From PaaS to VPS: My Roadmap to Self-Hosting My SaaS

Ümüd Abbaslı — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 23:10:03 +0000

I’ve been building my projects with Nuxt 4 and loving the speed of PaaS platforms. They are incredible for getting started quickly. But recently, I wanted to understand what's happening "under the hood" and find a more predictable way to manage my infrastructure.

I decided to move my projects to a VPS.

My goal wasn't to bash any platform, but rather to gain more control and keep my monthly infrastructure costs predictable (around $5-$10).

The Challenge: Self-hosting isn't always easy

I'm not a full-time sysadmin. I spent a lot of time debugging port conflicts, Docker issues, and webhook configurations. But honestly? It was a great learning experience.

I found CapRover to be a game-changer. It gives me that "PaaS-like" experience on my own server—git push deployments, easy database management, and a clean dashboard.

Adding a layer of Security

I know self-hosting raises security concerns. For now, I’ve set up Cloudflare in front of my VPS as a solid first layer. It handles SSL certificates automatically (saving me from those annoying extra fees some domain registrars charge) and provides basic caching.

Is this "hardcore" enterprise security? Not yet. Right now, I’m managing ports manually and keeping things locked down at the firewall level, which works for my current needs. It’s a pragmatic start, not a fortress—but it gets me 80% of the way there.

I need your feedback!

I’m currently documenting this whole journey. I’m thinking about creating a detailed "Survival Kit"—basically, all the config files (Docker, CapRover, Cloudflare setup) and a step-by-step guide to help others avoid the 40+ failures I had to go through.

I’m curious: Is this something you would find valuable? Also, if there's enough interest, I'm planning a separate deep-dive post on server hardening and advanced security measures—would you like to see that?

Let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear your thoughts!

DEV Community: Ümüd Abbaslı

From PaaS to VPS: My Roadmap to Self-Hosting My SaaS