Data report
The Self-Host Difficulty Index
We scored 300 open-source apps on a strict 1–5 self-host difficulty rubric. Here’s how hard each category is to run yourself — averaged, with the easiest pick in each. Overall average: 2.7/5.
Source: OpenAlt · self-host difficulty rubric · Last updated Jul 29, 2026. Free to cite with a link.
Methodology: each project is scored 1 (one-click / managed hosting) to 5 (complex multi-component stack or thin docs). Category averages are the mean of all scored projects in that category. See the full self-hosted directory or the easiest apps ranking.
FAQ
What is the Self-Host Difficulty Index?
An aggregate of OpenAlt’s 1–5 self-host difficulty scores across 300 open-source projects, averaged per category, so you can see which kinds of software are easy to run yourself and which take real effort. The overall average is 2.7/5.
Which category is easiest to self-host?
Forms & Surveys, with an average difficulty of 1.0/5 — its easiest pick is Formbricks.
Which is hardest?
CRM & Sales, averaging 3.6/5.