Running your own KolleK instance is a first class, supported way to use the product, and it is free. This page tells you what you are signing up for before you install anything, and hands you the one rule that matters more than all the others.
KolleK ships as a single Docker image that plays three roles, selected by an environment variable:
The web role serves the application itself.
The queue role works through background jobs (sending email, webhook deliveries, logging).
The scheduler role runs the daily maintenance jobs.
The provided Docker Compose file starts all three, plus a MySQL database. Sessions, cache, and the queue are all database backed, so there is no Redis or other extra service to operate. Uploaded photos and documents live on a storage volume, on local disk by default, with S3 compatible storage available.
The requirements are modest: a machine with Docker Engine 24 or newer and the Compose plugin. A small virtual server comfortably runs a personal instance.
The one rule to internalize now
KolleK encrypts sensitive data at rest using your instance's application key.
Warning
Set the application key once, before first boot, and never change it on a running instance. If the key changes, every encrypted field and every session becomes permanently unreadable. Treat the key like the data itself: back it up, and keep it identical across all containers.
This is worth reading about properly before you install. The application key and encryption explains what the key protects, how to store it, and the one safe way to rotate it deliberately.
Your responsibilities
Self hosting means you are the operator. Concretely, that is:
Installation and upgrades. Both are short, documented Docker procedures.
Backups. There is no automated in app backup. You back up the database and the storage volume yourself, along with the application key.
Email delivery. A fresh instance logs email instead of sending it, so invitations and sign in links do not go anywhere until you configure a mailer.
Keeping the three roles running. In particular, background jobs and daily maintenance silently stop if the queue or scheduler containers are down.
Alex, who runs an instance for their collectors club, spends a few minutes on this per month once the initial setup is done. It is not a heavy operational burden, but it is yours.