If you’ve been looking for a self host docker guide , here’s the blunt truth: the hard part isn’t Docker—it’s everything around it (networking, updates, backups, and not exposing your VPS to the internet like an open fridge). This walkthrough focuses on the VPS_HOSTING reality: small servers, public IPs, and the security footguns you actually hit. 1) Choose a VPS: cheap is fine, predictable is better For self-hosting, your bottleneck is usually operational effort , not raw CPU. Pick a provider with predictable networking and a console you trust. I’ve used hetzner for excellent price/performance and digitalocean for a smoother “it just works” experience when I’m moving fast. Either is perfectly viable for Docker. Practical baseline specs for most personal stacks: 1–2 vCPU / 2–4 GB RAM : enough for reverse proxy + a few services 40+ GB SSD : logs and volumes grow faster than you think Linux (Ubuntu LTS) : boring, documented, and battle-tested Opinionated take: don’t over-optimize the VPS choice.…