Dokku

A Docker-powered mini-Heroku: the smallest platform as a service you can run, deploying apps with git push onto a single server.

32.2k stars, 2.1k forks Go On GitHub since June 2013

Visit website View on GitHub How to run it

What is Dokku?

Dokku turns a fresh Ubuntu or Debian server into your own Heroku. You push code with Git, and Dokku builds it with Heroku-style buildpacks, Cloud Native Buildpacks or a Dockerfile, runs it in containers and routes traffic through Nginx or another proxy. Plugins add databases such as PostgreSQL, MySQL and Redis, Let's Encrypt certificates and much more. Everything is driven from the command line, and it has been in production use since 2013.

Good fit if

  • You like Heroku's workflow and want it on a cheap VPS.
  • You are comfortable on the command line and do not need a web dashboard.

Look elsewhere if

  • You want a web interface for deployments: Coolify or CapRover.
  • You deploy to many servers at once: Kamal.

Before you adopt it

Dokku is MIT-licensed, and nothing in the repository is paywalled. Its lead maintainer, Jose Diaz-Gonzalez, writes most of the code, and the project is funded by sponsors.

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

Dokku health: is it still maintained?

78 of 100, actively developed

  • Activity
    601 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 31 October 2026.
    30 / 30
  • Contributors
    5 people wrote the latest 100 commits; the most active wrote 87% of them.
    10 / 20
  • Releases
    15 releases in the last 12 months; the latest, v0.38.34, on 30 October 2026.
    19 / 20
  • Replies to issues
    Maintainers answered 29% of recent issues, with a median first reply after 8 hours.
    14 / 20
  • Security practices
    OpenSSF Scorecard 5.2 of 10.
    5 / 10

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

Dokku license: is it open source?

Dokku uses MIT, an open-source license approved by the OSI.

  1. June 2013First published on GitHub.
  2. TodayMIT.

How to run Dokku yourself

Docker
Dockerfile or compose file 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: dokku.com or the README on GitHub.

Alternatives to Dokku

  • TsuruOpen source and extensible Platform as a Service (PaaS). 56 health · BSD-3-Clause · 5.3k stars
  • KuberoA free and self-hosted PaaS alternative to Heroku / Netlify / Coolify / Vercel / Dokku / Portainer running… 35 health · GPL-3.0 · 4.5k stars
  • CapRoverScalable PaaS (automated Docker+nginx) - aka Heroku on Steroids 72 health · Apache-2.0 · 15.2k stars
  • DokployOpen Source Alternative to Vercel, Netlify and Heroku. 86 health · Apache-2.0 · 38.2k stars
  • UmbrelAn elegant home server OS. Run OpenClaw, store your files and, and do more with over 300 apps in the Umbrel… 58 health · PolyForm license · 12.5k stars

All 25 projects in Self-hosting & PaaS

Questions about Dokku

Is Dokku open source?

Yes. Dokku is published under MIT, an OSI-approved open-source license.

Is Dokku still maintained?

Its health score is 78 of 100 (actively developed). It had 601 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 31 October 2026, and its latest release came out on 30 October 2026.

How do I run Dokku?

You can run it with Docker. The README on GitHub has the exact steps.

What are the alternatives to Dokku?

Close alternatives in the Self-hosting & PaaS category include Tsuru, Kubero, CapRover.