[PaaS Recap] Software for Servers...

November 19, 2025

Tl;DR

Ive recently heard that buying a NAS seems to make things much easier/better/faster than a MiniPC + Docker.

Time to prove that’s not always true, especially with these PaaS Tools available.

Intro

Few months ago, I wrote about different PaaS Tools

UmbrelOS, Cosmos Server, Coolify or Dokploy….

This feels like time for a recap.

Among which, Dokploy resonated a lot with me.

I want to make a recap of PaaS Tools available.

Its beena while since I started selfhosting with the Pi, so hopefully this will come handy to people getting started.

Because is not just about creating, but deploying.

PaaS Tools

Like the well known Coolify and Dokploy:

I wrote about Dokploy here

Today, we are going to see

LocalStack is a tool designed for developers who want to test AWS functionalities locally.

It provides an emulated environment of AWS services, solving issues related to unpredictable billing and resource management during development.

Purpose: LocalStack emulates AWS API functionality.
Problem Solved: Allows local testing without involving AWS services directly.
Installation:
- Sign up with a GitHub account.
- Use brew install localstack/tap/localstack-cli for installation on macOS.
- Requires Docker to function as a local “mini-cloud” operating system.
Basic Use:
- Set environment variables for AWS access.
- Create services like S3 buckets using standard AWS commands.
- Offers a Community Image for free usage.
Limitations:
- Not all AWS services are fully emulated; some are available only in the Pro version.
- Works with a single API endpoint unlike AWS’s regional separation.
Key Features:
- Supports essential services like EC2.
- Allows basic CRUD operations.
- Requires understanding of feature coverage before use.