Running your own infrastructure at home is easier than ever. With Docker and an old Raspberry Pi or small server, you can host all kinds of fun and useful tools and have them all under your control.
Self-hosting can help you save on subscription fees, gain privacy and flexibility, and can even become a fun hobby. In this blog post, we'll explore eight open source projects you can run yourself, whether on a spare laptop or a rented VPS.
Memos
What it is:
Memos is a lightweight, open source note-taking platform that's great for capturing quick thoughts, todos, and knowledge snippets. It supports Markdown and can be easily deployed with Docker, making it a great choice for running on your home server.
Why it's great:
- 100% private: because you host it yourself, there's no third-party tracking or analytics
- Markdown-based: all your notes stay portable and easy to migrate to other Markdown-based tools
- Free and open source: all features and future updates are available without spending a cent
- Flexible use: works great as a personal notebook or a small team knowledge base
Using Memos is a simple way to replace cloud-based notes apps with something you fully host yourself. For example, you could run it as your private daily log or idea archive, and access it from anywhere on your home network.
There’s also a demo available:
Globalping
What it is:
Globalping is a network measurement platform that lets you run commands like ping, mtr, dig, and http from locations around the world. This is possible because it relies on a distributed network of community-hosted probes that run these commands.
When you host a probe, it automatically joins the Globalping network and can be selected by the Globalping API to execute a user's measurement request.
Why it's great:
- Secure: Probes only communicate with the Globalping API and block potentially dangerous domains and IP ranges
- Earn credits: you can adopt your probe in the free Globalping Dashboard and earn credits for running it, which you can use for additional tests beyond the API rate limits
- Multiple integrations: Run tests via the CLI, Slack app, MCP server, n8n node, directly through the API, or other available integrations.
- Real-world learning: if you're interested in networking, hosting a probe, and experimenting with the Globalping platform is a great way to get practical experience
If you already use Globalping, running a probe is a great way to give back to the community and help improve the platform's global coverage and reliability.
Once adopted, you can view and manage probes in the Globalping Dashboard:
n8n
What it is:
n8n is a workflow automation tool that lets you connect apps and APIs through a visual interface. You can build automated workflows by linking triggers, actions, and logic.
Why it's great:
- Visual builder: "draw" workflows by connecting nodes (apps) and filling out forms to configure them
- No per-task fees: with the self-hosted version, you can create as many projects, users, and workflows as you like without paying a fee
- Extensible: n8n provides hundreds of built-in nodes, and you can also write custom JavaScript and implement complex logic yourself
As an open-source, self-hosted platform, n8n lets you automate interactions between your own services (such as the tools mentioned in this post) without relying on a SaaS platform. For example, you could use it to build a simple monitoring solution for your API, combining a schedule trigger with Globalping to send HTTP requests to your API and send a Slack alert if any problems occur:
ConvertX
What it is:
ConvertX is a self-hosted file conversion service that supports over 1000 formats for video, audio, images, and documents. It runs in Docker and uses industry-standard converters such as FFmpeg, Pandoc, and ImageMagick for a wide range of converting options and high-quality results.
Why it's great:
- Privacy-first: your files stay within your infrastructure, and you don't need to share sensitive data with third parties
- Bulk processing: convert large batches of files without upload or bandwidth limits
- Configurable: environment variables make it easy to adjust your setup
If you regularly convert media or documents and don't want to rely on online converters, ConvertX gives you full control. For example, you could batch-convert video files for your home media server or automatically transform Markdown files into PDFs using an n8n workflow.
Zipline
What it is:
Zipline is a fast file-sharing and URL shortening platform. It includes a dashboard, file gallery, metrics, and support for custom domains.
Why it's great:
- Clean dashboard: manage uploads, folders, and links from one interface
- Authentication options: supports OAuth providers, 2FA, passkeys, and password-protected files and URLs
- Custom domains and vanity URLs: share files under your own branding
- Team-friendly: invite others and configure their upload limits
Zipline is a good choice if you frequently share files and want full control over storage, links, and branding. For example, you could convert a file with ConvertX and automatically upload it to Zipline, generating a short link for sharing with n8n.
BentoPDF
What it is:
BentoPDF is a PDF toolkit focused on your privacy that you can self-host. It comes with a bunch of essential PDF editing and processing tools via a browser-based interface. Like with ConvertX, files never leave your device, and there are no file-size limits or other caps.
Why it's great:
- Rich feature set: merge, split, compress, edit, sign, crop, and more
- Workflow builder: create PDF workflows using a visual node editor
- Well documented: you can find everything you need to know and more about BentoPDF on their GitHub page, with links to tutorials and documentation
- Clear licensing: AGPL-3.0 for open source and personal use, and a commercial license for proprietary applications (one-time payment)
If you regularly work with documents and want a self-hosted alternative to online PDF tools, BentoPDF is a strong option. You could combine it with ConvertX and n8n to automate your document processing workflows.
You can also use the tools on the BentoPDF website to give it a try. Here’s a peek at the workflow builder:
OpenGist
What it is:
OpenGist is a self-hosted pastebin service powered by Git that lets you create, version, and share code or text snippets.
Why it's great:
- Git-powered: clone, pull, and push snippets like a regular repository
- Revision history: it tracks every change you make to your snippets
- Access control: control visibility, manage signups, and configure OAuth2
- Developer-friendly editor: supports syntax highlighting, indentation options, and drag-and-drop file uploads
If you frequently store configuration snippets, scripts, or small code examples, OpenGist keeps them versioned and under your control. For example, you could use it to host reusable configuration snippets without putting them on a public platform.
If you want to try it out first, you can find a demo here:
Beszel
What it is:
Beszel is a lightweight server monitoring solution with a central hub and small agents you install on the systems you want to monitor. It provides a clean web interface and works well in small home setups.
Why it's great:
- Easy setup: simple configuration and quick deployment
- Resource-efficient: runs great on most devices, such as your old Raspberry Pi
- Container insights: shows CPU, memory, and network usage for each Docker container
- Multi-user and API support: includes OAuth authentication and API access
Beszel lets you easily monitor multiple services at home, without the complexity of big monitoring systems. For example, you could monitor your Docker containers, home server, and Raspberry Pi from a single dashboard.
Conclusion
Self-hosting projects can be both fun and practical. With just a small server and Docker, you can run note-taking apps, automation platforms, monitoring tools, file converters, and even contribute to a global measurement network.
To run your own Globalping probe, visit GitHub for the repository and setup instructions:
https://github.com/jsdelivr/globalping-probe
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