Self-hosting may require an up-front investment, but over time you can save money and avoid costly ongoing subscription fees. These services can also make your hobbies more accessible and satisfying, which helps justify the modest effort and cost involved.
Immich to index photos and videos
Great for photographers (or anyone with a smartphone)
Immich is a popular and well-maintained photo and video management platform. In addition to offering a compelling self-hosted alternative to Google Photos and Apple iCloud for smartphone media, the platform is great for budding photographers who are looking for a way to organize a swelling collection.
Immich makes it easy to access, browse, and download your collection from a web browser or dedicated mobile app. You can search, organize, filter, make light edits, and download images on demand. Immich includes support for a vast range of file types (including RAW images), EXIF data, data backup, duplicate removal, sharing, AI tools (where hardware allows), offline access, and more.
BookLore for reading eBooks
Store centrally, read everywhere
I always thought Calibre was the way to go for eBooks until I discovered BookLore. This modern solution to the “eBook shelf” problem is easy to set up and comes with all the bells and whistles I was looking for in an eBook management solution. All you need to do is host a Docker container and point BookLore at a local file system (network mounts are presently unsupported).
BookLore pulls in metadata automatically, includes a built-in web reader, lets you organize your collection manually or with “Magic Shelves” based on rules, and even supports multiple users. Most importantly, BookLore will sync progress with readers like KOReader for jailbroken Kindles and Kobo, plus mobile apps.
Alternatively, you can one-click share to untouched Kindles and friends.
Audiobookshelf for audiobooks and podcasts
Listen up
Wish you could show Audible the door but love the convenience of a hub for your audiobook listening needs? That’s where Audiobookshelf comes in. This open-source audiobook management system keeps your collection organized, maintains progress, supports real-time streaming, and even comes with its own mobile apps (though both are currently in beta).
Create multiple user accounts for different listeners, with metadata backup just in case something bad happens. You can even add podcasts, eBooks, and comics to your library, and serve those up while you’re at it. It’s lightweight enough that it will even run on a Raspberry Pi.
Komga for your comic book habit
Say “Ka-pow” to your comic subscription
Komga is a media server that’s been designed specifically with comic books in mind. Feed it your CBR and CBZ files, and it will scan for metadata, organize your collection, get rid of duplicates, and even allow you to download files directly. Most importantly, Komga keeps track of progress on a per-user basis. This works with OPDS-compliant mobile apps, Kobo readers, and KOReader for jailbroken Kindles.
On top of this, you can use Komga with EPUB and PDF files for standard eBook support too.
Outline for shared projects and pastimes like roleplaying games
Make sure everyone is on the same page
Outline describes itself as “a fast, collaborative, knowledge base for your team.” While this might sound a bit “corporate,” Outline is essentially an information hub that functions a lot like a self-hosted Notion or personal wiki. That makes it ideal for keeping track of shared projects, like a tabletop campaign.
Though you can pay monthly for a hosted version of Outline, hosting it yourself is relatively straightforward thanks to Docker. Documentation is formatted using Markdown, and deciding who can see and edit the contents makes it easy to manage a team.
Many use this to keep track of roleplaying campaign progress and character builds, but you could use it for a vast range of collaborative projects.
Mealie for your recipe collection
Because food is more than sustenance
Some families have recipe books that are handed down, stained with kitchen spills, and held together with tape and elastic bands. While physical keepsakes are great, digital collections are more resilient and offer easier access. Mealie is one such self-hosted solution that can be as simple or complex as you like.
Transfer generations-old recipes into Mealie and keep them safe forever. Add images, nutritional information, organize with tags, share your recipes with multiple users, and much more. You can even import recipes directly from the web, use webhooks and an API to interact with other services, and schedule routine backups to keep your collection safe.
Bookstack to satisfy your need to document everything
Because your homelab is a hobby too
While Outline is great for managing a team, it stops short of the traditional wiki experience. BookStack takes a more traditional approach to storing and organizing information, and that makes it perfect for keeping important documentation on hand regarding your homelab.
Let’s be honest, if you’re going as far as setting up media libraries and audiobook servers, you’re already well down the homelab rabbit hole. You’ll also likely encounter some quirks along the way that you’ll probably want to document so you know what you’ve done and how to replicate it in future. BookStack is perfect for your nerdiest hobby of all!
There’s too many to mention
If you thought I’d forgotten about 3D printing, think again. The simple fact of the matter is that there are too many to mention here, so we’ve created a separate list of self-hosted 3D printing tools you can read instead!
- Brand
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GEEKOM
- CPU
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AMD Ryzen 5 7545U
The GEEKOM A7 Mini PC’s 2026 refresh comes with a lot of nice features. For starters, it ships with Windows 11 Pro pre-installed and activated. It also features a 40Gb/s USB4 port on the back, alongside 2.5 Gigabit Networking built-in. Add to that the ultra-compact size and plethora of ports, and this mini PC is ready for whatever you need.
If this list of useful tools has piqued your interest but you haven’t got a homelab yet, learn how to get started self-hosting your own services including which hardware works best for a beginner.
