Self-hosting vs managed: a 2026 decision tree for Indian SMBs
When an Indian SMB should self-host on a dedicated server vs use a managed provider like WebHost24. Tradeoffs, costs, and a decision tree.
Indian SMBs in 2026 have more hosting options than ever before. Here’s a decision tree for choosing between self-hosting on a dedicated server + a small ops team, and using a managed provider like WebHost24.
The costs
| Approach | Rs / month | Headcount | Time-to-live |
|---|---|---|---|
| WebHost4 Apps T5 | Rs 2,999 | 0 | 5 minutes |
| WebHost4 Linux Dedicated L3 | Rs 5,499 | 0 | 1 day |
| Self-hosted Hetzner + Cloudflare | Rs 8,000 | 0.25 FTE | 1-2 weeks |
| Self-hosted AWS Mumbai | Rs 50,000+ | 0.5 FTE | 2-4 weeks |
| Self-hosted on-prem server | Rs 15,000 + power + AC | 1 FTE | 4-8 weeks |
The Hetzner line is realistic for an SMB that’s comfortable with Debian + Nginx + Postgres. The on-prem line is what most “we have an IT guy” setups end up at. The WebHost24 line is the sweet spot for SMBs that don’t have IT staff.
Decision tree
Pick WebHost24 Apps T5 if:
- You have 1-3 apps to host.
- Your team is 0-2 ops people (you + maybe one engineer who shouldn’t be on pager).
- You don’t want to learn Kubernetes / Docker / Postgres tuning.
- You want predictable INR pricing.
Pick WebHost24 Linux Dedicated L3 if:
- You have 3+ apps + a custom database workload that needs raw hardware.
- You have 0.5-1 FTE who can manage a Linux box.
- You need full root access (custom kernel modules, custom network drivers, etc.).
- You want the cheapest possible per-cpu-hour.
Pick self-hosted on Hetzner if:
- You have 1+ FTE comfortable with Linux + Nginx + Postgres + Docker.
- Your workload has unusual requirements (specific kernel version, custom hardware, etc.).
- You need full control over the network stack.
Pick self-hosted on AWS Mumbai if:
- You have 2+ FTE running infrastructure.
- You need bursty capacity (10x traffic spikes).
- You have a specific AWS integration requirement.
Pick self-hosted on-prem if:
- Compliance requires on-prem (banking, healthcare, government).
- You have 2+ FTE.
- Your workload is steady + low-bandwidth.
What we recommend
For 95% of Indian SMBs: WebHost24 Apps T5. The pricing is predictable, the team is in India, and you get back to building product instead of running infrastructure.
For the other 5% (high-traffic, custom-stack, regulated industry): the dedicated server plan with our operations team doing the hardware + network layer + you doing the application layer.