I don’t have a home server yet but I’m exploring and sometimes I get confused about some posts here.
For example I saw a post asking for recommendation for a “self hosted budget management app”. Can’t you just install this type of app to your phone or pc? What’s the purpose here, will you host it and access it from a browser? Or do you only want to backup its data to your server?
I hope I don’t sound stupid please enlighten me.
Total control. Let’s take the budgeting app for example. I started using Mint in 2009. There’s more than a decade worth of banking, spending, and investment information in there.
Mint is shuttering in about a month. They gave all their users a month and a half notice. When it’s gone, it’s gone.
When a self hosted app is used (with appropriate backups, orchestration, etc) YOU the user get to decide when you’re done.
If something isn’t working for your life anymore, you can find an alternative and migrate everything over on your own schedule.
There’s more than a decade worth of banking, spending, and investment information in there.
That’s the real reason I would self host something like a budget app. I don’t want a company like Mint to have (and sell) my purchasing and financial history.
Too bad all the payment processors are already doing this anyways, regardless or not if you are using your own budgeting software.
Basically if you’ve ever used Plaid for anything, the company that you’re using Plaid for has all of your accounting history.
Not saying you shouldn’t use your own budgeting software too (I do) just pointing out how completely helpless the situation is if you are in the US.
So we retain control over our private data. Do not trust corporations to value me or my data.
Can’t you just install this type of app to your phone or pc?
Sure, but then the data is, in most cases, not mine. It’s shared with some 3rd party. “Free” apps aren’t ever free. No such thing as “free”. You’re always paying with something.
Other than that, it’s a hobby. Learning hosting, docker, containers, servers, Linux, etc.
“self hosted budget management app”. Can’t you just install this type of app to your phone or pc? What’s the purpose here, will you host it and access it from a browser? Or do you only want to backup its data to your server?
I don’t want some third party having access to all of my transaction history and knowing what I spend and where.
I hope I don’t sound stupid please enlighten me.
Your question isn’t stupid. There is an important decision you need to make on “is the juice worth the squeeze.” While you can selfhost a lot of stuff sometimes there’s better reasons not to. Email is primary example that gets brought up a lot. Sure you CAN self host it, but for a lot of people on this sub it’s not worth the effort required to do so.
Each person has to make that decision for each of the things they choose to self host. Budget apps are no different.
When you use a “free” app, you pay with your data.
Thats something a lot of us don’t want to. Additionally, it makes fun and is kind of a hobby to build and maintain this stuff.