Overview
Dokploy is a self-hostable platform-as-a-service. You run one install script on a VPS and get a web dashboard that deploys applications from Git or a Docker registry, builds them with Nixpacks, Heroku buildpacks or a Dockerfile, and routes traffic through Traefik with automatic certificates. Docker Compose stacks are first-class, and Docker Swarm support lets you spread workloads across several nodes.
It also manages databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, MariaDB, Redis and libSQL) with scheduled backups to external storage, and offers one-click templates for tools such as Plausible, PocketBase, Cal.com and Supabase. Monitoring, logs, notifications to Slack, Discord or Telegram, an API, a CLI and an MCP connection for AI tools are included.
Self-hosting is free. Dokploy Cloud hosts the control plane for $4.50 per connected server per month on the Hobby plan, or from $15 on Startup with unlimited users and backups. The project has over 26,000 GitHub stars and more than 6 million Docker Hub downloads.
Pricing and plans
checked 28 Sept 2026Free tier · no card
Self-hosted Dokploy is free; you install it on your own VPS and pay only for the server.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted | $0 | Install on your own VPS |
| Cloud Hobby | $4.50/mo per server | 1 user, 1 organization, 2 environments, 1 backup per database, Discord support |
| Cloud Startup | From $15/mo | 3 servers, unlimited users and backups, basic RBAC, 2FA, email and chat support |
| Enterprise | Custom | Cloud or self-hosted; SSO/SAML, SCIM, audit logs, SLA, white labeling |
What it does
- Docker Compose
- Deploy multi-container stacks natively, as Compose or Swarm stacks.
- Multiple build types
- Nixpacks, Heroku buildpacks or a custom Dockerfile.
- Database backups
- Create and back up MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, MariaDB and Redis to external storage.
- Multi-server and Swarm
- Deploy to remote servers and scale across nodes with Docker Swarm.
- Preview deployments
- Deploy pull requests separately, with zero-downtime deploys.
- Templates
- One-click open-source apps such as Supabase, Cal.com and PocketBase.
Strengths and limitations
Strengths
- Free to self-host, with a cheap managed control plane option.
- Strong Docker Compose and Swarm support.
- Built-in database backups and monitoring.
- Active project with a large user base.
Limitations
- You operate and secure the servers yourself.
- The Cloud Hobby plan allows only 1 user and 1 backup per database.
- SSO, audit logs and SLAs require the Enterprise plan.
- Licensing mixes open-source and proprietary files.
Who it suits
Good for
- Self-hosting Docker Compose apps on a VPS
- Indie developers running several apps and databases on one server
- Small teams that want multi-server deploys without Kubernetes
Look elsewhere if
- Teams without server maintenance skills
- Workloads that need managed high availability
Alternatives to Dokploy
| 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 Dokploy free?
Self-hosted Dokploy is free. Dokploy Cloud, which hosts the dashboard for you, starts at $4.50 per server per month.
Dokploy or Coolify?
Both are self-hosted PaaS tools; Dokploy emphasises native Docker Compose and Swarm support, while Coolify offers a larger one-click service catalog and a $5/month cloud plan for 2 servers.
Which databases can Dokploy manage?
MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, MariaDB, Redis and libSQL, with automated backups to external storage.
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