Self-Hosted Apps Built with Shell

4 self-hostable apps built with Shell you can run on your own server — compared on specs, deployment difficulty, and the SaaS each one replaces.

Mail Server

docker-mailserver

A production-ready, config-driven mail server in a single container — Postfix, Dovecot, and a choice of Amavis/SpamAssassin or Rspamd antispam, with no database and no web UI, configured entirely from plain files. A lightweight, MIT-licensed self-hosted alternative to Google Workspace email. As with any self-hosted mail, expect to manage deliverability (SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and reverse DNS) so your mail reaches inboxes.

Shell

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Platform-as-a-Service

Dokku

A lightweight, extensible, open-source PaaS built on Docker — a single-server Heroku alternative that turns a `git push` into a running app via Herokuish buildpacks.

ShellHerokuish

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Mail Server

Mailcow

A full-featured, Docker-based mail server suite — Postfix, Dovecot, SOGo webmail, ActiveSync, antispam, and a polished admin UI — the popular self-hosted alternative to Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 for small teams. It is a heavier, multi-container stack: 6 GB of RAM is the minimum, 8 GB recommended. As with any self-hosted mail, expect to manage deliverability (SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and reverse DNS) so your mail reaches inboxes.

PHPShell

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Mail Server

Mailu

A simple, full-stack mail server as a set of Docker images — SMTP/IMAP, webmail, antispam, and an admin panel generated by a setup wizard. A lighter, MIT-licensed self-hosted alternative to Google Workspace for personal and small-team email. As with any self-hosted mail, expect to manage deliverability (SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and reverse DNS) so your mail reaches inboxes.

PythonShell

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