Postgres
plus a server
The whole stack is a Next.js app and a Postgres database. If you can run those two things, you can run Home Base.
Self-host
Run Home Base on your own server. Free, forever, no asterisks.
The full source for Home Base is on GitHub. Pull it, stand it up on a server the shop already trusts, and own the whole stack. The software is the same one running at $37 a month on our infrastructure.
Free forever to runPermissive source licenseSame software as hosted
01
GitHub
is the source of truth
Every release, every issue, every planned change lives on GitHub at fruitmob/home-base. No gated download portal.
Source
you can read and fork
The license is permissive by intent: run it, modify it, use it commercially, and keep running what you have even if we stop shipping.
Any
infrastructure you trust
Your VPS, a friend's basement server, or the spare PC in the back office. The software does not care where it runs.
What you need
The stack is small on purpose
Home Base is designed to run on hardware a service shop already has access to. There is no proprietary runtime, no custom database, and no managed service the code depends on.
01
A server that runs Postgres
Any Linux box with 2GB of RAM and enough disk for the database. A cheap VPS does it. The existing shop server probably does it.
02
Node 20 or a Docker daemon
The repo ships both a straight-Node setup and a docker-compose file. Whichever is already familiar is the right one.
03
A public domain, if customers will use the portal
Customers hitting the portal from their phones need a real URL and an SSL certificate. For internal-only use, an internal hostname is fine.
04
Someone to run it
Somebody has to apply updates and restart things if they break. That is the trade for paying zero.
The trade
Self-hosting is not a lesser version. It is the same software with a different support model.
The hosted plan exists so a shop can pay for someone else to run Postgres, patch a server, and answer the phone at 4pm on a Tuesday. If that is not what you need, the code is yours for nothing.
01
What is in the repo
The GitHub repo has everything the hosted version runs on. No enterprise-only fork held back.
- 1Every module the hosted version has: sales, work orders, portal, Lens, Gauge, reporting
- 2Database migrations, seed data, and a sample shop to play with
- 3A deployment guide for Docker and for straight Node
- 4The commit history, the roadmap, and the public issue tracker
02
What is not included
Self-hosting means you are the support team. The hosted plan is where Home Base picks that up.
- 1A support phone number or guaranteed response times
- 2Commitments about how long any given branch will keep working
- 3Consulting to help migrate off another shop system
- 4Cloud hosting, outbound email, and SSL certificates — those are yours to set up
Self-host FAQ
Questions shops usually ask before running it themselves
Self-hosting is a real commitment. These answers should make it clear what the shop is signing up for.
1Why self-host instead of paying $37 a month?+
A few honest reasons. The database sits on hardware the shop already owns. The code can be customized for a workflow nobody else has. There is already a server in the corner running other shop tools. Or the shop just wants the freedom that comes with owning the stack end to end.
2What if the self-host install gets stuck?+
GitHub issues are public and answered on a best-effort basis. If the problem is urgent and a phone call is needed, that is the service the hosted plan provides.
3Can a shop fork Home Base and run a private version?+
Yes. The license is permissive: fork it, modify it, even ship a private variant inside an operating group. The only ask is that a fork not be presented as the official Home Base.
4Do updates keep landing in the public repo, or is there a hidden fork?+
Same cadence, same code. What runs on the hosted infrastructure is what lives on GitHub. There is no enterprise-only branch.