Self-Hosted Software
Understanding the self-hosted (self-managed) software deployment model, and how vendors support self-hosted customers with a distribution platform
What is Self-Hosted Software?
Self-Hosted Software Definition
Self-hosted means the product runs inside the customer’s trust boundary: their cloud account, on-premises data center or isolated network, instead of in a vendor multi-tenant SaaS. That boundary is what matters. Who operates the software still varies, from vendor-managed BYOC to fully customer-operated and air-gapped setups. For the full map from BYOC to air-gapped, read The self-hosted spectrum.
How Does Self-Hosted Software Work?
In a customer-operated self-hosted deployment, customers typically purchase a license, then download and install the software onto their own servers or cloud environment. They handle infrastructure tasks such as server setup, storage, networking and security, plus updates, monitoring, backups and troubleshooting. That path demands more internal expertise. Other points on the spectrum look different: in BYOC, the vendor still operates the app in the customer’s cloud; in air-gapped, there is no vendor access at all.
Why Choose Self-Hosted Software?
Self-hosted deployment is often chosen by organizations that require control over where the product runs and where data lives, particularly in industries with stringent data sovereignty, security, and compliance requirements, such as finance, government, and healthcare. It is also preferred when buyers need deep customization or integration with systems that will not leave their environment.
How much operational burden the customer takes on depends on where they sit on the spectrum. The self-hosted spectrum walks through BYOC, customer-controlled middle ground and air-gapped.
Self-Hosted vs Self-Managed
The two terms are often used interchangeably in marketing. “Self-hosted” is common in open source and developer communities (Nextcloud, Home Assistant, and similar). Commercial vendors often brand their non-SaaS edition “self-managed” (GitLab Self-Managed is the best-known example).
Where people draw a distinction: “self-hosted” emphasizes where the software runs (the customer’s trust boundary), while “self-managed” emphasizes who operates it (the customer’s team handles updates, backups, and maintenance). They often go together, but not always. BYOC is the main counterexample: hosted in the customer’s cloud, still operated by the vendor.
How Vendors Support Self-Hosted Software with a Distribution Platform
Offering a self-hosted edition doesn’t mean handing customers a tarball and wishing them luck. The vendors that succeed with self-hosted treat it as a product surface of its own, and a software distribution platform like Distr provides the infrastructure for that:
- Artifact distribution. A vendor-controlled container registry serves Docker images, Helm charts, and other artifacts, with per-customer access controls so each customer only sees the versions they are entitled to.
- Guided installation and updates. Optional deployment agents (Docker Compose and Helm) install the software in the customer’s environment and roll out updates when the customer approves them, which reduces version fragmentation.
- Offline license enforcement. Signed license keys and entitlements work without a connection back to the vendor, so seat limits, feature gates, and expiry hold up even in air-gapped environments.
- Health monitoring and diagnostics. With customer consent, agents report deployment status, metrics, and logs, so support teams can troubleshoot without direct access to the customer’s infrastructure.
- Customer self-service portal. Customers download releases, generate registry credentials, and manage their deployments through a white-labeled portal instead of email threads with support.
The result: vendors can offer a self-hosted edition with an operational profile close to SaaS, while customers keep the control that made them choose self-hosted in the first place.
