Prisma Academy

230+ Tutorials

30 Categories

100% Free

🐳 Docker-Based

What is Prisma Academy?

Prisma Academy is a free library of step-by-step video tutorials designed for sysadmins, developers, and IT professionals who want to take control of their infrastructure. Every guide walks you through deploying a real, production-ready service on Ubuntu using Docker — with automated bash scripts so you spend less time troubleshooting and more time building.

From setting up your own VPN and private Git server to hosting email, analytics, and CI/CD pipelines — each tutorial comes with a companion GitHub script, a YouTube walkthrough, and a written reference page you can follow at your own pace. No subscriptions. No paywalls. Just practical infrastructure knowledge.

🔒

Your Data Stays Yours

Self-hosting means no third-party cloud has access to your files, messages, or analytics. You control where data lives and who can see it.

💰

Cut SaaS Costs Dramatically

Replace expensive monthly subscriptions — a single $5/mo VPS can run services that would otherwise cost hundreds of dollars per month.

⚙️

Full Customization & Control

Configure every detail to match your exact requirements — something SaaS tools rarely allow. Integrate services directly with your existing systems.

📚

Build Real Infrastructure Skills

Each tutorial teaches Docker networking, service configuration, and Linux administration — skills that transfer directly to professional DevOps and cloud roles.

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about self-hosting and these tutorials.

What is self-hosting and why should I care?

Self-hosting means running software on your own server instead of relying on third-party cloud services. It gives you complete control over your data, eliminates recurring SaaS subscription costs, and lets you customize services to fit your exact needs. For businesses and IT professionals, self-hosting is a powerful way to build private infrastructure that is independent, auditable, and cost-effective.

Do I need advanced Linux knowledge to follow these tutorials?

Basic Linux familiarity is helpful — knowing how to SSH into a server and run commands is enough to get started. Every tutorial provides automated bash scripts that handle the heavy lifting, so you can follow along even if you are not a Linux expert. The written steps and video walkthroughs explain what each command does so you learn as you go.

What is Docker and why do all tutorials use it?

Docker is a containerization platform that packages an application and all its dependencies into a portable, isolated unit called a container. We use Docker because it makes deploying complex services repeatable and clean — the same script works on any Ubuntu server. Containers are also easy to update, back up, and remove without affecting the rest of your system.

Are these tutorials completely free?

Yes — all tutorials on Prisma Academy are free with no login required. The video walkthroughs are published on YouTube, the bash scripts are open-source on GitHub, and the written guides on this site have no paywall. We believe practical infrastructure knowledge should be accessible to everyone.

Which tutorial should I start with as a beginner?

We recommend starting with Portainer — it gives you a visual Docker management interface that makes it much easier to understand what is happening on your server. From there, Nginx Proxy Manager is a great second step so you can give your services proper domain names and HTTPS certificates. Once those two are running, you have a solid foundation for everything else.

What server specs do I need?

Most services in these tutorials run comfortably on a VPS with 2 vCPUs and 2 GB RAM. A fresh Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 server is all you need. For heavier services like Mailcow or Harbor, 4 GB RAM is recommended. Cloud providers like Hetzner, DigitalOcean, or Vultr offer suitable VPS plans starting around $5–6 per month.

How do I secure my self-hosted services?

Security basics for self-hosted services include: using Nginx Proxy Manager or a similar reverse proxy with HTTPS enabled, changing all default credentials immediately after setup, keeping Docker images updated regularly, and using a firewall (ufw) to restrict access to only the ports you need. For services exposed to the internet, consider adding fail2ban and two-factor authentication where available.

Can I use these tutorials for production deployments?

The tutorials and scripts are designed as practical starting points and learning references. The disclaimer on each page notes they are intended for demo and learning purposes. For production use, you should review the official documentation of each service, implement proper backup strategies, harden security configurations, and test thoroughly before going live with critical workloads.

What is Prisma Academy?

Your Data Stays Yours

Cut SaaS Costs Dramatically

Full Customization & Control

Build Real Infrastructure Skills

Portainer CE

Dockge

Watchtower

Homarr

Dashy

Homepage

Komodo

Glance

Yacht

Dokploy

What's Up Docker

Diun

Redis

PostgreSQL

MariaDB

MongoDB

InfluxDB

MinIO

Adminer

pgAdmin

Meilisearch

ClickHouse

Elasticsearch

Neo4j

CouchDB

RabbitMQ

NATS

TimescaleDB

SurrealDB

Typesense

Valkey

Navidrome Music Server

Jellyfin Media Server

Immich

PhotoPrism

Audiobookshelf

FreshRSS

Kavita

Komga

Overseerr

TubeArchivist

PeerTube

Plex Media Server

Sonarr

Radarr

Lidarr

Prowlarr

Bazarr

Jellyseerr

Calibre-Web

Tautulli

File Browser

Nextcloud

Paperless-ngx

Seafile

Syncthing

SFTPGo

PairDrop

ProjectSend

IT Tools

Stirling PDF

BookStack

Docmost

Outline Wiki

Excalidraw

Firefly III

Memos

Monica

Twenty CRM

Typebot

Vikunja

Ghost

Mealie

Kimai