# r/selfhosted's most recommended apps, ranked by GitHub data

> The apps r/selfhosted recommends again and again, from Immich and Jellyfin to Vaultwarden and Paperless-ngx, ranked with real GitHub stars and commit activity.

Published 2026-10-06 by appsgit editors. Category: roundups. Tags: self-hosting, roundup, reddit, homelab, media-servers, password-managers, photo-galleries.

**The apps r/selfhosted recommends most often are Immich, Jellyfin, Vaultwarden, Pi-hole (or AdGuard Home), Paperless-ngx, Home Assistant, Uptime Kuma, Syncthing and Nextcloud, followed by tools like Homepage, Nginx Proxy Manager, the *arr apps and Audiobookshelf.** Below, we list the community's perennial favourites and rank them by a number you can check yourself: GitHub stars, alongside commits in the last 12 months to show which ones are still moving. All 20 are open source and run in Docker.

## How this list was built

r/selfhosted has no official leaderboard, and we did not scrape or count Reddit posts. Instead, we started from the apps that come up repeatedly in the subreddit's recurring threads ("what are you self-hosting?", "what should I install first?", "share your dashboard") and in community resources such as the awesome-selfhosted list. Then we checked each one against the appsgit catalog:

- Open-source licence and a public GitHub repository.
- Not archived, with commits in the last year.
- A Docker image or Compose setup.

The final order uses GitHub stars, a snapshot from October 6, 2026. Stars measure attention, not quality, so read the commit column too: a mature, focused project can be excellent with few commits.

## The ranking

| # | App | What it replaces | Stars | Commits (12 mo) | Licence |
|---|---|---|---:|---:|---|
| 1 | [Immich](https://appsgit.com/apps/immich) | Google Photos | 115,648 | 2,638 | AGPL-3.0 |
| 2 | [Stirling-PDF](https://appsgit.com/apps/stirling-pdf) | Online PDF tools | 93,634 | 1,925 | Apache-2.0 |
| 3 | [Uptime Kuma](https://appsgit.com/apps/uptime-kuma) | UptimeRobot, Pingdom | 92,149 | 1,359 | MIT |
| 4 | [Home Assistant](https://appsgit.com/apps/home-assistant) | SmartThings, Google Home | 91,266 | 17,497 | Apache-2.0 |
| 5 | [Syncthing](https://appsgit.com/apps/syncthing) | Dropbox sync | 89,175 | 223 | MPL-2.0 |
| 6 | [Vaultwarden](https://appsgit.com/apps/vaultwarden) | 1Password, LastPass | 68,572 | 181 | AGPL-3.0 |
| 7 | [Pi-hole](https://appsgit.com/apps/pi-hole) | Browser ad blockers, network-wide | 61,167 | 215 | EUPL-1.2 |
| 8 | [Jellyfin](https://appsgit.com/apps/jellyfin) | Plex, Netflix for your own media | 57,817 | 2,025 | GPL-2.0 |
| 9 | [Paperless-ngx](https://appsgit.com/apps/paperless-ngx) | Filing cabinets, cloud scanners | 46,308 | 1,625 | GPL-3.0 |
| 10 | [Portainer](https://appsgit.com/apps/portainer) | Docker command line | 38,621 | 789 | Zlib |
| 11 | [AdGuard Home](https://appsgit.com/apps/adguard-home) | Network-wide ad blocking | 37,245 | 235 | GPL-3.0 |
| 12 | [Nextcloud](https://appsgit.com/apps/nextcloud) | Google Drive, Microsoft 365 | 37,003 | 7,289 | AGPL-3.0 |
| 13 | [Frigate](https://appsgit.com/apps/frigate) | Ring, cloud camera NVRs | 36,390 | 1,445 | MIT |
| 14 | [Nginx Proxy Manager](https://appsgit.com/apps/nginx-proxy-manager) | Hand-written proxy configs | 34,325 | 798 | MIT |
| 15 | [Homepage](https://appsgit.com/apps/homepage-by-gethomepage) | Browser bookmarks | 32,989 | 544 | GPL-3.0 |
| 16 | [Karakeep](https://appsgit.com/apps/karakeep) | Pocket | 29,464 | 824 | AGPL-3.0 |
| 17 | [Actual](https://appsgit.com/apps/actual) | YNAB, Mint | 29,330 | 1,392 | MIT |
| 18 | [Navidrome](https://appsgit.com/apps/navidrome-music-server) | Spotify for your own music | 23,986 | 814 | GPL-3.0 |
| 19 | [Audiobookshelf](https://appsgit.com/apps/audiobookshelf) | Audible library, podcast apps | 14,555 | 487 | GPL-3.0 |
| 20 | [Mealie](https://appsgit.com/apps/mealie) | Recipe sites and apps | 13,451 | 1,364 | AGPL-3.0 |

## Why these apps keep getting recommended

### The "first install" tier: Immich, Jellyfin, Uptime Kuma

[Immich](https://appsgit.com/apps/immich) is the clearest success story in self-hosting: a Google Photos replacement with automatic phone backup, face recognition and a polished mobile app, plus one of the busiest repositories in the catalog. For many newcomers it is the app that makes self-hosting worth the effort. Our [Immich guide](https://appsgit.com/guides/immich) gets it running, and [Immich vs PhotoPrism vs Ente](https://appsgit.com/blog/immich-vs-photoprism-vs-ente) explains why it usually wins.

[Jellyfin](https://appsgit.com/apps/jellyfin) is the community's default media server, largely because it is free and unrestricted; see [Jellyfin vs Plex](https://appsgit.com/blog/jellyfin-vs-plex). [Uptime Kuma](https://appsgit.com/apps/uptime-kuma) appears on nearly every dashboard screenshot because it is easy, pretty and immediately useful.
- [Immich](https://appsgit.com/apps/immich): Photo and video backup solution directly from your mobile phone (alternative to Google Photos). (117,263 stars, AGPL-3.0, TypeScript, Docker)
- [Jellyfin](https://appsgit.com/apps/jellyfin): Media server for audio, video, books, comics, and photos with a sleek interface and robust transcoding capabilities. Almost all modern platforms have clients, including Roku, Android TV, iOS, and… (58,608 stars, GPL-2.0, C#, Docker)
- [Uptime Kuma](https://appsgit.com/apps/uptime-kuma): Easy-to-use self-hosted uptime monitor with status pages and 90+ notification channels. (92,919 stars, MIT, JavaScript, Docker)
### The "protect your data" tier: Vaultwarden, Paperless-ngx, Syncthing

[Vaultwarden](https://appsgit.com/apps/vaultwarden) is the standard answer to "which password manager should I self-host?" It works with the official Bitwarden apps and runs in one small container. Its low commit count reflects a mature, focused codebase rather than neglect; [Vaultwarden vs Bitwarden](https://appsgit.com/blog/vaultwarden-vs-bitwarden) covers the details.

[Paperless-ngx](https://appsgit.com/apps/paperless-ngx) turns scanned letters and PDFs into a searchable archive with OCR and automatic tagging. Subreddit threads about going paperless almost always end up here. Start with the [Paperless-ngx guide](https://appsgit.com/guides/paperless-ngx).

[Syncthing](https://appsgit.com/apps/syncthing) keeps folders in sync between devices without any server in the middle, which is why it is often recommended alongside, or instead of, [Nextcloud](https://appsgit.com/apps/nextcloud). See [Nextcloud vs Syncthing](https://appsgit.com/compare/nextcloud-vs-syncthing).

### The network tier: Pi-hole and AdGuard Home

Network-wide ad blocking is a classic first project. [Pi-hole](https://appsgit.com/apps/pi-hole) is the long-time favourite; [AdGuard Home](https://appsgit.com/apps/adguard-home) is a single binary with encrypted DNS built in. Opinions are split, so we wrote [Pi-hole vs AdGuard Home](https://appsgit.com/compare/pi-hole-vs-adguard-home).

### The plumbing tier: Portainer, Nginx Proxy Manager, Homepage

These are the tools that make the rest manageable. [Portainer](https://appsgit.com/apps/portainer) gives a web UI for containers, [Nginx Proxy Manager](https://appsgit.com/apps/nginx-proxy-manager) puts HTTPS in front of everything without editing config files (see [Traefik vs Nginx Proxy Manager](https://appsgit.com/compare/traefik-vs-nginx-proxy-manager)), and [Homepage](https://appsgit.com/apps/homepage-by-gethomepage) is the start page behind many of the dashboards people share.

### The quality-of-life tier

[Home Assistant](https://appsgit.com/apps/home-assistant) is the most active project on this list by a wide margin. [Frigate](https://appsgit.com/apps/frigate) adds local AI object detection to security cameras. [Actual](https://appsgit.com/apps/actual) is a popular budgeting app, [Karakeep](https://appsgit.com/apps/karakeep) saves links and articles with AI tagging, [Navidrome](https://appsgit.com/apps/navidrome-music-server) and [Audiobookshelf](https://appsgit.com/apps/audiobookshelf) handle music and audiobooks, and [Mealie](https://appsgit.com/apps/mealie) imports recipes from any website.

## Also frequently recommended

A few favourites did not fit the table but appear constantly:

- **Tailscale** for remote access. It is not fully self-hosted, but [Headscale](https://appsgit.com/apps/headscale) is an open-source implementation of its control server.
- **The *arr stack**: [Sonarr](https://appsgit.com/apps/sonarr), [Radarr](https://appsgit.com/apps/radarr) and friends, covered in our [Plex and Jellyfin home server guide](https://appsgit.com/blog/home-server-for-plex-jellyfin).
- **Reverse proxies** such as Caddy and Traefik, for people who prefer config files to a web UI.

## How to read the commit column

Stars and commits tell different stories, and r/selfhosted discussions often weigh both.

- **High stars, high commits** (Immich, Home Assistant, Nextcloud, Jellyfin, Stirling-PDF): large, fast-moving projects. Expect frequent releases, read release notes before upgrading and pin major versions.
- **High stars, low commits** (Vaultwarden, Syncthing, Pi-hole, AdGuard Home): mature tools that do one job well. Low churn is a strength for software that guards passwords, files or DNS.
- **Mid stars, high commits** (Mealie, Actual, Frigate): projects in a growth phase, often adding major features each release.

None of these numbers say whether an app fits your needs. They do tell you how much change to expect, which matters when you are responsible for upgrades. Every app page on appsgit shows the live numbers, the latest release and the licence, so you can check a project before committing your data to it.

## What the community consistently advises

Beyond app picks, r/selfhosted threads repeat the same practical advice:

- **Back up before you trust an app with anything important.** The 3-2-1 rule comes up in almost every data-loss story.
- **Do not expose admin panels to the internet.** Use a VPN for anything that is not meant for other people.
- **Start small.** One reliable mini PC beats a rack of noisy servers; our [homelab for beginners](https://appsgit.com/blog/homelab-for-beginners) guide explains what to buy.
- **Use Docker Compose.** It is the common language of nearly every install guide; learn it with our [Docker Compose tutorial](https://appsgit.com/blog/docker-compose-for-self-hosters).

For a ranking based purely on GitHub activity across the whole catalog, see [the 25 best self-hosted apps in 2026](https://appsgit.com/blog/best-self-hosted-apps-2026).

## Apps mentioned

- [Immich](https://appsgit.com/apps/immich): Photo and video backup solution directly from your mobile phone (alternative to Google Photos). (117,263 stars, AGPL-3.0, TypeScript, Docker)
- [Stirling-PDF](https://appsgit.com/apps/stirling-pdf): Local hosted web application that allows you to perform various operations on PDF files, such as merging, splitting, file conversions and OCR. (95,029 stars, Apache-2.0, TypeScript, Docker)
- [Uptime Kuma](https://appsgit.com/apps/uptime-kuma): Easy-to-use self-hosted uptime monitor with status pages and 90+ notification channels. (92,919 stars, MIT, JavaScript, Docker)
- [Home Assistant](https://appsgit.com/apps/home-assistant): Home automation platform. (91,730 stars, Apache-2.0, Python, Docker)
- [Syncthing](https://appsgit.com/apps/syncthing): Syncthing is an open source peer-to-peer file synchronisation tool. (89,757 stars, MPL-2.0, Go, Docker)
- [Vaultwarden](https://appsgit.com/apps/vaultwarden): Lightweight Bitwarden server API implementation written in Rust. (69,685 stars, AGPL-3.0, Rust, Docker)
- [Pi-hole](https://appsgit.com/apps/pi-hole): Blackhole for Internet advertisements with a GUI for management and monitoring. (61,462 stars, EUPL-1.2, Shell, Docker)
- [Jellyfin](https://appsgit.com/apps/jellyfin): Media server for audio, video, books, comics, and photos with a sleek interface and robust transcoding capabilities. Almost all modern platforms have clients, including Roku, Android TV, iOS, and… (58,608 stars, GPL-2.0, C#, Docker)
- [Paperless-ngx](https://appsgit.com/apps/paperless-ngx): Scan, index, and archive all of your paper documents with an improved interface (fork of Paperless). (47,100 stars, GPL-3.0, Python, Docker)
- [Portainer](https://appsgit.com/apps/portainer): Web UI for managing Docker, Swarm and Kubernetes environments. (38,722 stars, Zlib, TypeScript, Docker)
- [AdGuard Home](https://appsgit.com/apps/adguard-home): User-friendly ads & trackers blocking DNS server. (37,706 stars, GPL-3.0, TypeScript, Docker)
- [Nextcloud](https://appsgit.com/apps/nextcloud): Access and share your files, calendars, contacts, mail and more from any device, on your terms. (37,298 stars, AGPL-3.0, PHP)
- [Frigate](https://appsgit.com/apps/frigate): Monitor your security cameras with locally processed AI. (36,946 stars, MIT, Python, Docker)
- [Nginx Proxy Manager](https://appsgit.com/apps/nginx-proxy-manager): Docker container for managing Nginx proxy hosts with a simple, powerful interface. (34,538 stars, MIT, TypeScript, Docker)
- [Homepage by gethomepage](https://appsgit.com/apps/homepage-by-gethomepage): Highly customizable homepage (or startpage / application dashboard) with Docker and service API integrations. (33,359 stars, GPL-3.0, JavaScript, Docker)
- [Karakeep](https://appsgit.com/apps/karakeep): Bookmark-everything app with a touch of AI for the data hoarders out there. (29,987 stars, AGPL-3.0, TypeScript, Docker)
- [Actual](https://appsgit.com/apps/actual): Local-first personal finance tool based on zero-sum budgeting, supporting synchronization across devices, custom rules, manual transaction importing (from QIF, OFX, and QFX files), and optional… (29,762 stars, MIT, TypeScript, Docker)
- [Navidrome Music Server](https://appsgit.com/apps/navidrome-music-server): Modern Music Server and Streamer, compatible with Subsonic/Airsonic. (24,362 stars, GPL-3.0, Go, Docker)
- [Audiobookshelf](https://appsgit.com/apps/audiobookshelf): Audiobook and podcast server. It streams all audio formats, keeps and syncs progress across devices. Comes with apps for Android and iOS. (14,795 stars, GPL-3.0, JavaScript, Docker)
- [Mealie](https://appsgit.com/apps/mealie): Material design inspired recipe manager with category and tag management, shopping-lists, meal-planner, and site customizations. Mealie is focused on simple user interactions to keep the whole… (13,688 stars, AGPL-3.0, Python)
- [Headscale](https://appsgit.com/apps/headscale): Open-source, self-hosted implementation of the Tailscale control server. (45,047 stars, BSD-3-Clause, Go, Docker)
- [Sonarr](https://appsgit.com/apps/sonarr): Automatic TV Shows downloader and manager for Usenet and BitTorrent. It can grab, sort and rename new episodes and automatically upgrade the quality of files already downloaded when a better quality… (17,432 stars, GPL-3.0, C#, Docker)
- [Radarr](https://appsgit.com/apps/radarr): Automatically download movies via Usenet and BitTorrent (fork of Sonarr). (14,651 stars, GPL-3.0, C#, Docker)

## FAQ

### What is r/selfhosted?

r/selfhosted is a Reddit community about running your own services instead of relying on cloud providers. Members share setups, ask for recommendations and announce new open-source projects, which makes it one of the best places to see which self-hosted apps people actually keep running.

### What is the most recommended app on r/selfhosted?

There is no official ranking, but a handful of apps come up in almost every 'what do you self-host' thread: Immich for photos, Jellyfin for media, Vaultwarden for passwords, Pi-hole or AdGuard Home for DNS ad blocking, and Paperless-ngx for documents. Of those, Immich has the most GitHub stars.

### How did you rank these apps?

We chose apps that are widely recommended in r/selfhosted discussions, confirmed each one is open source and actively maintained, then ordered them by GitHub stars from the appsgit catalog on October 6, 2026. We did not count Reddit votes or mentions.

### Where should a beginner start from this list?

Pick one app that replaces something you use every day. Immich, Jellyfin and Uptime Kuma are friendly first installs. Add Vaultwarden or Paperless-ngx once you have HTTPS and working backups, because they hold data you cannot lose.

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Canonical page: https://appsgit.com/blog/r-selfhosted-most-recommended-apps
Source: appsgit (https://appsgit.com), the app store for github. Data as of 2026-10-26 (GitHub API), refreshed daily.
Descriptions adapted from [awesome-selfhosted](https://github.com/awesome-selfhosted/awesome-selfhosted-data) ([CC BY-SA 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)).
Machine access: JSON API https://appsgit.com/api/v1/apps (OpenAPI: https://appsgit.com/openapi.json), MCP server https://mcp.appsgit.com/mcp, full index https://appsgit.com/llms-full.txt.