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Self-hosting Git gives you unlimited private repos with no per-user fees. The two main options have very different needs.

Gitea vs GitLab

  • Gitea — a single Go binary, runs happily in 512 MB–1 GB.
  • GitLab — a full Rails app; the official minimum is 4 GB RAM plus Postgres and Redis.

The pick: RackNerd 4GB

RackNerd’s 4 GB plan at $59.99/yr runs GitLab at its minimum comfortably and Gitea with huge headroom. Full root, a dedicated IPv4, and 21 datacenters make it a clean self-hosting base.

Set it up with Docker

docker run -d --name gitea -p 3000:3000 \
  -v gitea:/data gitea/gitea:latest

Don’t forget

  • Backups — cron a gitea dump (or a GitLab backup) to off-site storage.
  • SSH on port 22 — most Git clients use it; keep it dedicated.
  • An SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt for clone over HTTPS.

Bottom line: choose Gitea for a lightweight home for dozens of repos on 2 GB, or step up to 4 GB for a real GitLab instance.

See RackNerd's current deals