept separate from Google Drive for work/personal split)
Now: $0

Same Nextcloud instance. Different user accounts.

3. 1Password → Vaultwarden

Was paying: $60/year for family plan
Now: $0 (Vaultwarden container)

Setup: ~30 minutes. Import from 1Password CSV. Mobile apps connect to my Vaultwarden instance.

Caveat: NO 2FA recovery codes. If I lose my 2FA, I'm locked out. I keep a printed copy of the master password in a fireproof safe.

4. Trello → Focalboard

Was paying: $60/year for 3 users
Now: $0

Setup: ~20 minutes. SQLite-backed, very lightweight.

Caveat: Limited integrations vs Trello. For me this was fine — I just needed kanban.

Total savings

• Before: $340/year for 4 SaaS tools
• After: $0/year (plus electricity ~$50/year for the NAS)
• Net savings: ~$290/year, breaks even in 18 months vs the NAS hardware cost ($1500)

What I wouldn't self-host

• Email: still use Fastmail. Running your own email is a nightmare (deliverability, spam filters, DKIM/SPF/DMARC).
• Banking apps: not happening.
• Streaming: I do use Plex but keep Netflix for the back catalog.
• Photo printing: Shutterfly etc.

Rule of thumb: self-host if you need the data locally anyway OR the SaaS is overpriced for what you use.

The real cost of self-hosting

It's not just hardware. It's:

• 2-4 hours/month maintenance (updates, backups, monitoring)
• Occasional breakages (Docker update breaks Nextcloud, etc.)
• Electricity (~$50/year)
• Time to learn Docker basics

For me it's worth it. For my non-technical friends, it isn't. I tell them to keep paying for SaaS.

What I'd do differently

• Start with Vaultwarden — it's the easiest win. Most people can replace 1Password in 30 minutes.
• Skip Focalboard if you're solo — Trello free tier is enough.
• Use a reverse proxy (Caddy or Nginx Proxy Manager) — SSL termination in one place.
• Document your setup — when something breaks at 2am, you want to read your own notes, not debug from scratch.

A word on WebDAV

All of the above tools support WebDAV. If you only need file access (not the full Nextcloud app), a WebDAV client works great for syncing files. It's lighter than Nextcloud desktop client and works with any cloud storage that exposes WebDAV.

When SaaS wins

Honestly: most of the time. SaaS is convenient, reliable, and you don't have to think about it. Self-hosting only wins when:

• You care about data ownership
• You have technical skills
• The SaaS is overpriced for your usage
• You enjoy tinkering

Otherwise, just pay the SaaS and use the time for something else.

TL;DR

Replaced 4 SaaS tools with self-hosted alternatives. Saved $290/year. Spent $1500 on a NAS that pays for itself in ~5 years. If you enjoy tinkering and value data ownership, do it. Otherwise, pay for SaaS and don't look back.