What is Dokku used for?

Dokku is a Docker-powered, self-hosted mini-Heroku PaaS that builds, deploys and manages applications on a single server, from first build to scaling. It is a good fit for running a personal Heroku on a VPS, hosting small production apps cheaply and teams needing simple self-hosted deploys.

Is Dokku open source?

Yes. Dokku is open source under the MIT licence. Its source code is on GitHub at dokku/dokku and is written mainly in Go.

Yes. Dokku is open source, so the software itself is free to use.

Can I self-host Dokku?

Yes. Dokku can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure; there is no official hosted version.

What is Dokku an alternative to?

Dokku is an open-source alternative to Heroku, Fly.io, AWS Elastic Beanstalk and Google App Engine. Other open-source alternatives to Heroku include Coolify, Dokploy and CapRover.

Is Dokku actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to Dokku was on 1 October 2026, and the latest release is v0.38.31, published on 27 September 2026. The project has 32k stars on GitHub.

Dokku: open-source alternative to Heroku, Fly.io

About Dokku

Dokku is a Docker-powered platform as a service that you install on your own server. It is billed as the smallest PaaS implementation around and as an open-source alternative to Heroku, helping you build and manage the full lifecycle of applications, from building them to scaling them.

Installation uses a bootstrap script that you run on a fresh server, after which you set a global domain and add your SSH key to the dokku user, then create apps and deploy to them. Topics refer to buildpack-based builds, containers, and scheduler support for Docker, Kubernetes and Nomad. The project has documentation, a blog, community chat on Discord, Slack and IRC, GitHub Discussions, and a Pro offering listed on the site.

Dokku is MIT licensed and written in Go and shell, with sponsors and backers supporting its development. It suits developers who like the Heroku workflow but want to run it on their own VPS for less cost or more control.

Key features

Docker-based application deployment
Heroku-style workflow on your own server
Bootstrap installer script
Buildpack and container support
Scheduler support for Docker, Kubernetes and Nomad
Active community channels

Good fit for

→Running a personal Heroku on a VPS
→Hosting small production apps cheaply
→Teams needing simple self-hosted deploys

Built with: Go; Docker; Kubernetes
Tags: paas; docker; heroku-alternative; self-hosted; deployment; buildpacks; devops; go

Dokku: questions and answers

What is Dokku used for?: Dokku is a Docker-powered, self-hosted mini-Heroku PaaS that builds, deploys and manages applications on a single server, from first build to scaling. It is a good fit for running a personal Heroku on a VPS, hosting small production apps cheaply and teams needing simple self-hosted deploys.
Is Dokku open source?: Yes. Dokku is open source under the MIT licence. Its source code is on GitHub at dokku/dokku and is written mainly in Go.
Is Dokku free?: Yes. Dokku is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
Can I self-host Dokku?: Yes. Dokku can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure; there is no official hosted version.
What is Dokku an alternative to?: Dokku is an open-source alternative to Heroku, Fly.io, AWS Elastic Beanstalk and Google App Engine. Other open-source alternatives to Heroku include Coolify, Dokploy and CapRover.
Is Dokku actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to Dokku was on 1 October 2026, and the latest release is v0.38.31, published on 27 September 2026. The project has 32k stars on GitHub.