CapRover

An easy app and database deployment platform built on Docker Swarm, Nginx and Let's Encrypt, with one-click apps and no Docker or Nginx knowledge required.

15.2k stars, 1k forks TypeScript On GitHub since October 2017

Visit website View on GitHub How to run it

What is CapRover?

CapRover lets you deploy Node.js, Python, PHP, ASP.NET, Ruby and Go apps, as well as databases like PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB and MongoDB or apps like WordPress, through a web dashboard or a CLI. Under the hood it uses Docker Swarm for containers and clustering, Nginx for routing, Let's Encrypt for free HTTPS and NetData for monitoring. A library of one-click apps installs common software in seconds, and you can add more servers to the cluster.

Good fit if

  • You want a simple PaaS with a web UI that has worked for years.
  • You want to add nodes to a cluster without learning Kubernetes.

Look elsewhere if

  • You want a newer, more actively designed dashboard: Coolify or Dokploy.
  • You prefer command-line deployments without a UI: Dokku.

Before you adopt it

CapRover moved from MIT to Apache-2.0 in January 2019, and has no paid parts. Its creator, Kasra Bigdeli, writes nearly all of the code.

Drafted with AI from the project's README and repository data, then checked against that data on 30 October 2026. Report a correction

CapRover health: is it still maintained?

72 of 100, actively developed

  • Activity
    216 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 31 October 2026.
    28 / 30
  • Contributors
    3 people wrote the latest 100 commits; the most active wrote 96% of them.
    5 / 20
  • Releases
    8 releases in the last 12 months; the latest, v1.15.5, on 23 October 2026.
    17 / 20
  • Replies to issues
    Maintainers answered 71% of recent issues, with a median first reply after 12 hours.
    18 / 20
  • Security practices
    OpenSSF Scorecard 4.3 of 10.
    4 / 10

Read from GitHub on 1 November 2026. How the score works

CapRover license: is it open source?

CapRover uses Apache-2.0, an open-source license approved by the OSI.

  1. October 2017First published on GitHub under MIT.
  2. 8 January 2019Changed to Apache-2.0. Commit: updated license
  3. TodayApache-2.0.

How to run CapRover yourself

Docker
No Docker files in the repository
Compose file
None in the repository
Setup effort
Not rated: no compose file to judge from
Kubernetes
No Helm chart in the repository
Desktop and mobile
No app builds in GitHub releases
Interface languages
English only

Install instructions: caprover.com or the README on GitHub.

Alternatives to CapRover

  • CoolifyAn open-source, self-hostable PaaS alternative to Vercel, Heroku & Netlify that lets you easily deploy… 78 health · Apache-2.0 · 65.5k stars
  • DokkuA docker-powered PaaS that helps you build and manage the lifecycle of applications 78 health · MIT · 32.2k stars
  • PikuThe tiniest PaaS you've ever seen. Piku allows you to do git push deployments to your own servers. 41 health · MIT · 6.6k stars
  • /dev/pushLike Vercel, but open source and for all languages. 63 health · MIT · 4.8k stars
  • KuberoA free and self-hosted PaaS alternative to Heroku / Netlify / Coolify / Vercel / Dokku / Portainer running… 35 health · GPL-3.0 · 4.5k stars

All 25 projects in Self-hosting & PaaS

Questions about CapRover

Is CapRover open source?

Yes. CapRover is published under Apache-2.0, an OSI-approved open-source license.

Is CapRover still maintained?

Its health score is 72 of 100 (actively developed). It had 216 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 31 October 2026, and its latest release came out on 23 October 2026.

Did CapRover change its license?

Yes. It moved from MIT to Apache-2.0 on 8 January 2019.

How do I run CapRover?

The repository has no Docker files or app builds, so you build it from source. The README on GitHub has the steps.

What are the alternatives to CapRover?

Close alternatives in the Self-hosting & PaaS category include Coolify, Dokku, Piku.