Why run open-source apps on your own server
Most tools a small business pays for charge for every person, every month. Free, open-source apps can do the same jobs on one server, which Cloudgate can provide. Cloudgate sets the apps up and looks after the technical parts. Here is the honest case, including when it is not worth it.
What does a team of 12 pay?
A small team on three common tools, and the same jobs done by open-source apps on one server. The figures are examples, rounded; your own prices will differ.
- Slack 12 × $8 per person $96
- Notion 12 × $10 per person $120
- Zapier team plan, by tasks $70
- Mattermost, Outline, n8n Open-source apps $0
- Server big enough for all three apps $20
- Storage for backups $5
- Cloudgate, installed on the same server $0
| People | Paying per seat | One server |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | $160 | $25 |
| 12 | $286 | $25 |
| 20 | $430 | $25 |
| 40 | $790 | $25 |
Example figures in US dollars, rounded, not current prices. Tool prices depend on the plan you are on; the server you need depends on the apps you run. The right-hand side assumes you install Cloudgate on the server yourself, for free. With hosted Cloudgate, which can also provide the server, add its price: see Cloudgate pricing. Not counted: the time you spend looking after your apps.
Where does your data live?
On your server, in the country you choose. Get one from Cloudgate when you deploy, or connect one you already rent. Customer lists, messages and files stay there instead of in a per-seat tool’s systems.
What if you want to leave?
- The apps are open source. Nobody can raise their price or switch them off, and each app’s page names its licence.
- Your data sits on your server, not in a vendor’s account you have to export it out of.
- Want no account at all? Install Cloudgate on your own server for free. It is source-available under the Elastic License 2.0.
When is a paid tool still the better choice?
Your own server is not right for everyone. Be honest with yourself about these before you switch.
- Nobody on the team wants to own a server: its bill, its disk space, and deciding when to update each app.
- You are one or two people on free plans. Most of the savings come from not paying per person.
- You rely on a feature, integration or support contract that only the paid tool has.
- You need someone to call when it breaks. Open-source apps are supported by their communities.
- Your team is growing and per-person prices keep adding up.
- You want customer data in a country you choose, on a server you control.
- You can live with some setup: apps marked “Some setup” need a few extra steps, such as connecting email.
- You are happy to move your data over yourself. It does not carry over automatically.
Which tools do people replace first?
Questions
Is running apps on my own server really cheaper?
Usually, once more than a few people use the tools. Per-seat tools cost more with every person you add, while one server costs the same for 2 people or 20. For one or two people on free plans, the savings are small.
Do I need to be technical?
No. Pick an app, click Deploy, create your Cloudgate account and choose a server, which Cloudgate can provide. Cloudgate sets the app up, and you use it in your browser. Apps marked “Some setup” need a few extra steps, which their pages explain.
Who keeps the apps up to date?
You decide. Cloudgate never updates an app on its own: setting one up copies its template once, and nothing changes afterwards until you choose to change it. That means no surprise changes, and also that keeping up to date is your job.
What happens to my data if I stop using Cloudgate?
On a server you own, it stays there. The apps are ordinary open-source software, so your data is never locked into a vendor’s format.
Is Cloudgate itself open source?
The apps in this catalogue are open source, and each app’s page names its licence. Cloudgate is source-available under the Elastic License 2.0: anyone may install it on their own server and use it for free, or use the hosted version. Cloudgate’s website, cloudgate.octabyte.io, explains both.
See what you could run
Find the app that does the job of a tool you pay for today.