If you really want to self host but you aren’t interested in a lot of dirty work then you can get a Synology and use Synology photos, right next to Synology drive ( Google Drive substitute) and everything else substitute.
It “just works” and it handles all of the updates/security for me. Even includes secure enough access via quickconnect so I can connect over the Internet.
That said it costs more than diy, and I have hardware limits. I can’t just get 2 more drives and hook them up. I have a 2 bay Synology so I would need a whole new unit to get 2 more bays. It’s better for me to just buy bigger drives.
Software wise - if it isn’t in the Anyone App Store then you can just use docker so it covers everything.
But as someone who is already busy enough with a full time tech job and 2 kids. This solution works for me
Depends how often it phones home?
Some devices are just dandy to only phone home once per day/week/month. Fully completely capable of operating independently except for MBA concerns.
My daughter’s toy was like this. The company went bankrupt. Servers went down. The device worked for 30 days then it never worked again.
I doubt you’d want to turn off the Internet for 30 days…