The Self-Hosting Question
Moltbot is open source. You can download it, install it on your own hardware, and run it yourself. A Mac Mini sitting on your desk, a Linux server in your closet, a VPS in the cloud - Moltbot runs on all of them. So why would anyone pay for managed hosting?
This is a fair question, and the honest answer is: it depends on who you are and what you value. Self-hosting is genuinely great for some people and a poor fit for others. Let us break down the tradeoffs clearly.
Running Moltbot on a Mac Mini
The Mac Mini is a popular choice for self-hosting Moltbot, and for good reason. Apple Silicon delivers excellent performance per watt, macOS is familiar to many users, and the physical footprint is tiny. The M4 Mac Mini is barely larger than a pack of cards.
What You Need
- Mac Mini (M-series recommended): Starting around $500 for the base M4 model
- Internet connection: Reliable broadband with reasonable upload speed
- Router access: To configure port forwarding or set up a tunnel
- Basic terminal familiarity: You will need to use the command line
Setup Process
Installing Moltbot on a Mac Mini involves:
- Installing Node.js (via Homebrew or the official installer)
- Installing Moltbot via npm (
npm install -g moltbot) - Running the setup wizard (
moltbot onboard) - Configuring your channels and AI model
- Setting up Moltbot to run on startup (via launchd or a process manager)
- Configuring network access (port forwarding, dynamic DNS, or Cloudflare Tunnel)
For someone comfortable with the command line, this takes an afternoon. For someone less technical, it can take significantly longer, especially the networking portion.
The Mac Mini Experience
Daily operation: Once set up, the Mac Mini runs quietly. Moltbot uses minimal resources when idle - a few hundred megabytes of RAM and negligible CPU. During active conversations, resource usage spikes briefly but stays well within the Mac Mini's capabilities.
Maintenance: macOS updates occasionally require restarts. You need to monitor that Moltbot is running and restart it if it crashes. Moltbot updates need to be applied manually. Disk space for conversation logs and workspace files needs occasional cleanup.
Network reliability: This is the biggest challenge. Home internet connections drop, routers restart, ISPs change IP addresses. Each interruption means your assistant goes offline until the connection recovers. If you use Cloudflare Tunnel (recommended), it reconnects automatically, but there is still downtime during the gap.
Power and hardware: Mac Minis are reliable, but hardware fails eventually. A power outage, a macOS kernel panic, or a failing SSD means your assistant goes down until you physically fix the problem.
Other Self-Hosting Options
The Mac Mini is not the only choice for self-hosting. Here are the other common approaches.
Linux Home Server
A dedicated Linux machine (even a Raspberry Pi 5 for light use) running Moltbot. Lower cost than a Mac Mini, but requires more Linux administration knowledge. Same network reliability challenges as the Mac Mini.
VPS (Virtual Private Server)
Renting a virtual server from providers like Hetzner, DigitalOcean, or Linode. Costs range from $5-20/month depending on specs. Better network reliability than home hosting, but you are responsible for server administration, security updates, backups, and monitoring.
A VPS addresses the network reliability problem but introduces server administration overhead. You need to keep the OS patched, configure firewalls, manage SSH keys, set up monitoring, and handle disk space.
Docker on NAS
Some people run Moltbot in Docker on a Synology or QNAP NAS they already own. Clever use of existing hardware, but NAS devices are not designed for running application servers. Performance can be inconsistent, and debugging issues on NAS operating systems is not straightforward.
Managed Hosting with Molty by Finna
Molty by Finna takes a different approach. Instead of running Moltbot yourself, Finna manages the infrastructure. Each user gets a dedicated virtual machine (Firecracker microVM on Fly.io) running their own isolated Moltbot instance.
What You Get
- Dedicated VM: Your own isolated environment, not shared infrastructure
- Encrypted storage: Persistent volume for your assistant's data
- Always-on hosting: 99.9%+ uptime, no dependency on your home network
- Automatic updates: Moltbot version updates applied by the platform
- Dashboard management: Configure everything through a web interface
- Global regions: Choose hosting region closest to you
- No server administration: No SSH, no patches, no firewall configuration
What It Costs
Molty pricing starts at $29/month for the Pro plan, which includes one gateway (with the option to add more). A 3-day free trial lets you evaluate the platform before committing.
Honest Comparison
Let us compare the two approaches across the dimensions that actually matter.
Cost
Self-hosted Mac Mini: $500 upfront + ~$5/month electricity + your time for maintenance. Amortized over three years, that is roughly $19/month - not counting your time.
Self-hosted VPS: $5-20/month depending on provider and specs. Plus your time for administration.
Molty: $29/month, everything included.
On pure dollar cost, self-hosting is cheaper - especially if you already own suitable hardware. But this calculation ignores the value of your time. If you spend even two hours a month on maintenance and troubleshooting (which is conservative), the cost advantage evaporates quickly.
Reliability
Self-hosted at home: Dependent on your home internet, power supply, and hardware. Most home setups achieve 95-98% uptime realistically. That sounds high, but 2-5% downtime means your assistant is unavailable for 15-36 hours per month.
Self-hosted VPS: Better network reliability (99-99.5% typical), but you still need to handle OS updates, process monitoring, and recovery from crashes.
Molty: Fly.io infrastructure provides 99.9%+ uptime with automatic health checks and restart. Your assistant is effectively always available.
Security
Self-hosted at home: Your Mac Mini is on your home network. If Moltbot has a vulnerability, it is behind your router's NAT (good), but if you have port forwarding configured, it is directly exposed. Cloudflare Tunnel mitigates this significantly.
Self-hosted VPS: Exposed to the internet. You are responsible for OS security patches, firewall rules, and hardening. Most self-hosters do not run regular security audits.
Molty: Firecracker microVM isolation, encrypted storage, token-based authentication, and no exposed ports (traffic routes through authenticated proxies). Security is part of the platform, not something you bolt on.
Maintenance
Self-hosted: Moltbot updates, OS updates, monitoring, backups, disk space management, SSL certificate renewal (if applicable), and troubleshooting when something breaks. Expect to spend time on this regularly.
Molty: Zero maintenance on your end. Updates are handled by the platform. Monitoring is built in. Backups are automatic.
Ease of Setup
Self-hosted Mac Mini: An afternoon for someone comfortable with terminal and networking. Potentially days for someone learning as they go.
Self-hosted VPS: Similar to Mac Mini, plus server hardening and SSH configuration.
Molty: About 30 minutes from sign-up to sending your first message. No technical knowledge required.
Flexibility and Control
Self-hosted: Full control. You can modify Moltbot's code, install plugins, adjust system-level configuration, and run additional services on the same machine. If you want to do something unusual, nothing stops you.
Molty: Managed configuration through the dashboard and API. You control the assistant's behavior, channels, and model settings, but not the underlying infrastructure. For most users this is sufficient, but power users may feel constrained.
This is the one area where self-hosting clearly wins. If you need deep customization, unrestricted tool access, or the ability to modify Moltbot itself, self-hosting gives you that freedom.
Who Should Self-Host?
Self-hosting Moltbot makes sense if:
- You enjoy server administration and tinkering
- You have specific customization needs that require modifying Moltbot's code
- You already have suitable hardware and reliable network infrastructure
- You are comfortable with command-line tools, networking, and debugging
- You want maximum control over your data and infrastructure
- You have multiple services running on the same machine and Moltbot is just one more
- Budget is a primary concern and you value your time at a low hourly rate
Who Should Use Molty?
Managed hosting with Molty makes sense if:
- You want your AI assistant to just work, without maintaining infrastructure
- Reliability matters - you depend on your assistant being available 24/7
- You are not comfortable with server administration or prefer not to spend time on it
- You want professional-grade security without configuring it yourself
- You value your time more than the monthly cost difference
- You want to get started quickly and iterate on the assistant's configuration, not the infrastructure
- You are running a business and need predictable uptime
The Middle Ground
Some people start self-hosted and move to managed hosting as they come to rely on their assistant more. Others start with Molty to get up and running quickly, then move to self-hosting once they understand what they need and want more control.
There is no wrong answer. Moltbot is the same software either way. The question is really about whether you want to manage infrastructure or focus on using your AI assistant.
Our Honest Recommendation
If you are reading this article, you are probably evaluating both options. Here is our straightforward advice:
Try Molty first. The free trial lets you experience Moltbot without any setup overhead. Use it for a few days. If you love what Moltbot does but want to self-host it, you will have a clear understanding of what you are setting up and why. If managed hosting meets your needs, you have saved yourself an afternoon of server configuration.
Self-hosting is a perfectly valid choice. Moltbot is open source specifically because we believe in giving people that option. But for most people, the convenience, reliability, and security of managed hosting make it the better day-to-day experience. Your time is better spent crafting the perfect system prompt than debugging a crashed process at midnight.