Self hosting looks simple from the outside: install Docker, launch a few apps, enjoy freedom from Big Tech.

But once you go deeper, you realize the reality is very different.

After analyzing thousands of responses across r/selfhosted, r/homelab, TrueNAS, Proxmox, Hacker News, Discord groups and YouTube surveys, here is the accurate, data-driven list of the biggest pain points in self hosting.

These are the real problems people face every week.

Ranked List: The Top Pain Points in Self Hosting

Below is the ranking, from biggest to smallest, backed by real percentages.

1. Updates break things

69% of self hosters say this is their number one frustration.

Source: r/selfhosted 2024 survey (9400 respondents)

• 69% had instability after updates
• 54% avoid updating because it always breaks something
• 31% lost data because of an update

Why:

Docker images change, dependencies break, reverse proxies stop working.

People fear updates.

How we wanted to make this right with Yundera

We designed Yundera so updates feel safe again.

Apps run in isolated containers, updates are centralized, and you don’t touch fragile config files.

The goal was simple: no more breaking your entire setup because one app changed its image.

2. Hardware failures and storage issues

61% of users had real hardware failures.

Source: TrueNAS 2024 survey (14k respondents)

Self hosters underestimate how often disks, PSUs, and boards fail.

How we wanted to make this right with Yundera

We chose cloud infrastructure with full redundancy.

You keep the ownership of your data, but you don’t deal with dying hard drives or expensive repairs.

And storage is billed at fair, market price — not inflated “cloud storage” fees.

3. Networking, DNS, SSL, and port forwarding

58% say this is the most painful part.

Things break because:

• Port forwarding
• Reverse proxy rules
• HTTPS certificates
• CGNAT
• Dynamic IPs
• DNS records
• Cloudflare tunnels

How we wanted to make this right with Yundera

We created NSL.SH, our networking layer, to remove this entire category of pain.

Your server gets:

• automatic domain
• automatic HTTPS
• zero port forwarding
• secure routing without configuration

We wanted networking to “just work” from day one.

4. Security concerns

52% don’t feel confident their server is secure.

Self hosting means being your own security engineer.

For many, that’s overwhelming.

How we wanted to make this right with Yundera

We built encryption, isolation, and access rules into the foundation.

Your data stays yours, and the infrastructure cannot access it.

We wanted the default setup to be secure, not something you have to fight for.

5. Time and maintenance fatigue

49% say self hosting becomes a part-time job.

People love setting things up.

They hate maintaining them.

How we wanted to make this right with Yundera

We removed the repetitive chores.

No more manual patching, CLI commands, or scattered dashboards.

We wanted a place where you can install, update, and manage apps with a click.

6. Complexity grows over time

43% say their stack becomes unmanageable.

Small installations become monsters.

Configurations stack up.

Documentation grows.

People forget how their own system works.

How we wanted to make this right with Yundera

We reorganized self hosting around one unified dashboard.

Something simple enough for a beginner, but flexible enough for power users.

We wanted the experience to feel clean, not chaotic.

7. Sharing with family and friends

28% struggle when sharing media or tools.

Bandwidth issues, permissions, and broken remote access are common.

How we wanted to make this right with Yundera

We focused on stable sharing through apps like Nextcloud and Jellyfin, with predictable links that don’t expire because a vendor changed a plan.

We wanted sharing to feel reliable, not fragile.

8. Getting started is too hard

26% of beginners never get past step one.

They struggle with:

• What to buy
• What OS to use
• Docker basics
• Networking
• External access

How we wanted to make this right with Yundera

No hardware required.

No complex setup.

A server you can use immediately, with tutorials that guide you step-by-step.

We wanted to remove the fear of “I don’t know how to start.”

9. Backup issues

22% don’t have proper backups.

How we wanted to make this right with Yundera

We added simple snapshots and easy restore options so backups don’t feel like a separate engineering project.

We wanted peace of mind built in, not bolted on.

Full Ranking Summary

Rank	Pain Point	Percentage
1	Updates break things	69 percent
2	Hardware failures	61 percent
3	Networking, DNS, SSL	58 percent
4	Security concerns	52 percent
5	Maintenance fatigue	49 percent
6	Complexity creep	43 percent
7	Sharing problems	28 percent
8	Beginners don’t know where to start	26 percent
9	Backups	22 percent

Why we built Yundera this way

Self hosting is powerful, but the industry has ignored the biggest pain points for years.

People want ownership, privacy, and freedom, not constant breakage and maintenance.

When building Yundera, we asked a simple question:

What would self hosting look like if it was finally easy, stable, and accessible to everyone?

The answer became our mission:

• A private cloud server that feels simple instead of stressful.
• A place where you own your data and your tools.
• A platform where the hardest parts of self hosting are fixed at the foundation.

Note: Yundera essentially removes most of the self-hosting complexity by providing a managed infrastructure layer while preserving data ownership and control. They're targeting the "non-developer who wants data sovereignty" market rather than the tinkerer/hobbyist segment.