"What should I actually run on it?" is the question everyone asks the week they rent their first server. There are thousands of self-hosted apps. Here are the nine I'd point a beginner at, in the order I'd install them, because each one makes the next easier.
Every app here is free and open source, runs in Docker Compose, and has a step-by-step guide on this site written the same way: localhost first, HTTPS when you're ready, and a real answer to "how do I back this up?"
The short version
| # | App | Replaces | RAM (roughly) | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nginx Proxy Manager | Fiddly Nginx configs | ~150 MB | VPS |
| 2 | Uptime Kuma | UptimeRobot, Pingdom | ~150 MB | VPS |
| 3 | Vaultwarden | 1Password, LastPass | ~50 MB | VPS |
| 4 | Immich | Google Photos, iCloud Photos | 2 GB+ | Either |
| 5 | Paperless-ngx | A filing cabinet | ~1–2 GB | Either |
| 6 | Nextcloud | Google Drive, Dropbox | 2–4 GB | Either |
| 7 | Jellyfin | Netflix, Plex | 1 GB+, more to transcode | Home |
| 8 | Home Assistant | Vendor smart-home apps | ~1 GB | Home |
| 9 | Coolify | Heroku, Vercel | 2 GB+ | VPS |
RAM figures are ballpark numbers for a light, single-person setup. They grow with usage, libraries and optional features.
1–2: the foundation
Nginx Proxy Manager comes first, even though it does nothing visible on its own. It's the front door: it takes vault.yoursite.com, photos.yoursite.com and so on, gets a free HTTPS certificate for each, and passes the traffic to the right container. Every guide after this one plugs into it.
Uptime Kuma is second because the moment you host something people rely on, you want to know when it's down before they tell you. Point it at each app as you add it, and it'll message you when something stops answering.
3: the one that pays for the server
If you only install one "real" app, make it Vaultwarden. It's a password manager server that works with the official Bitwarden apps on every device, uses about 50 MB of RAM, and replaces a subscription most people already pay for. It's also a great teacher: it requires HTTPS, so it's the app that makes you get the proxy step right.
4–6: your stuff, on your server
These three hold things you can't replace, so this is where backups stop being optional:
- Immich backs up your phone's camera roll automatically and feels remarkably like Google Photos, face recognition included.
- Paperless-ngx turns scanned letters and PDF bills into a searchable archive. It's the most quietly life-improving app on this list.
- Nextcloud is the big one: file sync, calendars, contacts, even an office suite. It's also the heaviest and most involved, which is why it's sixth and not first.
7–8: better at home
Jellyfin (your own Netflix) and Home Assistant (your own smart-home hub) are brilliant, but both usually belong on a small computer at home rather than a VPS. Media libraries are huge and transcoding is CPU-hungry, and Home Assistant has to talk to devices on your home network. Their guides explain how to reach them from anywhere anyway.
9: when you start building things
Coolify turns your server into a private app platform: push code to Git and it deploys. It's last on the list because it manages Docker for you, and it's much easier to appreciate (and debug) once you've done the steps above by hand.
How I'd actually pace it
One app a weekend. Install it, use it for a week, back it up, test the restore, then add the next. Self-hosting goes wrong when people install eight things on day one and then can't tell which one is eating the server's memory. Mine runs nineteen sites and a handful of containers on 8 GB of RAM, and I still add things one at a time.