6 Docker Containers to Replace Google Services — and the Real Costs Involved

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Developer Yash Patel documented his gradual migration away from Google services using six self-hosted Docker containers, as reported on XDA on September 18, 2026. The six replacements are Immich for Google Photos, Nextcloud for Google Drive, Radicale for Google Calendar, Grist for Google Sheets, Vaultwarden for password management, and Reitti for Google Timeline. Patel emphasized a phased approach, replacing only services he wanted personal control over rather than abandoning Google all at once. However, a Thai-language analysis by Nokka on DEV Community notes that the true costs extend beyond free software licenses to include electricity, hardware depreciation, and ongoing maintenance time — averaging around $412 per year based on 2026 self-hosting surveys. Immich alone requires a minimum of 6 GB RAM and 2 CPU cores, and thumbnail generation can increase storage usage by 10–20 percent, costs the original article did not highlight.

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