Open Source Alternatives to Paid Apps

Free media system that lets you stream your own movie, TV, and music collection from any device.

Self-host: Official Docker image: `docker run -d --name jellyfin -p 8096:8096 -v /path/to/config:/config -v /path/to/media:/media jellyfin/jellyfin:latest`. See jellyfin.org/docs/general/installation for reverse proxy and hardware transcoding setup.

Lightweight YouTube front-end with no ads, no tracking, and no Google account required.

Self-host: Ships an official `docker-compose.yml` (bundles Postgres) in the repo root — clone github.com/iv-org/invidious, copy `docker-compose.yml.example`, and run `docker compose up -d`. Full instructions at github.com/iv-org/invidious/wiki/Installation.

Decentralised, federated video platform — like a community-run YouTube.

Self-host: Officially deployed via Docker Compose: download the sample `docker-compose.yml` and `.env` from the `support/docker/production` directory of the PeerTube repo, fill in your domain/SMTP settings, then run `docker compose up -d`. See docs.joinpeertube.org/install/docker.

Modern, fast self-hosted music server compatible with Subsonic and Airsonic clients.

Self-host: Official Docker image: `docker run -d --name navidrome -p 4533:4533 -v /path/data:/data -v /path/music:/music:ro deluan/navidrome:latest`. See navidrome.org/docs/installation/docker for a Compose example.

Federated music streaming and sharing platform built for communities.

Self-host: Recommended install is Docker Compose (multiple services: api, celery worker, nginx, Postgres, Redis) — follow the step-by-step guide at docs.funkwhale.audio/administrator/installation/docker.html to generate your `.env` and `docker-compose.yml`.

Full Dropbox/Google Workspace replacement — files, calendar, contacts, notes, video calls.

Self-host: Official Docker image: `docker run -d -p 8080:80 -v /path/nextcloud:/var/www/html nextcloud:latest`. For production use, pair it with a separate database container (MariaDB/Postgres) as shown in the docs at hub.docker.com/_/nextcloud.

Continuous, peer-to-peer file sync between your devices. No cloud middleman.

Self-host: Official Docker image: `docker run -d --name syncthing -p 8384:8384 -p 22000:22000/tcp -p 22000:22000/udp -p 21027:21027/udp -v /path/config:/var/syncthing syncthing/syncthing`. See docs.syncthing.net/users/docker.html.

Mature raster image editor — the open-source counterpart to Photoshop.

Professional vector graphics editor — an open alternative to Illustrator.

Non-linear video editor with multi-track timelines, effects, and proxy editing.

Open-source design and prototyping platform — the Figma replacement.

Self-host: Deployed via Docker Compose (frontend, backend, exporter, Postgres, Redis, MinIO/S3 services). Follow the official self-hosting guide at penpot.app/docs/self-hosting to fetch the `docker-compose.yaml` and run `docker compose up -d`.

RAW photo workflow and non-destructive editor — a Lightroom alternative.

Notion-style workspace for wikis, projects, and docs — all open source.

Self-host: The AppFlowy app itself is a desktop client; for self-hosted sync, deploy AppFlowy Cloud via its official `docker-compose.yml` (see github.com/AppFlowy-IO/AppFlowy-Cloud) and point the desktop client at your server URL.

Fast, collaborative team knowledge base and wiki.

Self-host: Runs via Docker Compose (needs Postgres, Redis, and S3-compatible storage). Copy the repo's `docker-compose.yml` and `.env.sample`, fill in the required secrets, then run `docker compose up`. Full guide at docs.getoutline.com/s/hosting.

Cross-platform note-taking app with end-to-end encryption and sync.

Self-host: For synced notes across devices, self-host Joplin Server via the official image: `docker run -d -p 22300:22300 joplin/server:latest` (requires a Postgres database, configured via env vars). See joplinapp.org/help/apps/sync/joplin_server.

To-do app with kanban boards, CalDAV sync, and team collaboration.

Self-host: Official Docker image: `docker run -d -p 3456:3456 -v /path/data:/app/vikunja/files vikunja/vikunja`. See vikunja.io/docs/installing for database configuration (SQLite by default, Postgres/MySQL supported).

Full office suite — Writer, Calc, Impress — compatible with MS Office files.

Multilingual grammar, style, and spell checker — supports 30+ languages.

Self-host: LanguageTool doesn't publish an official Docker image, but the standalone HTTP server can be self-hosted by running `java -cp languagetool-server.jar org.languagetool.server.HTTPServer --port 8081` from the downloadable server package, or via the widely-used community image `erikvl87/languagetool`. See dev.languagetool.org/http-server.

Open-source Slack alternative built for secure team collaboration.

Self-host: Quick single-container trial: `docker run --name mattermost -d --publish 8065:8065 mattermost/mattermost-team-edition`. For production, use the official Docker Compose setup (with Postgres) at docs.mattermost.com/install/install-docker.html.

Fully customisable team chat platform with high data-protection standards.

Self-host: Officially deployed with Docker Compose (Rocket.Chat + MongoDB replica set). Download the official `docker-compose.yml` from docs.rocket.chat/docs/deploy-with-docker-docker-compose and run `docker compose up -d`.

Secure, fully-featured video conferencing — no account required.

Self-host: Official install method is docker-jitsi-meet: clone github.com/jitsi/docker-jitsi-meet, copy `env.example` to `.env`, run `./gen-passwords.sh` to generate secrets, then `docker compose up -d`.

Fast, modern VPN protocol — pair with a cheap VPS for your own private VPN.

Self-host: Not a typical containerized web app — install the `wireguard-tools` package on a VPS and configure `wg-quick` per the official quickstart at wireguard.com/quickstart, or use the popular community image `linuxserver/wireguard` for a Docker-based setup.

Lightweight Bitwarden-compatible password server in Rust — self-hosted in minutes.

Self-host: Official Docker image: `docker run -d --name vaultwarden -p 80:80 -v /path/vw-data:/data vaultwarden/server:latest`. Put it behind HTTPS (reverse proxy) before connecting real Bitwarden clients — see github.com/dani-garcia/vaultwarden/wiki.

Local-first password manager with browser integration. No subscription, ever.

Run Llama, Mistral, and other LLMs locally with a single command.

Self-host: Official Docker image: `docker run -d -v ollama:/root/.ollama -p 11434:11434 --name ollama ollama/ollama`. Then pull a model with `docker exec -it ollama ollama run llama3`. See github.com/ollama/ollama for GPU passthrough options.

ChatGPT-style web interface for Ollama and other local models.

Self-host: Official Docker image: `docker run -d -p 3000:8080 -v open-webui:/app/backend/data --name open-webui ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main`. Point it at an existing Ollama instance via the `OLLAMA_BASE_URL` env var. See docs.openwebui.com/getting-started.

Open-source AI code assistant for VS Code and JetBrains, works with local models.

Self-hosted newsletter and mailing list manager — fast and free.

Self-host: Official Docker image `listmonk/listmonk` requires a Postgres database. Easiest path is the sample `docker-compose.yml` from the repo (bundles Postgres), then run the one-time `--install` step to set up the schema. See listmonk.app/docs/installation.

Modern publishing platform for newsletters and blogs — open source core.

Self-host: Official Docker image: `docker run -d --name ghost -e url=https://yourdomain.com -p 2368:2368 ghost:5-alpine`. For production, pair with a MySQL container instead of the built-in SQLite. See ghost.org/docs/install/docker.

Community-driven language learning platform — open courses, no ads.

Self-host: LibreLingo builds to a static site rather than a server app — there's no official Docker image. Clone the repo, run the build per github.com/LibreLingo/LibreLingo's CONTRIBUTING docs, and deploy the generated static files to any web host or static file server.

Spaced-repetition flashcards — used by language learners and med students worldwide.

Lightweight, painless self-hosted Git service — the easiest GitHub replacement.

Self-host: Official Docker image: `docker run -d --name gitea -p 3000:3000 -p 222:22 -v /path/data:/data gitea/gitea:latest`. See docs.gitea.com/installation/install-with-docker for a Compose file with Postgres.

Community-led fork of Gitea — fully featured Git forge, run yours in minutes.

Self-host: Official Docker image: `docker run -d --name forgejo -p 3000:3000 -p 222:22 -v /path/data:/data codeberg.org/forgejo/forgejo:latest`. See forgejo.org/docs/latest/admin/installation-docker for Compose setup.

Complete DevOps platform — Git hosting, CI/CD, issue tracking, container registry.

Self-host: Official Docker image: `docker run --detach --hostname gitlab.example.com --publish 443:443 --publish 80:80 --publish 22:22 --name gitlab --volume /srv/gitlab/config:/etc/gitlab --volume /srv/gitlab/logs:/var/log/gitlab --volume /srv/gitlab/data:/var/opt/gitlab gitlab/gitlab-ce:latest`. Needs at least 4GB RAM. See docs.gitlab.com/install/docker.