Living in a third-world country like the Philippines comes with its fair share of challenges — frequent power outages, unstable internet, and rising costs of digital services. But despite these limitations, I’ve found ways to take control of my digital life. One of the biggest steps I’ve taken recently is investing in Unraid.
I initially looked into Unraid out of curiosity, but it quickly became a necessity. The cost of storing files and photos using traditional cloud services like Google Photos has skyrocketed, especially here in the Philippines. On top of that, our government added a 12% digital service tax — a poorly thought-out move that only burdens ordinary Filipinos while the politicians continue to live in luxury. This tax made services like Google Photos and Google Drive even more expensive, forcing many of us to make hard decisions about what subscriptions we can afford on a limited salary.
That’s when Unraid started making sense to me — not just as a tool, but as a form of digital independence.
My primary use for Unraid is to run Immich, an open-source photo management app that has effectively replaced Google Photos for me. Immich lets me back up and organize all my personal images locally, so I no longer have to worry about monthly fees or storage caps. I control my data now — no algorithms deciding what memories matter, and no sudden changes in pricing to catch me off guard.
But Unraid goes beyond just photos. As someone who does content creation on the side — videos, media editing, creative projects — having a massive storage system available via SMB sharing has been a game-changer. I can edit videos on my PC, offload raw footage to my Unraid server, and never worry about running out of space. And when I do need more storage? I just buy another HDD and add it to the array. It’s that easy. No expensive subscriptions, no hidden fees. Just plug and expand.
I also use Tailscale to securely share specific folders and services like Immich with my family, without needing to expose my network directly to the internet. Tailscale’s free tier is more than enough for personal use and adds a much-needed layer of privacy and security. Even in a country where reliable infrastructure is a luxury, tools like this make modern self-hosting surprisingly accessible.
Of course, it’s not all perfect. Unraid itself is a paid product, and there’s word that they might increase their pricing next year. It’s a bit worrying, considering how even this small, self-managed infrastructure could become another cost to bear. But even then, it still feels like a better deal than constantly feeding money into platforms that don’t care about people like us — platforms that can change the rules overnight and leave you scrambling.
If there’s one thing I’ve realized through all of this, it’s that digital freedom shouldn’t just be a luxury for people in wealthy countries. We shouldn’t have to rely on expensive, centralized services that can become unaffordable at any moment due to politics or policy changes. With tools like Unraid, we can take ownership of our digital lives, even in the face of economic and infrastructural challenges.
I don’t hate this country. I love the people, the culture, and the resilience we show in hard times. But I do hate the system — the incompetence of those in power who keep tightening the noose while pretending it’s for our own good. They get rich while we lose access to things that should be basic in the digital age: storage, privacy, autonomy.
But through all that, I’ve found some peace and power in building my own solutions. Unraid helped me do that. And if you’re in a similar position — feeling squeezed by rising costs and bad governance — maybe it can help you too.
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