Overview
Dokku describes itself as the smallest PaaS implementation you have ever seen. You run a bootstrap script on a fresh Ubuntu 22.04/24.04 or Debian 11+ machine, add your SSH key, create an app, and git push to it. Dokku builds the code with Heroku buildpacks (or a Dockerfile) and runs it in isolated containers behind a proxy, much like a single-host Heroku.
Everything beyond the core is a plugin: official datastore plugins provide Postgres, MySQL, Redis and others, and further plugins handle Let's Encrypt certificates and more. Plugins can be written in any language. The project has been developed since 2013 and has over 32,000 GitHub stars.
Core Dokku has no web dashboard and is single-host by default, so it suits people comfortable on the command line. Dokku Pro, a one-time $849 license, adds a web UI, a JSON API, HTTP(S) pushes for firewalled networks, team management and email support from the maintainers.
Pricing and plans
checked 28 Sept 2026Free tier · no card
Dokku is free and open source (MIT) with no limits; you pay only for the server it runs on.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Dokku | $0 | MIT licensed, CLI and SSH |
| Dokku Pro | $849 one-time | Lifetime license: web UI, JSON API, HTTP(S) git push, team management, email support; 1 production + 2 pre-production servers |
What it does
- Git push deploys
- Push to a git remote over SSH and Dokku builds and releases the app.
- Heroku buildpacks
- Heroku-compatible apps build unchanged; Dockerfiles are also supported.
- Plugins
- Official datastore plugins and community plugins, writable in any language.
- Process scaling
- Scale Procfile process types up or down on the host.
- Dokku Pro
- Optional web UI, REST API, log tailing and team management for a one-time fee.
Strengths and limitations
Strengths
- Free and MIT licensed, with a long track record.
- Closest reproduction of the Heroku git push workflow.
- Very light: runs well on a small VPS.
- Paid add-on is a one-time license, not a subscription.
Limitations
- Command line and SSH only unless you buy Dokku Pro.
- Single host by default; no built-in failover or autoscaling.
- You maintain the server, security updates and backups.
- Requires a fresh Ubuntu or Debian VM.
Who it suits
Good for
- Moving Heroku-style apps to a cheap VPS
- Developers comfortable with SSH and the CLI
- Small internal tools and side projects
Look elsewhere if
- Teams that need a web dashboard for non-technical users without paying for Pro
- Apps that need multi-server high availability
Alternatives to Dokku
| Tool | From | Free option | Stages |
|---|---|---|---|
| alwaysdata European managed hosting | €5/mo | Free tier | |
| CapRover Self-hosted PaaS | — | Free tier | |
| Cloudflare Workers (incl. Pages) Edge serverless platform | $5/mo | Free tier | |
| Coolify Self-hosted PaaS | $5/mo | Free tier | |
| Deno Deploy Serverless JavaScript platform | $20/mo | Free tier | |
| DigitalOcean App Platform Managed PaaS | $5/mo | Free tier |
Questions
Is Dokku free?
Yes, Dokku is MIT licensed and free. Dokku Pro, an optional web UI and API, is a one-time $849 lifetime license.
Does Dokku have a web interface?
Core Dokku is CLI and SSH only; the web UI comes with Dokku Pro.
What operating systems does Dokku support?
A fresh VM running Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04, or Debian 11 or later, on amd64 or arm64.
Sources read for this page