Tsuru

An extensible open-source platform as a service that makes deployments faster, letting developers ship apps without thinking about servers.

5.3k stars, 555 forks Go On GitHub since March 2012

Visit website View on GitHub How to run it

What is Tsuru?

Tsuru gives application developers a Heroku-like experience on infrastructure that platform teams run. Developers deploy apps in the language of their choice with a command-line tool and attach services such as SQL and NoSQL databases, caches and search, while the platform handles provisioning, scaling and routing. It runs on Kubernetes clusters and was created at Globo.com, a large Brazilian media company, which has used it in production for many years.

Good fit if

  • You run a platform team and want to offer self-service deployments to many developers.
  • You already operate Kubernetes and want a PaaS layer on top.

Look elsewhere if

  • You want a simpler single-server PaaS: Coolify or Dokploy.
  • You want a lighter Kubernetes PaaS with a modern UI: Canine.

Before you adopt it

Tsuru is BSD-3-Clause and free. Activity has slowed to a few dozen commits per quarter, and it needs MongoDB and a Kubernetes cluster.

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

Tsuru health: is it still maintained?

56 of 100, actively developed

  • Activity
    25 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 8 October 2026.
    17 / 30
  • Contributors
    3 people wrote the 25 commits of the last 90 days; the most active wrote 53% of them.
    8 / 20
  • Releases
    15 releases in the last 12 months; the latest, v1.33.0, on 8 October 2026.
    19 / 20
  • Replies to issues
    Maintainers answered 43% of recent issues, with a median first reply after 8 days.
    7 / 20
  • Security practices
    OpenSSF Scorecard 5 of 10.
    5 / 10

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

Tsuru license: is it open source?

Tsuru uses BSD-3-Clause, an open-source license approved by the OSI.

  1. March 2012First published on GitHub.
  2. TodayBSD-3-Clause.

How to run Tsuru yourself

Docker
Dockerfile or compose file in the repository
Compose file
docker-compose.yml: 5 services (mongodb)
Setup effort
3 of 5, judged from the compose file
Kubernetes
No Helm chart in the repository
Desktop and mobile
Builds for Linux in GitHub releases
Interface languages
English only

Install instructions: tsuru.io or the README on GitHub.

Alternatives to Tsuru

  • DokkuA docker-powered PaaS that helps you build and manage the lifecycle of applications 78 health · MIT · 32.2k stars
  • CapRoverScalable PaaS (automated Docker+nginx) - aka Heroku on Steroids 72 health · Apache-2.0 · 15.2k stars
  • KuberoA free and self-hosted PaaS alternative to Heroku / Netlify / Coolify / Vercel / Dokku / Portainer running… 35 health · GPL-3.0 · 4.5k stars
  • PortainerMaking Docker and Kubernetes management easy. 72 health · Zlib · 38.8k stars
  • DokployOpen Source Alternative to Vercel, Netlify and Heroku. 86 health · Apache-2.0 · 38.2k stars

All 25 projects in Self-hosting & PaaS

Questions about Tsuru

Is Tsuru open source?

Yes. Tsuru is published under BSD-3-Clause, an OSI-approved open-source license.

Is Tsuru still maintained?

Its health score is 56 of 100 (actively developed). It had 25 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 8 October 2026, and its latest release came out on 8 October 2026.

How do I run Tsuru?

You can run it with Docker, as an app for Linux. The README on GitHub has the exact steps.

What are the alternatives to Tsuru?

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