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docs/app/concepts/hardware/page.mdx
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title: "Hardware & VPS Sizing"
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description: "How much RAM, CPU, and disk you actually need for self-hosting. VPS provider comparison and scaling strategies."
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---
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# Hardware & VPS Sizing
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The #1 question new self-hosters ask: **"What server do I need?"**
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Short answer: less than you think to start, more than you think once you're hooked.
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## Quick Sizing Guide
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### How Much RAM Do I Need?
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| Setup | RAM | What You Can Run |
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|---|---|---|
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| **Starter** | 2 GB | 1–2 lightweight tools (Uptime Kuma, Plausible) |
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| **Hobbyist** | 4 GB | 3–5 tools + a database + reverse proxy |
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| **Power User** | 8 GB | 8–12 tools + multiple databases |
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| **Homelab** | 16 GB | Everything + AI models (small ones) |
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| **AI Workloads** | 32+ GB | LLMs, image generation, video AI |
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> 💡 **Start with 4 GB.** You can always upgrade. Most VPS providers let you resize without downtime.
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### CPU Guidelines
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| Workload | vCPUs Needed |
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|---|---|
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| Static tools (Uptime Kuma, PocketBase) | 1 vCPU |
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| Web apps (Plausible, Outline, n8n) | 2 vCPUs |
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| Heavy apps (PostHog, Supabase, Metabase) | 4 vCPUs |
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| AI inference (Ollama, Stable Diffusion) | 4+ vCPUs + GPU |
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### Disk Space
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| Component | Typical Usage |
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|---|---|
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| Base OS + Docker | 5–8 GB |
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| Each Docker image | 100 MB – 2 GB |
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| PostgreSQL database (small app) | 500 MB – 5 GB |
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| Log files (unmanaged) | 1–10 GB |
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| AI models (per model) | 4–70 GB |
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**Minimum recommended:** 50 GB SSD.
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**Comfortable:** 80–160 GB SSD.
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**AI workloads:** 200+ GB NVMe.
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## VPS Provider Comparison
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| Provider | Starting At | Pros | Best For |
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|---|---|---|---|
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| [**DigitalOcean**](https://m.do.co/c/2ed27757a361) | $6/mo (1 GB) | Simple UI, great docs, predictable pricing | Beginners |
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| **Hetzner** | €3.79/mo (2 GB) | Best price-to-performance in EU | Power users, EU hosting |
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| **Contabo** | €5.99/mo (4 GB) | Cheapest for RAM-heavy setups | Budget homelab |
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| **Linode (Akamai)** | $5/mo (1 GB) | Reliable, good network | Small projects |
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| **Vultr** | $5/mo (1 GB) | Global locations, hourly billing | Testing and experimentation |
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| **Oracle Cloud** | Free (4 vCPUs, 24 GB ARM) | Unbeatable free tier | Zero-budget hosting |
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| **Home Server** | One-time cost | Full control, unlimited bandwidth | Privacy maximalists |
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> 🏆 **Our Pick:** [DigitalOcean](https://m.do.co/c/2ed27757a361) for beginners (simple, reliable, [$200 free credit](https://m.do.co/c/2ed27757a361)). **Hetzner** for best value. **Oracle Cloud free tier** if you want to pay nothing.
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## Real-World Stack Sizing
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Here's what actual AltStack setups typically need:
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### The Bootstrapper Stack (4 GB RAM)
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- Coolify (deployment platform)
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- Plausible (analytics)
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- Uptime Kuma (monitoring)
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- Listmonk (newsletters)
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- Caddy (reverse proxy)
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### The Privacy Stack (4 GB RAM)
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- Vaultwarden (passwords)
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- Jitsi Meet (video calls)
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- Mattermost (messaging)
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- Caddy (reverse proxy)
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### The AI Stack (16–32 GB RAM)
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- Ollama (LLM inference)
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- Stable Diffusion (image generation)
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- TabbyML (code completion)
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- Continue.dev (AI coding)
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## Scaling Strategies
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### Vertical Scaling (Bigger Server)
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The simplest approach. Just resize your VPS:
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- **DigitalOcean:** Resize droplet (takes ~1 minute)
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- **Hetzner:** Rescale server (may require reboot)
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- **Home server:** Add RAM sticks
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### Horizontal Scaling (More Servers)
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When one server isn't enough:
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```
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Server 1: Databases (Postgres, Redis)
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Server 2: Application containers
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Server 3: AI workloads (GPU)
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```
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Connect them with a private network (most VPS providers offer this for free) or a VPN like WireGuard.
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### The "Start Small" Strategy
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1. **Month 1:** $6/mo droplet (1 GB) — Deploy 1–2 tools
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2. **Month 3:** Resize to $12/mo (2 GB) — Add more tools
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3. **Month 6:** Resize to $24/mo (4 GB) — Running your full stack
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4. **Month 12+:** Add a second server or move to Hetzner for better value
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## Monitoring Your Resources
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Always know how much headroom you have:
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```bash
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# Quick resource check
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free -h # RAM usage
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df -h # Disk usage
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nproc # CPU cores
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uptime # Load average
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# Docker resource usage
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docker stats # Live container metrics
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docker system df # Docker disk usage
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```
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## Red Flags
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🚩 **RAM constantly above 90%** → Resize or move a service to another server.
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🚩 **Disk above 80%** → Clean Docker images (`docker system prune -f`) or resize disk.
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🚩 **CPU at 100% for extended periods** → Check which container is the culprit with `docker stats`.
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🚩 **Swap usage above 1 GB** → You need more RAM. Swap is a band-aid, not a solution.
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## Next Steps
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→ [Quick Start](/quick-start) — Deploy your first tool
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→ [Deploy Guides](/deploy) — Browse 65+ tools
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→ [Docker in 10 Minutes](/concepts/docker-basics) — Foundation knowledge
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