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Should I self-host Wanderlog?
NOT REALLYkeep paying
$3.33/mo. AdventureLog is a charming trip journal, but Wanderlog's value is collaborative planning with live maps and imports — and the cheap-subscription pattern applies in full: the setup evening costs more than years of the subscription.
The math (nothing hidden, including your time)
| Wanderlog (Pro) | $3.33/mo |
| VPS share + storage | −$0.30/mo |
| Your maintenance: 10 min/mo at $20/h | −$3.33/mo |
| Net saving | $-0.30/mo |
| Setup: 15 min measured (one-time) | $5.00 |
| Break-even | never |
| Markup Index (price ÷ real self-host cost) | 0.9× |
Price: source, checked 2026-08-07. Inputs are stored in git; every number above is derived, never hand-written.
What you lose
- Collaborative itineraries with non-self-hosting travel companions
What you're paying Wanderlog for
- trip itineraries
- collaborative planning
- maps & routes
- offline access
Ranked alternatives
A travel journal on your own server: the trips, the photographs, the map, and the countries you have actually stood in.
Hardware
Runs comfortably on Raspberry Pi.
Verification
Protocol v1 · verified by zernonia on 2026-08-10 · setup measured at 15 min · AI assistant: claude-code (allowed & stated)
Full timed log
# Wanderlog — verdict log - **Date:** 2026-08-10 - **Verdict:** NOT REALLY — keep paying - **Protocol:** v1 (2GB reference env, Docker preinstalled, AI assistant: claude-code) ## Why no compose file - This verdict is decided by economics/capability, not setup effort — the rubric doesn't require a timed install to conclude the subscription should stay (or that the replacement's cost lives elsewhere, e.g. GPUs, egress, or an installer script). ## The call $3.33/mo. AdventureLog is a charming trip journal, but Wanderlog's value is collaborative planning with live maps and imports — and the cheap-subscription pattern applies in full: the setup evening costs more than years of the subscription.
Verdict history
- 2026-08-10: unscored → NOT_REALLY — Initial verdict: $3.33/mo.