CapRover vs Dokku: which one to choose in 2026?
Both are open source alternatives to Heroku. We compare license, tech stack and features to help you decide which fits your team best.
| CapRover | Dokku | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Deployment, PaaS & Hosting | Deployment, PaaS & Hosting |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| GitHub stars | ~15.2k | ~32.1k |
| Tech stack | Node.js, Docker Swarm | Bash, Docker |
| Replaces | Heroku, Render | Heroku |
Dokku has more GitHub stars, which usually indicates a larger community (not necessarily that it's the best option for your use case).
CapRover
Lightweight PaaS on Docker Swarm, a simple alternative to Heroku.
Pros
- Very lightweight, runs fine on a 1-2GB RAM VPS
Things to consider
- Fewer advanced features than Coolify
Dokku
Open source mini-Heroku, deploy with git push.
Pros
- The simplest and most minimal of the whole PaaS group
Things to consider
- No official web dashboard (third-party plugins exist)
Key features
CapRover
- One-click app marketplace
- Automatic HTTPS via Let's Encrypt
- Own web dashboard, light on resources
Dokku
- Deploy with git push, just like Heroku
- Supports buildpacks and Dockerfiles
- Hundreds of community plugins
Already know which one you prefer?
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