docker w/ postgres, but really up to you. Either would be fine.

SSL is the main reason, this way your traffic is encrypted from snoopers on your land, and you don’t get the warning messages about it not being secure.

You can use a sub domain from desec for free to do this.

KASA HS300 $39.99 for 6 port smart strip with energy monitoring.

The latest version isn’t always the best version. In a home lab or home network, this is rarely a big problem, but in a production environment, I wouldn’t recommend it.