Nick Lewis is an editor at How-To Geek. He has been using computers for 20 years — tinkering with everything from the UI to the Windows registry to device firmware. Before How-To Geek, he used Python and C++ as a freelance programmer. In college, Nick made extensive use of Fortran while pursuing a physics degree.
Nick’s love of tinkering with computers extends beyond work. He has been running video game servers from home for more than 10 years using Windows, Ubuntu, or Raspberry Pi OS. He also uses Proxmox to self-host a variety of services, including a Jellyfin Media Server, an Airsonic music server, a handful of game servers, NextCloud, and two Windows virtual machines.
He enjoys DIY projects, especially if they involve technology. He regularly repairs and repurposes old computers and hardware for whatever new project is at hand. He has designed crossovers for homemade speakers all the way from the basic design to the PCB.
Nick enjoys the outdoors. When he isn’t working on a computer or DIY project, he is most likely to be found camping, backpacking, or canoeing.
Over time, most of us have accumulated a number of inexpensive subscription services that, cumulatively, add up to a significant amount of money.
The good news is that you’re not stuck with those payments—you can swap at least some of them to a server that lives in your home. A simple used office mini PC, thin client, or even an old laptop can run free, open-source replacements for dozens of different services, including Google One, Dropbox, and Plex.
The subscription fees add up fast
Google One, Dropbox, and Plex Pass cost around $290 yearly
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![The Plex web app opened on a laptop.]()
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![A grid layout of TV show poster cards displayed within a dark-themed media server interface.]()
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![Cleaning up suggested items in Google One.]()
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![Dropbox logo.]()
Credit: Corbin Davenport / Dropbox -
![The Plex homepage open showing Marvel movies in 4K and other movies on a laptop screen.]()
Credit: Patrick Campanale / How-To Geek
Credit: Corbin Davenport / Dropbox
Credit: Patrick Campanale / How-To GeekIf you’re paying for Google One Premium (2TB), Dropbox Plus (2TB), and a Plex Pass, you’re forking out roughly $290 a year, assuming you pay annually. If you’re on a monthly subscription, it’ll be more.
Plex has become particularly expensive. In the last year or so, remote streaming has required a paid pass, and the lifetime pass jumped from $250 to an eye-watering $750 this past summer.
When you look at the cost of your subscriptions over the course of a few years, a mid-range build that costs $400–500 isn’t too bad—it basically pays for itself in less than two years. A bare minimum setup, which usually involves a thin client and one extra hard drive, might run you about $200, and you’ll break even in less than a year.
Your only recurring cost is electricity, which tends to be a fairly small expense anyway. But, if you’re looking to save every dollar, there are a lot of ways to minimize your self-hosted setup’s power bill too.
Old office hardware is the best way to get into homelabbing today
Used business mini PCs are still affordable
Buying new hardware right now is a painful proposition. RAM and SSD prices have at least quadrupled in the last few years, and even the Raspberry Pi, a device that was famously affordable, is now pretty expensive.
That is where used office PCs come in. You can find these for sale on local Facebook groups, Facebook Marketplace, and eBay.
Mini PCs are the best option
If you have the option, I’d recommend opting for a used mini PC over a thin client. Mini PCs usually have more powerful CPUs, and it is easier to add RAM and extra storage to them.
Some popular models I’ve seen used by self-hosters include:
- Lenovo ThinkCentre M720q
- Lenovo ThinkCentre M920q
- HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Mini
- HP EliteDesk G5 Mini
- One of the Dell OptiPlex Micros
On eBay, you can often find an i5 (a few generations old) with 16GB of RAM and a 256GB NVMe for between $100 and $200 depending on the exact system specs.
Intel-based mini PCs are generally preferred because they support Intel Quick Sync, which makes transcoding media very efficient without requiring a dedicated graphics card. If you plan on running a Jellyfin media server, you’ll definitely want Quick Sync.
From there, you can add an external USB hard drive enclosure and stack in as much storage as you like. That allows the mini PC to function as a DIY cloud storage backup, a media server, game server, or photo app like Google Photos.
Thin clients are a fine budget pick
If you want to keep your costs as low as possible, look for thin clients like the Dell Wyse 5070, an HP t640, or similar devices.
They’re tiny, consume next to no electricity, and they tend to be very quiet, so you can put them anywhere without worrying about the noise.
The major drawback is that the system specs tend to be weaker. You might get 16GB of RAM on the high end, and the CPUs are lower power.
Still, for a basic file backup service, a minimalist streaming service, or a photo backup, that isn’t a deal-breaker. You just need to account for it when you’re picking which software you use.
Old laptops work if you already have one
If you have an old laptop lying around, you can use that too. Mini PCs and laptops tend to use the same hardware, so they’ll offer similar performance.
The built-in battery also functions as a basic uninterruptible power supply too.
Just keep an eye on older batteries—they’re prone to swelling if you leave them plugged in and charging constantly. If you can, set a charge limit in the BIOS, or simply pull the battery out.
Budget for storage
The largest cost of this sort of setup is going to be storage. Hard drive prices have roughly doubled over the last year or so, and you have to hunt for deals to find drives priced at $30/TB. Smaller drives tend to cost more per terabyte than larger drives.
To get the best value, you can buy refurbished drives from reputable retailers like ServerPartDeals.
I’d recommend starting with at least two 4TB drives for full redundancy; that’ll run you about $300 with the right deal. A single 18TB drive can be had for around $530.
Immich and Nextcloud replace Google One and Dropbox
Immich for photos
Immich is the best open-source replacement for Google Photos. It has a mobile app that supports auto-backup, timelines, maps, and facial recognition.
It’ll run well on most recent mini PCs and laptops, but the AI facial recognition is pretty demanding, so it’ll be slow on a thin client.
Use Nextcloud or Syncthing for files
If you want to replace Dropbox, you have a few different options. Nextcloud is the most fully featured choice, and optionally includes a full office suite roughly comparable to Microsoft Office. It is a bit demanding, so I wouldn’t recommend running it on a thin client with a mix of other services.
If you are using a thin client, Syncthing is very lightweight and can be used for basic file synchronization. It doesn’t have as many features, however.
Jellyfin replaces Plex for free
Remote streaming and hardware transcoding for free
Jellyfin is fully open source and doesn’t require an account or a subscription. It includes features that Plex charges for, such as remote playback and hardware transcoding.
The only catch is that it requires more manual work. For example, remote access isn’t automatic; you need to configure it yourself.
The client apps are also a bit less mature than Plex’s, though I haven’t had a significant problem on Google TV in several years.
With great privacy comes great responsibility
You’re responsible for your own security and backups
Of course, this all puts you in charge of backups and security. Without proper redundancy, a single dead drive can wipe out all of your photos, documents, and media.
I’d recommend always using at least two drives so that everything you have is immediately duplicated at least once. From there, you should always make sure that your most important files are backed up comprehensively using the 3-2-1 rule. You want a second local copy that is disconnected and offline most of the time. You also want at least one off-site copy in the event of an emergency. The off-site backup can be a paid service like Backblaze or a physical drive stored in a safe location.
You also have to keep up with security updates and maintenance, which are more important today in the era of AI-assisted hacking than they have ever been.
A few hundred dollars and a weekend
The upfront cost of self-hosting can sound daunting, but when you consider that subscriptions can easily cost several hundred dollars a year, the math quickly starts to favor a DIY setup.
By combining Immich, Nextcloud, and Jellyfin on a cheap PC, you can own your data. Just remember not to forget backups.
