People who want their files, calendars and photos under their own control.
GLWS · Use cases
Your cloud, your server.
Nextcloud and Immich.
Replace file-sharing and photo services with software you run yourself. It is rewarding, and it makes you responsible for updates and backups.
Who it is for.
Typical reasons people choose it.
Families and small teams sharing files.
Anyone comfortable with backups who wants to avoid a monthly cloud bill for storage.
Choose a size.
What fits where. These are guides, so measure your own workload.
2 GB
Nextcloud for one or two people.
4 GB
Nextcloud for a small team.
8 GB and up
Immich: its documentation recommends several gigabytes of memory, and indexing is slow on a CPU.
GLWS plans that fit.
The lowest-priced GLWS VPS plans with enough memory.
Get started with GLWS.
Three steps.
- Plan storage first: your whole library plus versions, thumbnails and the trash.
- Install with Docker Compose, publish on localhost and add HTTPS with a reverse proxy.
- Back up data and the database off the server and practise a restore before you rely on it.
Guides for this setup.
Step-by-step instructions from the knowledge base.
Self-host Nextcloud and maintain it properly
Run Nextcloud with a database and Redis in Docker Compose, plan storage, set up cron, publish it with HTTPS, then update, back up and restore it.
Read guide →Self-host Immich and protect your photo library
Size a server for Immich, install it with the official Compose files, keep it private, update it deliberately and back up photos and database.
Read guide →Install Docker and Docker Compose on your VPS
Add Docker's official repository, install the engine and Compose plugin, run a test container and avoid the published-port firewall trap.
Read guide →Automate encrypted off-server backups with restic
Back up to a second server over SFTP with restic, encrypt everything, schedule it with a systemd timer and prove you can restore.
Read guide →Update Docker Compose applications safely
Pin image versions, back up persistent data, pull and check an update, and roll back to the previous version if it fails.
Read guide →Move to a bigger plan without losing data
Back up first, work out whether your disk grows automatically, extend the partition and filesystem, or migrate to a new server with rsync.
Read guide →FAQ
Questions.
Quick answers.
How much storage do I need?
More than you think: your files plus versions, thumbnails and the trash. Check the disk size in each plan row and move up a plan if you run short.
Is my data safe?
Only as safe as your backups. Keep a copy off the server and test a restore.
Nextcloud or Immich?
Nextcloud is for files, calendars and contacts. Immich is a photo and video library with a mobile app. Many people run both.