Why I Self-Host My Entire Backend on a $4 Server
Managed databases cost $20-100/month for what is essentially a $4 VPS with a nice UI. I got tired of this and built nSelf to make self-hosting as easy as one command.
I have been paying for managed cloud services for years. Neon for Postgres, Auth0 for auth, S3 for files. Each one costs $20-50/month, and each one adds another vendor, another dashboard, and another set of breaking changes to manage. In August 2025 I decided to consolidate everything onto one server I control.
The result is nSelf, an open-source CLI that stands up a full backend stack with a single command. PostgreSQL 16 for the database (it just keeps getting better). Hasura for an instant GraphQL API with fine-grained permissions. Hasura Auth for JWT-based authentication and OAuth. MinIO for S3-compatible storage. Redis for caching and sessions. Nginx to put it all behind HTTPS with real domains.
Total cost: one Hetzner CX23 at about $4/month. No per-row pricing, no connection pooler fees, no egress costs, no billing surprises. I own the data, I own the backups, and I can move to a different provider in an afternoon if Hetzner does something I do not like.
The tradeoff is real: you are responsible for your own uptime, backups, and security patches. But the operational work is smaller than people think. Docker handles process management. Automated backups run on a cron job. Security patches come through apt. For a solo developer or small team, the cost savings far outweigh the extra thirty minutes a month of maintenance.
The first public release of nSelf was v0.3.0 on August 11, 2025. It has been in continuous development since, and the stack now runs production workloads for multiple sites.