Quick-Start Examples

This is an overview of some quick-start computers you can use to create a server for your self-hosted cloud services.

Your experiences may vary.
Always make sure to test for stability when installing new services.

Great for running a small server where you run services only for yourself.

The Raspberry Pi – who popularized this style of computer – currently sell three versions of their board: 3B+, 4, and 5. Other options include: similar vendors such as Banana Pi, Orange Pi and Pine Board; the completely open hardware Libre Board; the Asus TinkerBoard and the Texas Instruments Beagle Board.

These computers are reasonably priced with decent specifications.

Price Range: $35 to $200
Minimum Specs: 1.2GHz ARM quad-core system-on-a-chip; 4GB of RAM; 32GB of Class 10 SDXC flash memory; 1Gbit Ethernet.
Recommended Specs:
Where To Buy:

Features exploration.

Review text.

Raspberry Pi 3, 4 or 5

Libre computer

Tinker board, orange pi, banana pi

Grocy and home assistant

OwnCloud and Collabora

Personal website or resume

Knowledge wiki

BeeLink S12Pro or Intel NUC

Radarr, Sonarr, Bazarr + Jellyfin

Multiple Personal websites and a knowledge wiki

Minimum recommended specs

All Arr apps , Kavita, audiobookshelf, jellyfin

OwnCloud, Collabora, paperless, Vikunja, vscode

WordPress + Flarum

Dell refurbished or new egg

Good will, savers, local refurbished computer shop. Green PC and interconnection. Decent server grade computers can even be found refurbished.

Preferred system requirements

System 76

Media server and personal cloud

Website + forum + wiki + admin tools