When it comes to building a home lab, power-guzzling server-grade PCs are the best systems for the job. But things are a bit different when it comes to running apps inside containers. Since containers - especially the ones deployed using Docker - aren't very taxing on your hardware, you don't need server systems armed with tons of CPU cores and more memory than an entire platoon of Macbooks just for containerized workloads.
As long as you've got a high-end model, you can even host some useful services on a Raspberry Pi. So, here are ten apps I self-host on my beloved Raspberry Pi 5 using the black magic of Docker containers.
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Expand your horizons with these apps!
10 Jellyfin
Or your favorite media server
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Self-hosted media servers are a great alternative to conventional subscription-based video streaming platforms if you want more control over your media files. Due to its simple yet bloatware-free design and a lack of paywalled features, Jellyfin is our favorite app for end-to-end media streaming platforms here on XDA.
It's also fairly lightweight and can run inside your Raspberry Pi as a docker container. Unfortunately, Raspberry Pi SBCs are a bit lacking when it comes to transcoding your files in real-time. Therefore, you should only host a Jellyfin server if you're certain you won't need to stream your TV shows and movies at different bit rates on your local devices.
9 LinkAce
A bookmark organizer... that's more useful than it seems
Compared to the other options on this list, LinkAce may seem rather limited in its functionality. But if your bookmark collection is as unorganized as mine, LinkAce becomes quite the essential tool in your self-hosted arsenal.
Apart from helping you manage your bookmarks via a robust tagging system, LinkAce notifies you anytime a link goes offline. If conventional bookmarks aren't your thing, LinkAce also lets you save your favorite websites as bookmarklets featuring JavaScript code.
8 Navidrome
Perfect for audiophiles
One of my biggest gripes with music streaming platforms is that my favorite artists are always under the risk of getting delisted. Pair the constant threat of losing access to your favorite songs with annoying advertisements and limited customizability, and it's clear why self-hosted solutions are better for audiophiles.
With its superb transcoding provisions, support for multiple formats, and intuitive UI, Navidrome is easily one of the most feature-laden music streaming apps. And the best part is that you can run it on most Raspberry Pi boards.
7 Pi-hole
The ol' reliable
As much as I wanted to fill this list with entirely new apps, the article would be incomplete if I didn't mention Pi-hole. For those who aren't familiar with this weirdly-named tool, Pi-hole is an ad-blocker that combines multiple services into a single, lightweight self-hosted solution.
Besides saving your bandwidth by getting rid of pesky advertisements, Pi-hole also lets you blacklist harmful websites and cache DNS requests.
6 Joplin
Obsidian's self-hosted rival
From recording your unique ideas in simple documents to helping you build comprehensive personal knowledge management systems, note-taking apps are a godsend for pretty much every type of user. If you want a centralized server for your notes without paying subscription fees every month, a self-hosted Joplin server might be up your alley.
Thanks to its end-to-end encryption, simple UI, and support for reminders, Joplin is easily our favorite note-taker that you can configure on a Raspberry Pi.
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5 Gitea
Be sure to add Code Server while you're at it
GitHub may be the de-facto tool for most programmers, but there are a couple of better alternatives if you're worried about the privacy of your code. Gitea is one such FOSS tool that you can host on your own hardware - including a miniature Raspberry Pi. While setting it up can be a bit of a pain, Gitea provides most of the essential features of the subscription-based GitHub Enterprise Edition without charging you a single penny.
Heck, you can combine Gitea with the browser-based Code Server and turn your Raspberry Pi into a coding battle station that lets you create, edit, and push repos inside a completely self-hosted environment.
4 Uptime Kuma
To ensure your containers remain operational at all times
When you've got multiple Docker containers deployed on your Raspberry Pi, you'll want a monitoring tool to keep an eye on their operational status. For underpowered systems, Uptime Kuma is an amazing lightweight dashboard app that can run inside a container. Installing it is a piece of cake, and so is adding all your services to its dashboard. For an even more robust Raspberry Pi-powered self-hosting solution, you can configure Uptime Kuma to send notifications to your Docker, Slack, and other accounts anytime a service goes offline.
3 Nextcloud
Your personal file-sharing server
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Due to their privacy issues, online cloud storage platforms aren't the best means to back up confidential data. This makes self-hosted cloud solutions like Nextcloud perfect when you don't want to run the risk of third-party firms tampering with your data.
If you're using one of the newer Raspberry Pi's, you can even run Nextcloud on top of an existing operating system with the help of Docker. Be it simple backups for your local devices or complex file-sharing tasks involving multiple collaborators, the Docker variant of Nextcloud can solve most of your storage woes.
2 Penpot
Why pay extra for a design tool when you can host one on your Raspberry Pi?
Whether you're into creating UI/UX templates or just want a whiteboard for all your ideas, design tools work well when you want to edit the graphical elements of your project. But if you're tired of the abhorrent subscription-based models of Canva and other design applications, Penpot is a fantastic prototyping tool you can host using a Docker container on your Raspberry Pi.
Between its rich template library, support for HTML/CSS/SVG, and collaboration provisions, a local instance of Penpot can serve most of your graphic design needs.
1 Paperless-ngx
Manage your documents like a pro
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Confession time: When I'd initially heard about Paperless-ngx, I wasn't sure how a document manager could be a useful addition to my self-hosted setup. But once I started using it, it instantly became my go-to app to manage all my receipts, bills, and even digital copies of physical documents.
Since Paperless-ngx comes with a powerful tagging system, it simplifies the process of organizing documents. When you're unsure about the name of a file, the app lets you search the text contents of said document. As if that's not enough, Paperless-ngx also lets you automate the process of importing attachments from all your email accounts.
Turning your Raspberry Pi into a full-blown self-hosting hub
Those were ten of my favorite services that I self-host on my Raspberry Pi. But this list would be incomplete if I didn't mention Vaultwarden. Although it lacks a few of the features of Bitwarden, Vaultwarden is perfect when you want to run a password manager without consuming too many system resources. Immich is another service worth mentioning, especially if you have a giant collection of images that need to be sorted out.
And if you're already running these apps, there are plenty more to try out, including Nginx Proxy, Mealie, Firefly (the finance app; not Adobe AI generator), SearXNG, and Tube Archivist.