I thought self-hosting would make software less convenient, but the opposite happened

Self-hosting software can actually be more convenient than using hosted services, contrary to common assumptions. By deploying apps on a NAS or home server and using a Cloudflare Tunnel for remote access, it's possible to run niche, fully-featured apps like Donetick, Jotty Page, and Glance without paywalls or usage limits. Convenience depends on your setup — always-on hardware and remote access solutions are key — and there are trade-offs like manual updates, but Docker management tools help ease that burden.