Dokku

Small open-source, Docker-powered PaaS that gives one server a Heroku-style git push workflow.

Open sourceSelf-hostableHosting and deployment platforms

Verified facts: 3 of 3
Alternatives ranked: 5
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About Dokku

Dokku is one of the oldest self-hosted platforms-as-a-service. You install it on a single Linux server, and then push Heroku-compatible apps to it with Git; it builds them using Heroku buildpacks, Cloud Native Buildpacks or a Dockerfile and runs them in containers behind nginx. Plugins add Postgres, MySQL, Redis, Let's Encrypt certificates and many other services, and commands mirror Heroku's, so migrating an app is often straightforward. It is free and MIT-licensed, and there is an optional paid Dokku Pro edition with a web interface. Dokku deliberately stays small: it is managed mainly from the command line, it is built around one host, and multi-server scheduling needs extra setup with Kubernetes or Nomad. That makes it ideal for running several side projects on one inexpensive VPS, and less suited to teams that want dashboards, preview environments or high availability out of the box.

Best for: Developers who want Heroku-style deploys for several small apps on one VPS.

What works

Heroku-compatible buildpacks and commands
Free, MIT-licensed and lightweight
Plugins for common databases and certificates

Why people leave

Command-line first, with no free web dashboard
Designed around a single server
No built-in preview environments

Top Dokku alternatives

See all 5

1
Coolify
Self-hosted PaaS with a full web dashboard and preview deployments.
66.5
2
CapRover
Self-hosted PaaS with a web UI and Docker Swarm clustering.
62.6
3
Kamal
Deploy containers to your own servers with zero-downtime rollouts.
59.6
4
Heroku
The managed original if you would rather not run a server.
57.2
5
Dokploy
Modern self-hosted PaaS with multi-server support.
55.3

Why people left Dokku

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

No switching stories yet. If you moved away from Dokku, review the app you switched to and tell us why.

Reviews

No approved reviews yet. How we verify reviewers

Write a review of Dokku

Your rating of Dokku

Name

Never shown publicly. A work email helps us verify you.

Title

Your review

What did you use it for, and what was good or bad? At least 40 characters.

Did you switch from another app?

Why did you leave it?

How can we verify you use it? (optional)

A GitHub username, your company domain, or say you can send a screenshot. Verified reviews count more.

I received money, credit or a gift for writing this review. (Incentivized reviews are shown but don't count toward rankings.)

By submitting, you confirm you're at least 16 and agree to our terms. Your name, rating, review and the date are published; your email isn't. See our privacy policy.

Dokku: common questions

Is Dokku free?

Yes. Dokku is free, open-source software that you can host yourself.

Is Dokku open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at dokku/dokku. You can also run it on your own server.

What platforms does Dokku run on?

Dokku is available for Self-hosted and Linux.

What are the best alternatives to Dokku?

The highest-ranked Dokku alternatives right now are Coolify, CapRover and Kamal. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 Dokku alternatives

Dokku facts

3 of 3 verified

License: MIT; Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab); “License: MIT (MIT License).”
Positioning: Open-source alternative to Heroku; Checked Oct 25, 2026dokku.com(opens source in a new tab); “An open source PAAS alternative to Heroku.”
Deploys: Git push with Heroku buildpacks; Checked Oct 25, 2026dokku.com(opens source in a new tab); “Once it's set up on a host, you can push Heroku-compatible applications to it via Git.”