Dokku vs CapRover
A side-by-side, data-driven comparison of Dokku and CapRover — pricing, free tiers and capabilities. Prefer the long read? See our in-depth guide.
Dokku is a minimal, CLI-first git-push PaaS ideal for a single cheap server; CapRover adds a web UI and one-click apps on Docker Swarm — pick Dokku for lean simplicity, CapRover for a friendlier dashboard.
At a glance
- Both offer a free tier (check each for limits).
Specs side by side
Pros & cons
Our editorial assessment — not vendor-stated facts. Last reviewed 2026-07-16.
Dokku
Pros
- Free, open-source, and mature, with a long maintenance history
- Familiar Heroku-like workflow that runs on cheap commodity hardware
- Extensible plugin architecture covering databases, SSL, and proxying
- Runs many small apps on a single inexpensive server, avoiding managed-PaaS markup
- No vendor lock-in, since it self-hosts on your own infrastructure
Cons
- You remain responsible for the server itself: OS updates, backups, monitoring, and incident response
- Primarily single-host; built-in autoscaling and high availability are not provided, and multi-node requires added K3s or Nomad expertise
- Predominantly CLI-driven, which carries a learning curve (a web UI exists only in the paid Pro edition)
- The free edition relies on community forums and documentation for support rather than dedicated help
CapRover
Pros
- Fully free and open source, with no paid tier or usage caps
- Mature and stable, one of the longest-running and most established projects in this category
- Low operating cost since you only pay for your own server
- No lock-in: apps keep running as plain Docker containers even if you remove CapRover
Cons
- Dashboard UI is functional but dated compared to newer alternatives like Coolify or Dokploy
- Ships updates less frequently than fast-moving newer competitors like Coolify or Dokploy (check its GitHub release history for current cadence)
- Built around its own captain-definition format and a one-service-per-app model; multi-container Docker Compose stacks aren't natively deployable (only partial Compose parsing behind one-click templates)
- Limited database administration tooling and app-level observability; you self-manage OS updates, backups, and security
Bottom line
Pick Dokku for minimalists who want git-push deploys on one cheap VPS. Pick CapRover for hosting many small apps/databases on your own server via a UI.
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between Dokku and CapRover?
- Dokku: A lightweight, open-source, Docker-powered PaaS you install on a single server for git-push Heroku-style deploys; battle-tested and extensible via plugins. CapRover: An open-source, self-hostable PaaS with a web UI and one-click app templates on top of Docker Swarm; good for hosting many small apps on your own hardware.
- Does Dokku have a free tier?
- Yes.
- Does CapRover have a free tier?
- Yes.
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