I've accumulated a lot of videos over the years, and cloud storage subscriptions were bleeding me dry. Google Photos at 200GB? That's already pushing me into expensive tiers. So in 2025, I made a decision: build my own media server.
I bought another server specifically for Unraid and set up Immich, an open source media management platform. It's been transformative, though I'll admit the learning curve left some scars along the way.
The Problem: Cloud Storage Costs
The math never worked in my favor. Paying subscription after subscription for cloud storage felt like renting forever. I needed something I could own outright, something that scaled without constantly hitting paywalls. That's when I looked into self-hosted solutions.
Immich: The Open Source Alternative
Immich is basically Google Photos, but for your own server. It's completely free, which is honestly remarkable given how polished it is. You get photo organization, video storage, automatic backups from your phone, shared libraries, and all the features you'd expect from a cloud service. The catch: it's not quite as seamless as Google Photos (yet), but it's close and improving constantly.
What I love most is that Immich pairs beautifully with Unraid. Instead of being locked into whatever storage a cloud provider decides to give you, you can expand your storage capacity however you want. Need more space? Add another drive. It's that simple.
Unraid: The Storage Foundation
Unraid is a NAS operating system that lets you build a home server with as much storage as you can afford. The license is a one-time purchase (with optional annual renewal for updates), and there's even a lifetime option if you want it. I haven't gone for lifetime yet since the cost is steep, but I'm eyeing it for when finances allow.
The beauty of Unraid is that you're not locked into a specific storage capacity. Unlike traditional RAID setups, Unraid lets you mix and match drives of different sizes. You buy a license, and theoretically, you could fill your entire basement with storage and Unraid would handle it.
Right now, I'm running 4TB of usable storage with a 4TB parity drive. That means if one drive fails, my data is safe. But I'm planning to upgrade: a 6TB parity drive will bump my total capacity to 8TB (since parity itself isn't usable storage, it's protection). Already I'm sitting at 2.8TB of videos and photos, which feels like solid progress.
The Learning Curve and Data Loss
I'm not going to sugarcoat this: my first attempts at setting up Unraid and Immich together were rough. Data loss happened. I didn't understand how parity worked, how to properly configure Immich's storage, or how to migrate files safely. It was stressful.
But here's the thing: I learned. And now, after the initial missteps, I haven't lost a single file since. The parity system works. When you understand it, Unraid becomes less scary and more reassuring.
The Backup Anxiety
I'll be honest about my current weakness: I only have parity, no true offsite backup. If something catastrophic happens to my entire Unraid array, I'm vulnerable. I'm bracing for the day I might need to restore from parity, and I know it's going to be chaotic the first time it happens. For newcomers to self-hosting, data restoration is genuinely hectic.
But that's also why I'm cautious now. I check my disks regularly. I monitor Unraid's alerts. I'm not taking this for granted.
The Guilt and Gratitude
Here's something I should probably admit: I haven't donated to Immich yet, despite using it for a year. The software is free, the community is generous, and I'm benefiting daily from their work. I want the supporter badge, but finances haven't aligned. It's something I'm planning to fix soon, because this kind of software only survives if people contribute back.
Unraid also deserves credit for being so well-designed. It's made self-hosting accessible to someone like me who didn't start with a systems administration degree.
What's Next
The plan is to keep expanding. A 6TB parity drive is coming, which will let me grow to 8TB total. After that, I'll probably explore true offsite backups (maybe to another machine or a backup drive kept elsewhere). And eventually, when I can swing it, that Unraid lifetime license will be worth it.
For now, I'm sitting here with 2.8TB of my memories safely stored, protected by parity, managed by Immich. It's not perfect, but it's mine. And that matters more than any subscription ever could.