CapRover vs Dokku
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted self-hosting platforms (paas) options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
CapRover
Scalable PaaS built on Docker Swarm and Nginx
VS
Dokku
Smallest open-source PaaS implementation you can run
| Feature | CapRover | Dokku |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Self-Hosting Platforms (PaaS) | Self-Hosting Platforms (PaaS) |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, one-click | bare-metal, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 15,123 | ★ 32,099 |
| First released | 2017 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Heroku | Heroku |
Why pick each one
Choose CapRover if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- One-click install on common self-host platforms
Choose Dokku if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 32.1k GitHub stars
- Written in Shell
Frequently asked questions
Is CapRover or Dokku better?
Neither is universally better. Dokku has the larger community, while CapRover is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are CapRover and Dokku free and open-source?
Yes. CapRover is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Dokku under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run CapRover and Dokku with Docker?
CapRover: yes. Dokku: yes.