7 min read20 hours ago

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Self-hosting is entering a new era. More and more people want to take control of their own data, services, and infrastructure.

Anyone who has ever tried to set up their own server with a domain, SSL certificates, and a reverse proxy knows exactly how complicated it can be. Installing a web app is not enough. Modern services require secure HTTPS, proper DNS settings, firewalls, and VPN configurations, all of which need ongoing maintenance. Beginners and intermediate users often spend hours or even days, trying to establish a stable environment, while configurations and firewall rules can change rapidly, and minor mistakes can lead to system instability. Running your own infrastructure carries real responsibility, if something breaks unexpectedly, there’s no support line to call. Anyone who self-hosts knows this well.

At the same time, the benefits are extremely appealing. We know exactly where our data resides. We decide when it can be accessed, when to shut down services, and we don’t have to worry about large data-mining companies analyzing, using, or reselling it. This isn’t just about general independence, it’s about finally having real control over what happens with our digital assets.

To address these challenges, we developed a simple and transparent solution. Our open-source software, Safebox, makes complex infrastructure management and self-hosted application deployment much easier.

What is Safebox?

Safebox is an open-source platform designed specifically to simplify the deployment and management of self-hosted applications like Home Assistant, Nextcloud, Jellyfin, and more. Safebox takes care of complicated background processes: DNS configuration, SSL certificate management, and reverse proxy setup are all automated, allowing users to focus on the actual applications.

One of Safebox’s biggest advantages is platform independence. The software runs natively on Linux (Ubuntu, Raspbian, Debian with automatic Docker installation), macOS, and Windows, making it compatible with virtually any desktop or server environment. It also supports x86 and ARM64 architectures, allowing stable operation even on smaller, energy-efficient devices such as Raspberry Pi or Banana Pi.

This versatility means Safebox isn’t just ideal for home hobbyists, it also suits smaller companies and development environments. From single-device web apps to complex home labs or cloud-based setups, Safebox can handle them all. Deployment is simple: Docker-based automated processes for supported systems minimize the risk of configuration errors. Additionally, Safebox manages application versions and updates, ensuring a stable, continuously maintained environment.

Installation is as simple as running a single terminal command. From there, the interface is accessible via the web, providing a single point to manage the full lifecycle of applications: installation, updates, and maintenance.

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Safebox dashboard overview (Source: Own image)

What problems does Safebox solve, and how is it different?

Technically, self-hosting isn’t inherently complicated. What makes it challenging is the sheer number of separate components needed to turn an app into a fully functional web service: domain, DNS records, SSL certificates, reverse proxy, port management, VPN, updates, alerts… all configured separately on different tools.

Most self-hosting platforms stop here. They provide a UI for quickly launching containers, installing apps, and showing some feedback, but beyond that, everything else is up to you. Docker Desktop, Portainer, Coolify, CasaOS, and similar platforms follow this model: excellent for container management, but the actual service setup is still your responsibility.

Safebox doesn’t aim to manage containers or provide another installer UI. Its goal is to let you install an app you like and have it immediately available as a ready-to-use web service.

Safebox automatically handles:

· Domain and subdomain setup, including registering a new domain or transferring existing ones

· SSL certificate creation and renewal

· DNS configuration

· Reverse proxy rules and port management

· WireGuard-based VPN for secure remote access

· App updates with notifications

· Backups, including upcoming geo-redundant solutions

· Disk management (RAID/LVM if running on dedicated hardware)

· Network traffic monitoring with alerts

Safebox already helps (at least for us) manage the background tasks that make self-hosting intimidating for many users. Our aim isn’t just simplification, we want to provide a stable environment that continues to work even when unexpected issues arise. The following developments will further enhance security and reduce user effort:

· Local and geo-redundant backups: We’re developing a backup solution that provides both local and geographically redundant storage. If something goes wrong, hardware failure, data corruption, or migration to a new device, Safebox will restore the entire environment to the last working state. A hardware upgrade or relocation will take just a few clicks.

· Disk management: This feature simplifies the management of disks used for backups. On dedicated physical hardware, Safebox can monitor disk health, manage RAID/LVM configurations, and trigger alerts via third-party SMTP if storage runs low or a disk shows failure.

· Monitoring: Monitoring tracks network traffic by source IP, per-application traffic trends, and the status of backup services. Alerts are also sent via SMTP if issues arise.

How Safebox works behind the scenes

At its core, Safebox is built entirely on modern containerized components. Two primary services orchestrate almost everything: the webserver, which handles the user interface and receives all user actions, and the framework-scheduler, a continuously running background process responsible for executing every actual system-level operation.

For security, the webserver itself cannot perform any real actions on the host. Instead, all communication happens through simple file-system writes: the webserver drops a structured JSON request into a shared Docker volume. This JSON file acts as a secure, declarative instruction — install an app, update it, modify a domain, request a certificate, or anything else.

The framework-scheduler constantly watches this directory (via Linux inotify), picks up the new requests, validates them, and then performs all low-level tasks that would normally require manual work: creating networks and containers, generating configuration files from templates, initializing databases, updating firewall rules, managing internal DNS entries, and assembling the entire proxy configuration. When it completes a task, it writes the result back into the shared folder, and the web interface immediately reflects the updated state.

Beyond these two core components, several additional services are deployed automatically with the Safebox platform. An advanced multi-layer proxy system handles all domain-based routing for web applications. A DNS service powers internal name resolution, while other containers manage firewall orchestration, certificate handling, and system health monitoring. All of these pieces are installed locally on the user’s machine as part of the Safebox environment.

It’s important to highlight that the Safebox platform itself is fully open-source and self-contained. However, certain optional capabilities — such as external domain management, remote access services, or geo-redundant site encrypted backups — require a subscription, as these rely on infrastructure outside the user’s local network.

For a more detailed technical overview, you can check:

https://github.com/safeboxnetwork/framework-scheduler/blob/main/development/white_paper.md

Project status

Safebox is currently in beta, which means its core functionality is stable but additional features are still under development. Our goal is to provide a reliable yet flexible environment for self-hosted applications.

Stable features:

· Application installation and management

· DNS and domain configuration

· SSL certificate management

· Reverse proxy setup

· WireGuard-based remote access

· Updates management

Features under development:

· Local and geo-redundant backups

· Disk management

· Monitoring

· Expanding the app library and UI improvements for better usability

Who can benefit from Safebox?

Safebox supports a wide range of users, from hobbyists to small organizations.

· **Home lab enthusiasts: **Users running personal mini-servers or home labs. Safebox simplifies app deployment and management, freeing time for experimentation rather than configuration.

· **Developers: **Those running multiple apps on a single server. Safebox enables quick deployment, updates, and management without dealing with each component individually.

· **Small companies and startups: **Organizations seeking cost-effective ways to run their own services without a large IT team.

· **Students and tech enthusiasts: **Those wanting hands-on experience with self-hosting. Safebox provides easy access to modern infrastructure and a safe environment to experiment with applications.

How to try it

Safebox is simple to try and doesn’t require complicated setup. Our goal is to lower the barrier to entry for self-hosting, making it accessible to both beginners and advanced users.

Resources and links:

• Website: https://safebox.network — guides and software overview
• GitHub: https://github.com/safeboxnetwork/framework-scheduler — open-source code, documentation, and community contributions
• Discord: https://discord.com/invite/aBP8bz6N8J — beta testing and feedback

The project is in beta, and community feedback is critical. Testers can report bugs, submit feature suggestions, or contribute directly to the code. Anyone interested can experience Safebox firsthand and help shape the platform’s future development.

Closing thoughts

Interest in self-hosting continues to grow, but implementing it often presents more challenges than expected. Safebox was created to simplify and clarify the process based on our experience. The goal was to provide a tool that lets users focus on using applications rather than maintaining the environment. If you’re interested in self-hosting, or want to run your services more easily and with fewer errors, Safebox is an excellent starting point.

Self-hosting can feel overwhelming at first. Dive in, explore, experiment, and learn as you go. The more you understand, the freer you become. Today, nothing compares to the independence you gain when you manage your own data and services. Sure, it’s challenging, but it’s also liberating, and for many of us, completely worth it.