We Self-Hosted an App for $2/Month Using an M1 Mac Mini

In plain words

This is a guide documenting how to self-host an application on an M1 Mac Mini for approximately $2 per month. It targets developers interested in cost-effective deployment solutions and demonstrates a practical approach to running services on affordable hardware. The resource details the technical setup and configuration needed to achieve minimal-cost self-hosting, making it relevant for those seeking alternatives to conventional cloud hosting services.

written from the facts on this page · September 2026

From the sources

Cloud hosting is convenient but costly. Here's how we built and scaled WorkHub.so, a workspace location discovery platform, on a $250 M1 Mac Mini with minimal monthly expenses. While most startups spend hundreds or even thousands on cloud computing, we took a different approach with WorkHub.so . Our location discovery platform for remote workers and students runs on just $2 per month. Here’s how we did it, and why you might want to consider this approach for your next project. Cloud hosting has become the default choice for startups. Services like AWS, Google Cloud, and Vercel promise effortless scalability, global infrastructure, and minimal operational overhead. With just a few clicks,…from lab.workhub.so

• HD
  Hosted Docker-as-a-Service on SSDs for $52013 · blog.copper.io · ▲387
• 
  A CLI tool I made to self-host any app with two commands on a VPS2024 · github.com · ▲452

  Bare metal to production ready in mins; your own fly server on your VPS. - MightyMoud/sidekick

• 
  Apple Silicon M1 as a Service2021 · scaleway.com · ▲200

  Spin up a Mac Mini M1 in the cloud.

• 
  Self-hosted CMS on serverless Cloudflare2022 · github.com · ▲265

  an agentic cms self-hosted on cloudflare, for podcasts, blogs, photos, videos, documents, and curated urls. - microfeed/microfeed

• 
  Simple Docker Hosting2025 · sliplane.io · ▲64

  Hey HN! We launched sliplane.io, where deploying Docker containers is super simple and wallet-friendly. With our Pay-per-Server approach, you can host as many containers as you want on each server at a set price - no huge surprise bills, just straightforward Docker hosting. You simply connect your Github repository and we do the rest that you expect from a PaaS, SSL by default, automatic deployments, backups of your storage etc. Pricing starts at 9€/month for 2vCPU, 2GB RAM, 40 GB Disk, 2 TB Egress. Cheers, Jonas

• 
  A simple FOSS and self-hosted budgeting app2020 · github.com · ▲88

• 
  /dev/null▲490

  a social network for devs

  Dev tools · 4d ago · dev-null.sh

• 
  Whiteboard (YC W26) – an open-source IDE for thoughtful software design▲423

  open-source IDE for thoughtful software design. Contribute to devdotfast/whiteboard development by creating an account on GitHub.

  Dev tools · 29d ago · github.com

• 
  Run full iOS 16.5 firmware on Android Devices▲411

  Contribute to oosexgang/hackios-xnu-kernel development by creating an account on GitHub.

  Dev tools · 17h ago · github.com

• 
  Reladraw – A diagram language where you decide where to place things▲411

  Contribute to reladraw/reladraw development by creating an account on GitHub.

  Dev tools · 27d ago · github.com

• 
  OpenBot▲362

  Grok Bot alternative: free, local, open-source, multiplayer

  Dev tools · 24d ago · openbot.run

• 
  Talanoa▲346

  Hi HN, I’m a fullstack developer, and honestly, I’ve lost count of how many side projects I’ve worked on over the years. But one idea kept coming back to me: a different kind of email client. It first came to me in 2014: “What if we could handle emails more like conversations?” Every year, I’d revisit this concept in my “Build Notes.” Ten years later, no one had built exactly what I had in mind — so I finally decided to do it myself. That’s how Talanoa was born. I wanted something focused on people, not timelines. I was tired of marking messages as unread just to remember to reply later, or…

  Dev tools · 21d ago · talanoa.email

• 
  Screen Studio 3.0▲1,832

  Beautiful screen recordings with instant shareable links

  Growth · 2025 · screen.studio

• 
  Tana▲1,665

  Put your notes to work with voice and AI

  AI · 2025 · tana.inc

• IG
  I got laid off from Meta and created a minor hit on Steam▲1,581

  I was at FB/Meta from late 2013 to early 2023, mostly working in the compiler/runtime spaces. I got hit in the spring 2023 layoff wave. I immediately started making games in my newfound free time (a lifelong interest, and I even worked in AA(A?) back ca. ~2000), and in October 2023 I stumbled upon the idea of a roguelike pachinko/plinko game inspired by Luck Be A Landlord. Things snowballed quickly, I started talking to publishers, then worked like crazy through all of 2024, almost the hardest I've ever worked in my career, and launched the game in December 2024. It's sold…

  Work · 2025

• 
  Tanka▲1,410

  AI Messenger with smart reply & long term memory for teams

  AI · 2025 · tanka.ai

• 
  Tool Finder▲1,327

  Your shortcut to better software

  AI · 2025 · toolfinder.com

• 
  I built an app to stop me doomscrolling by touching grass▲1,203

  i wanted to change the habit of reaching for my phone in the morning and doomscrolling away an hour so i built an app to help me. now i have to literally touch grass before accessing my most distracting apps the app is built in swiftui, uses the screen time apis provided by apple and google vision to recognise grass or not i'd love to get your thoughts on the concept.

  Life & fun · 2025 · touchgrass.now