Affiliate Disclosure

Last updated: 2026. May. 13

SelfHostLife is reader-supported. When you buy through links
on this site, I may earn a small commission — at no extra
cost to you. This is how I keep the site running while
keeping ads to a minimum.

I want to be completely transparent about how this works,
which is why this page exists.

How Affiliate Links Work

Some of the links on SelfHostLife are affiliate links. When
you click one and make a purchase, the company you buy from
pays me a small percentage of the sale.

A few important things to know:

Your price stays the same. The commission comes out of the
company’s marketing budget, not your wallet.
You’re not obligated to use my links. You can search for
the product directly and buy it normally. The recommendation
stays the same either way.
I disclose affiliate links throughout the site. If you see
a recommendation for a product, assume it could be an
affiliate link unless stated otherwise.

Affiliate Programs I Participate In

Here are the main programs I currently use:

a) Amazon Services LLC Associates Program

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
SelfHostLife is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC
Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed
to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by
advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

This applies primarily to hardware recommendations — mini PCs,
NAS drives, SSDs, networking equipment, and similar items.

b) Hosting Providers

I participate in affiliate programs with hosting and
infrastructure companies I genuinely use or have carefully
researched, including:

Hetzner Cloud
DigitalOcean
Vultr
Cloudways
Other VPS and cloud providers as I review them

c) Software and Services

Some self-hosted-friendly software, tools, and services I
recommend may have affiliate programs. When they do, I may
use those links. When they don’t, I link to them anyway
because the recommendation is what matters.

d) Other Programs

As the site grows, I may join additional affiliate programs.
This page will be updated whenever I add a major new program.

How I Decide What to Recommend

This is the part that matters most.

Affiliate income never determines what I recommend on this
site. Three rules I follow on every post:

Rule 1: I only recommend products I’d actually buy.

If I wouldn’t deploy something on my own setup, I won’t tell
you to deploy it on yours. It really is that simple.

Rule 2: I name tradeoffs honestly.

Most self-hosting choices involve tradeoffs — cheaper vs.
faster, easier vs. more flexible, beginner-friendly vs.
powerful. I tell you what those tradeoffs are so you can
pick the right one for your situation.

Rule 3: Commission size doesn’t change my picks.

Some products pay better affiliate commissions than others.
Cloudways pays more than Hetzner, for example. But Hetzner
is often the better recommendation for self-hosters who
want low cost and full control. When that’s true, I’ll say
so — even though it means smaller commissions for me.

If you ever notice me breaking these rules, please call me
out. Email me at hello@selfhostlife.com and I’ll review the
post.

Products Provided for Review

Occasionally, a company may offer me a product to review at
no cost. When that happens, I will:

Clearly disclose it within the post
Test the product fairly, applying the same standards I’d
use for anything I paid for
Reserve the right to give a negative review or pass on
publishing if the product doesn’t meet my standards

A free product never buys a positive review on this site.