What is a self-hosted iPhone app?
A self-hosted iPhone app is an app that talks to a server you run yourself, not to a company's cloud. Your data lives on that server, and you do not create an account with the app's maker. The app is only the front end, so you need a running server before it does anything. That gives you control and privacy, and it also makes you responsible for keeping the server up.
How a self-hosted iPhone app differs from a normal one
Most iPhone apps are a thin window onto the maker's cloud. You sign up, your data sits on their servers, and the app often reports your usage back to them.
A self-hosted app flips that. The server is yours. You run it on hardware or a hosting plan you control, and the app connects to it and nowhere else.
Three questions tell you how far an app really goes:
- Does the app talk to any server other than the one you run?
- Do you need an account with the maker to use it?
- Does the app include analytics that report what you do?
If the answers are no, no and no, the app is self-hosted in the full sense. An app that answers yes to any of them is only partly self-hosted.
How Manu works as a self-hosted iPhone app
Manu is an iPhone app that connects only to a server you run. Three things follow from that:
- No cloud. Manu has no cloud of its own. Your data is on your server.
- No Manu accounts. There is nothing to sign up for. Only your login is stored on the phone, in the keychain.
- No analytics inside the app. Manu does not report what you do with it.
So Manu passes all three checks above. The app is a front end for your server, and the server is the only place your data lives.
What Manu does with that server
Today Manu is one app for personal finance, investing and trading.
- Personal finance: connect banks through Plaid, SimpleFIN or OFX/QFX imports, categorize spending with custom categories, set budgets and goals with projections, and see credit card statement details.
- Investing: net worth across bank and brokerage accounts, a portfolio questionnaire with a target allocation, and drift tracking as the bot trades.
- Trading: a control room for a self-hosted trading bot. The bot is optional. You get a live dashboard, a trade log, a Live/Test switch per strategy, a watchlist, backtests and a chat where you talk to the bot in plain language.
Manu does not place trades. The bot on your server does. Manu shows you what the bot is doing and lets you steer it.
What you need, and what is not available yet
Be clear about the limits before you plan around it:
- It needs iOS 26 or later.
- It needs a running Vritam server. Without one, the app has nothing to connect to.
- It is in private beta and is not on the App Store, so you cannot simply download it today.
- It is an iPhone app. There is no Android, Mac or web version.
Business finance, accounting and tax filing are on the roadmap, not in the app.
Self-hosting also has a cost. As with any self-hosted software, you own the uptime, the updates and the backups of your server. If the server is down, the app cannot reach your data.
Who this model suits
A self-hosted app fits you if you want financial data off a vendor's cloud and you are comfortable running a server. It is the wrong fit if you want to install from the App Store and be done in a minute.
The same idea runs through the other apps from Vritam LP: models and data stay on your own device or server where possible. Donna transcribes meetings on the Mac, Unknown narrates documents on the Mac, and Manu uses a server you run.
Vritam was founded by Nithin Gaddam. Read who founded Vritam LP or visit the home page for more.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need my own server to use Manu?
Yes. Manu connects only to a Vritam server that you run, and it does nothing without one. The app has no cloud to fall back on.
Is Manu on the App Store?
No. Manu is in private beta and is not publicly available yet.
Does Manu place trades for me?
No. The trading bot on your server places trades. Manu shows what the bot does and lets you steer it, and the bot itself is optional.
Does Manu need an account or collect analytics?
No. Manu has no accounts of its own and no analytics inside the app. Your data is on your server, and only your login is kept in the phone's keychain.
Which devices does Manu run on?
iPhone only, on iOS 26 or later. There is no Android, Mac or web version.