If you’re running a business, you’re most likely paying for a bunch of SaaS tools every month like Notion, Zapier, Airtable, PostHog, and the list goes on. These tools are amazing, but they aren’t cheap. And once your team starts growing, those “per seat” prices start stacking up really fast.
That’s exactly what happened to me as well a few months back. But instead of cutting down features or slowing down, I took a smarter route. I replaced all those pricey tools with powerful free, open-source, and self-hosted alternatives.
After shifting to these free tools, my team has become more productive and saved me over $10,000/Year in costs.
In this post, I’ll share you the exact tools I use, why I made the switch, and how you can do the same even if you’re not a tech wizard. These are real solutions that can help your business run smoother without draining your wallet. So, let’s get into it.
Why SaaS Tools Are Getting Out of Hand
SaaS (Software as a Service) tools are an absolute life-saver for every online business out there. They help you in managing projects, automating tasks, analyzing data, and so much more. But they often come with a catch, that is expensive pricing.
Also, many tools start off simple, but as they try to “do everything,” they end up being much more confusing and less easier to use. This was one of main reason I decided to leave behind the cloud and start hosting my own tools.
Tool #1,2 & 3: Replacing Notion with 3 Simpler (Free) Tools
I used to rely heavily on Notion for everything. From docs, project management, newsletters, blogs, and whatever else I could find. But over time, it became more and more chaotic and expensive. So, I split these functions into three free tools:
1. Internal Docs: Docus
Docus is a clean, minimal alternative that focuses only on writing docs and notes. It’s open-source, easy to self-host, and perfect for internal knowledge bases.
2. Project Management: Plane
Plane is a simple project management tool that does exactly what you need – nothing more, nothing less. It’s free to self-host, but there’s also a lifetime plan for $799 with added features like time tracking and real-time collaboration. No recurring payments! Now, that’s something I would pay for and I actually did!
3. Content (Blogs/Newsletters): Strapi
For creating content for my business websites, I moved to Strapi which is a CMS (content management system). It’s open-source and great for small teams. If you don’t need Single Sign-On or fancy support, then you can run it for totally free on your own server/computer.
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Tool #4: Ditching Zapier & Make for n8n
Automation tools like Zapier and Make are super helpful, but they are super expensive once your workflows starts to grow. Make started off as a great automation platform, but later became really slow and hard to use, just like Zapier.
And there comes n8n.
n8n gives you the option to create unlimited workflows when hosted on your own computer, and it’s way faster than Zapier & n8n. The best part? It has one of the most powerful AI agent integrations I have ever seen. You can even build your own AI agents inside n8n! No coding? No problem! There’s a video tutorial showing how to set it up.
Tool #5: Replacing Airtable with NocoDB
Airtable is one of the best tool for organizing data, but it’s way too expensive. If you’re trying to cut costs, then NocoDB can be a solid open-source alternative to it.
It’s a lot more easier to use than you’d expect, and you can self-host it to use for free. As it runs on your own server, your data stays completely private, which is a plus point.
Tool #6: Replacing Expensive Analytics with PostgreSQL + Grafana
My team needed reliable product analytics, but tools like PostHog and Amplitude were pricey, slow, and often inaccurate.
So, we tried something different:
- We started logging events manually into a PostgreSQL database
- Then, we used Grafana to create custom dashboards
This combo gave us faster, more accurate results and full control over our data. If writing SQL sounds scary, don’t worry! ChatGPT can help you write the exact queries you need within seconds.
Fun fact: While doing the research, we found that Grafana is being used by several billion-dollar companies too. It’s that powerful.
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Bonus (Tool 7): Run Your Own ChatGPT with DeepSeek
Do you use ChatGPT for your business? What if you could run your own version of it, but for a fraction of it’s cost?
That’s what DeepSeek offers! It’s an open-source AI model that works just like ChatGPT but needs fewer resources. You can download the model and either run it locally or host it on a server.
We found a GPU server on Hetzner for less than $100/Month, and now we has a private AI tool that we can use without worrying about token limits or rising costs.
If your business relies heavily on AI then, this could be a game changer.
Conclusion
Making the switch from expensive cloud tools to self-hosted open-source options isn’t just about saving money. It’s about taking control of your data, your costs, and your productivity.
If you’re running a startup or a small business, these tools are definitely worth a try. You don’t need to switch everything at once, just start with one. You might be surprised by how much better and faster things starts to work.
