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Homelab · Tool · By Mohammed Almuhanna
Self-Hosting vs SaaS Cost Calculator
Self-hosting is not automatically cheaper, and "it depends" is a useless answer. Put in the subscription you want to drop, what the hardware and power actually cost you (or a VPS if you rent one), and the calculator gives you the number that matters: the break-even point and the total over the years. If you already run a box 24/7, set the upfront cost to zero and enter only the extra watts, that is usually where self-hosting wins.
How I think about the real cost
Three things decide whether self-hosting beats the subscription. First, hardware: if you are buying a NAS just to run one app, that upfront cost has to be earned back before you save a cent. If the box is already on for something else, the app is nearly free to add. Second, power: a service idling on hardware that is already running adds only a few watts, so the monthly power cost is often small. Use the homelab power calculator to get your real draw, and the storage calculator to size the disks. Third, your time: self-hosting is never zero maintenance, so there is an optional field to value the upkeep hours if you want the full figure.
My own bias: if you already run a NAS, self-hosting the things you would otherwise pay a monthly fee for is close to free and worth it. If you would be buying and running hardware purely to replace one cheap subscription, run the numbers first, because the break-even can be years out.