shouldiselfhost?they tell you if you can — we tell you if you should
THE DECISION LAYER FOR SELF-HOSTING100 APPS UNDER COVERAGEPROTOCOL v1NO VENDOR HAS EVER PAID FOR A RATING
RECENT ACTIONS 1PASSWORDNOT REALLY·ACTIVECAMPAIGNKINDA·ACUITY SCHEDULINGYES·ADOBE ACROBATYES·ADOBE LIGHTROOMNOT REALLY·AIRTABLEYES·AMPLITUDEYES·ANYLISTNOT REALLY·ASANAKINDA
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FILES-DOCS
Zight logo

Should I self-host Zight?

$9.95/mo · Create per seat · alternative: Zipline
RATING
NOT REALLY
OUTLOOK
NOT ASSIGNED
RATIONALE

Zight is a capture app with hosting attached. Zipline hosts files fine, but the screenshot-annotate-share flow lives in the client app — which stays subscription-bound. Self-hosting the storage half of a $9.95 tool solves the cheap half.

WHAT YOU LOSE
01

The capture/annotation apps — the part you actually use all day

WHAT YOU'RE PAYING FOR

screen capture & recording · instant share links · annotations

Self-Hosting Facts
1 app per panel · Zight
Assumes 1 seat on 1 always-on box you already run
Amount per month% of sub *
Subscription$9.95
VPS share0.303%
Storage + backup0.000%
Your hours · 10 min @ $203.3334%
Self-hosted all-in3.6337%
Effective markup2.7×
Setup · 15 min measured$5.00 once
Break-even0.8 months
VERDICT
NOT REALLY
OUTLOOK
NOT ASSIGNED

* Percent of the subscription price. Your time is priced at the slider's rate — $0/h ("my homelab time is free and I love it") is a legitimate position. Every number is derived from the record, never hand-written. Price source, checked 2026-08-07.

Runs comfortably on a Raspberry Pi.

01
ALTERNATIVES
Ranked alternatives
01Zipline logo
ZiplineThe upload endpoint behind the screenshot key: drop a file, get a link, on a hostname you own.
diced/zipline · ★ 3,344 · 46d
Zipline running from the boot-verified compose file
Zipline, running from the compose file on this page — screenshot from our verified instance, not marketing material.
02
EVIDENCE
PROTOCOL
v1
VERIFIED BY
zernonia
REVIEWED
10 AUG 2026
SETUP MEASURED
15 MIN
AI ASSISTANT
CLAUDE-CODE · STATED
FULL TIMED LOG
# Zight — 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

Zight is a capture app with hosting attached. Zipline hosts files fine, but the screenshot-annotate-share flow lives in the client app — which stays subscription-bound. Self-hosting the storage half of a $9.95 tool solves the cheap half.
03
HISTORY
10 AUG 2026UNRATED → NOT_REALLYInitial verdict: Zight is a capture app with hosting attached.