--- title: Quick Start description: "Your roadmap to self-hosting independence. Go from zero to a running infrastructure in under an hour." --- import { Clock, Server, Shield, Rocket, ArrowRight, CheckCircle } from 'lucide-react' # Quick Start **Go from "I've never self-hosted anything" to "I'm running my own infrastructure" in under an hour.** This guide is your roadmap — follow it in order.
{"1"}

{"Understand the Basics"}

{" 5 min read"}
{"What self-hosting actually means, why you'd do it, and the three things you need. No jargon, no gatekeeping."} {"What is Self-Hosting?"}
{"2"}

{"Deploy Your First Tool"}

{" 5 min hands-on"}
{"One Docker command. One running tool. Prove to yourself that self-hosting works. We start with Uptime Kuma — it's beautiful, useful, and takes 30 seconds."} {"Your First Deployment"}
{"3"}

{"Get a Real Server"}

{" 15 min hands-on"}
{"Move from localhost to a VPS. We compare providers, recommend the best value, and walk you through SSH hardening, firewalls, and Docker installation."} {"Choosing a Server"}
{"4"}

{"Set Up Domains & SSL"}

{" 10 min hands-on"}
{"Give your tools proper domains like "}{"uptime.yourdomain.com"}{" with automatic HTTPS. We cover Caddy, Nginx Proxy Manager, and Traefik."} {"Setting Up a Reverse Proxy"}
{"✓"}

{"Deploy Your Starter Kit"}

{" 20 min hands-on"}
{"Your first real stack: Uptime Kuma + Plausible + Coolify. Three tools that replace ~$35/mo in SaaS, all running on a $6/mo server."} {"The AltStack Starter Kit"}
--- ## Prerequisites Before you start, you need: - **A computer with a terminal** — Mac Terminal, Windows PowerShell, or any Linux shell - **Docker installed** — [Get Docker](https://docs.docker.com/get-docker/) (3 minutes) - **$0–6/mo budget** — Free for localhost experiments, ~$6/mo for a real VPS That's genuinely it. No Kubernetes. No cloud certifications. No weekend-long setup marathons. ## Fast Track (Experienced Users) Already comfortable with Docker and have a VPS? Skip straight to the good stuff: 1. **[The Starter Kit](/quick-start/starter-kit)** — Deploy Uptime Kuma + Plausible + Coolify in 20 minutes 2. **[Deploy Guides](/deploy)** — Pick any of our 65+ tools and ship it 3. **[Curated Stacks](/stacks)** — Grab a complete toolkit for your use case