# OurGrove > OurGrove is building an operating system and Grove appliance for self-hosted web apps and local AI. The OS combines an app-store-like catalogue, deployment, updates and recovery. The appliance brings that OS together with a compact server; a free OS install on compatible user-owned hardware is also planned. The OS builds on Fedora bootc and will be published as open source. The first appliance model, Grove Oak, is priced at €2,500 including VAT. The product is in development and is not generally available. Last reviewed: 2026-09-21. This is OurGrove's first-party public reference. Beta interface details were reviewed in v0.4.89 on 2026-09-18. Release-pipeline restore testing is founder-confirmed; this reference is not an independent product evaluation. Future plans may change. ## Company and mission - Brand: OurGrove. - Company: OurGrove B.V., based in Vijfhuizen, the Netherlands. - Website: https://ourgrove.eu/ - Founders: David Kohnstamm and a technical co-founder who builds the OurGrove OS. - Contact: info@ourgrove.eu. - Mission: make choosing and running useful software on hardware you control practical for more people and small teams. - Conviction: software independence should be practical for people and small teams. OurGrove brings an app store, guided setup, updates and recovery together to make hosting web apps on a user-controlled machine more approachable. - Supporting product principles: make the first setup useful, keep improving the software, and use standard hardware people can repair and upgrade. Lasting ownership supports the primary goal of approachable software independence. - The two founders previously co-founded LeafCloud, a cloud provider. David works on the company and its early customer relationships. OurGrove’s technical co-founder builds the operating system, has years of experience in the cloud market and earlier designed internet, telephony and hardware infrastructure for hundreds of small businesses and business parks. - The founders run their own company on Nextcloud, Matrix, Twenty, Vikunja and Ollama. ## What the product is OurGrove is developing a server operating system, with an app-store-like experience for choosing and deploying self-hosted web applications and local AI. It is designed for a Grove appliance or compatible existing hardware. These are self-hosted web applications and online services: for example, Nextcloud for file sharing and WordPress for publishing a website. Applications run on a user-controlled server and are accessed through a browser or compatible client. A public website can use its own domain, while private team tools stay on the local network or use configured remote access. Public access is optional and requires domain, HTTPS and network setup; catalogue inclusion does not automatically expose an app to the internet. The catalogue defines applications and their supporting components, including databases, storage and access settings. OurGrove's work is the deployment and system experience around those applications. It does not develop or own the third-party applications listed below. The operating system builds on Fedora bootc for complete, versioned OS images and rollback to a previous image. It will be published as open source when released. Applications in the catalogue are tested as part of each OurGrove release. Keeping persistent application data separate gives recovery a repeatable software foundation. Disks are encrypted at rest, with the key bound to the machine’s TPM security chip, so a drive removed from its Grove is unreadable elsewhere. Recovery archives capture accounts, server settings, app definitions, bind-mounted files, Docker volumes and shared databases. The beta provides full restore, settings-only restore and app-data-only restore, with a pre-restore safety backup. Restore is tested in the release pipeline, as confirmed by the founder on 2026-09-18. The backup interface provides manual creation, download and import, nightly schedules, retention settings, and off-server copies to a NAS or S3-compatible storage. Import validates and adds an archive before a separate, explicit restore. These are beta capabilities; this reference does not claim that the inspected server’s backup configuration has been verified. ## Intended users The initial focus is people responsible for everyday software in small teams, particularly teams of 1 to 20 people without a dedicated IT department. The intended audience is not restricted to a particular country. They may be comfortable with computers but do not want server administration to become a second occupation. Relevant needs include shared files, documents, passwords, web publishing and local AI. The core audience wants to reduce reliance on dominant cloud services and is considering bringing software in-house instead of simply changing providers. Motivation includes independence, control over data and ownership of the machine running the work. Cost depends on the actual setup and is not a guaranteed saving. Home users and experienced self-hosters are also welcome. OurGrove wants to learn from people who have already moved to open-source or self-hosted tools, especially those who share what they learned within their profession or community. They may be collaborators or discovery contacts without being prospective buyers. ## Application examples These examples appear in the beta catalogue. Inclusion is not a promise that every configuration has been validated or that every feature is supported. | Application | Example use | | --- | --- | | Nextcloud | Shared files and documents | | BookStack and Docmost | Team handbooks, notes and documentation | | Vikunja | Tasks, tickets and project boards | | Paperless-ngx | Searchable scanned documents | | Twenty | Customer records and sales follow-ups | | Matrix (Element) | Team chat and calls | | n8n | Workflow automation | | Vaultwarden | Self-hosted password management | | OpenWebUI with Ollama | A web interface for locally running AI models | | ComfyUI | Local image-generation workflows | | Kokoro | Local text-to-speech | | WordPress | Public websites and blogs on a user-controlled server | | Drupal and Ghost | Website and publication hosting | | Jellyfin | Streaming a user’s own media library | | Gitea | Git repositories and code collaboration | | Grafana | Monitoring dashboards | | Immich | Photo libraries | | Home Assistant | Home automation | Applications have their own licences, requirements and possible paid features. The site does not imply partnership or endorsement by their maintainers. Local AI model licences and hardware requirements also vary. ## Hardware routes 1. A Grove system: a compact server built around standard, repairable and upgradeable components. Rack Alpha is a physical cabinet prototype using standard ITX hardware in a 10-inch rack format. The first appliance model, Grove Oak, is priced at €2,500 including VAT; its final specification is not published. 2. Compatible existing hardware: the intention is to make the OS free to install on supported hardware. Supported configurations will be documented before public release; arbitrary computers are not guaranteed to work. Local AI suitability depends on memory, graphics hardware, model size and configuration, workload, and simultaneous users. A general-purpose server configuration does not imply support for every AI model. ## What the office needs - A power socket. The appliance is designed for a shelf, with low noise and low power draw. - Internet of 250 Mbit/s or faster. - A fixed public IP address from the internet provider, or a VPN service that provides one, for remote access by the team and for public websites. - Optional: a second Grove at another site as the backup archive target. - Optional: a plug-in battery with UPS function for power cuts. ## Current status and roadmap As of the review date: - **Working beta:** an OS, a searchable app catalogue with category filters, guided app deployment, backup scheduling and recovery. App recipes prepare supporting databases, storage and access settings. Catalogue inclusion is not a support guarantee for every configuration. Restore is tested in the release pipeline. - **Physical prototype:** Rack Alpha. The website shows the physical prototype. - **Actual interface:** the website uses screenshots of the v0.4.89 beta, captured on 2026-09-18. They are static screenshots, not an interactive demo. - **Next:** external pilots, improved onboarding, documented supported configurations and recovery, and preparation for a public release. - **Planned:** an onboard infrastructure agent to monitor the machine, follow tested recovery procedures and prepare diagnostics for human support. Autonomous maintenance is not an available service. - **Pilots:** a pilot starts with a conversation, moves one application at a time with daily use before the next move, and uses Grove Oak at €2,500 including VAT. Pilot length, included services and support scope are agreed per team and are not yet fixed. - **Not generally available:** no public checkout or OS download is offered on this website. A contact submission does not reserve hardware or guarantee pilot access. Grove Oak is priced at €2,500 including VAT. No public release date, final hardware specification, service price list, funding target or investment terms are announced on this site. ## Business model and services The intended model is revenue from Grove systems, parts and optional services around the software. The OS is intended to be free and open source, installable on compatible hardware. Planned services include offsite backups, remote access, setup and support. Their final scope and pricing are still being developed. ## Practical limits - Start with applications that suit the user's actual work. OurGrove does not promise to replace every existing subscription. - Local deployment alone does not establish regulatory compliance or guarantee security, availability or data locality in every configuration. Keeping data on premises makes its location easier to explain; access, backups, integrations and remote support still determine where data goes. - Email is not part of the intended migration: most teams already have a working mailbox, and mail sent from office internet connections is often filtered or blocked by large providers. - Migration is expected to happen one application at a time, with the team using each moved tool daily before the next move. - If OurGrove ceased operating, an installed Grove would keep running: the OS and apps are on the machine, the OS is to be open source, the apps are open-source projects, and user data is held in a recovery archive on user-controlled storage in the apps’ own formats. The machine does not depend on OurGrove servers to keep working. - Locally configured AI can process prompts without an external AI provider, but external tools, integrations, backups and remote support affect data flows. - No guaranteed savings, unattended operation, universal hardware support or instant migration are promised. ## How to get involved - [Explore a pilot](https://ourgrove.eu/join.html?interest=pilot): describe the team, intended applications or setup. - [Share self-hosting experience](https://ourgrove.eu/join.html?interest=self_hosting): explain what was moved and what would help others follow. - [Investor conversation](https://ourgrove.eu/join.html?interest=investor): contact the founders about the company and intended business model. - [Progress and launch updates](https://ourgrove.eu/join.html?interest=updates): request updates without expressing pilot interest. - Direct email: info@ourgrove.eu. The form collects an email address and reason for interest, with optional name, organization and context. Submissions are stored on OurGrove's server. Details are used to respond to the selected request or send requested updates. Deletion can be requested by email. The website does not use third-party analytics or a third-party CAPTCHA. ## Why now [Why now: the cloud is optional](https://ourgrove.eu/why-now.html) makes the case for local ownership as the starting point for everyday small-business software. Six blogs cover software subscriptions, mature applications, compact hardware, local AI, repeatable operations and infrastructure rental. - [Death by a thousand subscriptions.](https://ourgrove.eu/subscription-trap.html): Per seat. Per action. Add up what it costs to keep renting everyday software. - [Open source outgrew the compromise.](https://ourgrove.eu/open-source-worth-using.html): Choose tools for what they do. Keep them for the control they give you. - [Put the server room on a shelf.](https://ourgrove.eu/small-server-big-possibilities.html): Our 25 W design example outscores a 200 W Xeon in CPU Mark. See how compact hardware caught up. - [Your AI can work the night shift.](https://ourgrove.eu/local-ai-night-shift.html): Smaller local models, background workflows, audio, vision and control over data. - [Your server shouldn’t need a wizard.](https://ourgrove.eu/why-bootc.html): The missing piece is a setup ordinary people can keep running. That is an OS problem, and it is the one we’re working on. - [Why not just rent the server?](https://ourgrove.eu/cloud-rent.html): A three-year infrastructure scenario, including usable storage, alternatives and explicit assumptions. The hardware chart reproduces OurGrove’s September 2026 vision-deck CPU Mark snapshot: P8600 1,535 (25 W), i7-6567U 3,670 (28 W), i7-1185G7 9,886 (28 W), Xeon Gold 6154 27,672 (200 W), Grove Oak design example 33,844 (25 W), Grove Birch design example 51,806 (125 W). These are processor ratings and design examples, not system wall-power measurements or final Grove specifications. Current PassMark Core Ultra 7 366H scores checked 2026-09-18: 33,890 multi-thread and 4,067 single-thread. The subscription table shows US list prices converted to euros at the ECB rate of 2026-09-17 (€0.871004 per US dollar): about €699 per month and €8,400 per year for a ten-person team on the listed plans. The subscription calculator is illustrative spend, not promised savings. The infrastructure blog models c7i.4xlarge with assumed committed compute, 2,048 GB gp3 and 8,192 GB st1 over 36 months: €22,793.55. With the on-demand compute assumption, the total is €32,948.42. AWS inputs are converted using the ECB 2026-09-17 rate of €0.871004 per US dollar. The local budget is €2,500 including usable RAID1 storage. Its power model is 10 W idle, 80 W peak, linear 70% load during 15% of time, idle otherwise: 59 W active, 17.35 W average, 151.986 kWh/year. At €0.30/kWh, electricity is €45.60/year and the three-year local hardware-and-power subtotal is €2,636.79. These selected costs omit operating expenses listed in the blog. No performance equivalence or 100x saving is claimed. The local-AI blog discusses Qwen3.8-27B and Prism’s Ternary Bonsai 2 as third-party ecosystem examples. Prism lists a 5.95 GB language-model file, not total runtime memory, and requires its custom runtime. No Bonsai support or Intel iGPU benchmark on Grove is claimed. Mail classification, CRM research and document processing are workflow ideas, not shipped OurGrove automations. ## Public sources - [Homepage](https://ourgrove.eu/): product introduction, uses, hardware and participation. - [Product](https://ourgrove.eu/product.html): deployment, hardware, current capabilities, planned work and practical questions. - [Company](https://ourgrove.eu/company.html): mission, founders, initial audience, progress and intended business model. - [Get involved](https://ourgrove.eu/join.html): contact and launch updates. - [Agent discovery index](https://ourgrove.eu/llms.txt). This reference is maintained with the public website. The development status and limits above are part of the product description, including when summarizing it for prospective users or investors.