Hey folks! I wanted to talk about why I decided to host my SaaS projects on my own Linux server instead of using serverless options. It’s not about being fancy. I just like having more control and better performance without getting stuck with one provider.
Here’s what I’m using:
- FastAPI for the backend (it’s quick and works well with Python)
- SQLAlchemy to talk to the database
- MySQL for storing data
I’ve got it all on a Hetzner server that can handle multiple apps. The cool part is I can set it up exactly how I want.
I did some tests and it worked great. Without any caching, it handled 1,000 requests at once in less than 19 seconds. That’s pretty good for me!
I’ve tried serverless stuff before, like Firebase and Vercel. They’re good for getting started fast, but I noticed some downsides:
- You end up paying extra for the nice interface
- It can be hard to switch to something else later
- The costs can get crazy as you grow
That’s why I went back to basics with my own server. It’s simple, I know what’s going on, and I’m not locked in.
I got into Linux a few years ago at a job where we all used Arch. Now I use Debian for my projects because it’s more stable.
What do you think? Do you prefer serverless or running your own server? Let me know!
hey, that’s really interesting! i’ve been thinking about hosting options too. have u considered using containers like Docker? it could give u some of the flexibility of self-hosting but with easier deployment. what made u choose FastAPI over other frameworks? im curious about ur experience with it!
i’ve gone back and forth on this. started w/ self-hosted, tried serverless, now back to self-hosted. main reason: costs. serverless gets expensive fast when u scale. plus, the control is nice. can tweak everything just how i want. but yeah, more work upfront
I’ve been in your shoes, and I can definitely see the appeal of self-hosting. The control and cost-effectiveness are big pluses, especially as your project scales. One thing I’ve found particularly valuable is the ability to fine-tune performance. With serverless, you’re often at the mercy of the provider’s infrastructure.
However, it’s worth considering the trade-offs. Self-hosting requires more upfront investment in terms of time and skills. You need to handle security, updates, and potential hardware issues. For some projects, especially those with unpredictable traffic patterns, serverless can still be a good fit.
In my experience, a hybrid approach can sometimes offer the best of both worlds. You could self-host your core application but use serverless for specific functions that benefit from automatic scaling. This way, you maintain control where it matters most while leveraging the strengths of serverless where appropriate.