What is Epinio used for?

Epinio is an opinionated PaaS that runs on Kubernetes and takes an application from code to a running URL in one step, without Kubernetes expertise. It is a good fit for developer-friendly PaaS on a company cluster and quick app deployments to Kubernetes for small teams.

Is Epinio open source?

Yes. Epinio is open source under the Apache-2.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at epinio/epinio and is written mainly in Go.

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

Can I self-host Epinio?

Yes. Epinio can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.

What is Epinio an alternative to?

Epinio is an open-source alternative to Heroku, AWS Elastic Beanstalk, Google App Engine and Azure App Service. Other open-source alternatives to Heroku include Kubero, Coolify and Dokploy.

Is Epinio actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to Epinio was on 1 October 2026, and the latest release is v1.14.2, published on 3 September 2026. The project has 611 stars on GitHub.

Epinio: open-source alternative to Heroku

About Epinio

Epinio is an opinionated platform that runs on Kubernetes and takes developers from code to a URL in one step. It exists because Kubernetes has a steep learning curve and operating it well can be a full-time job, while developers would rather spend time on their applications; Epinio adds abstractions and tools so Kubernetes can be used like a PaaS.

The goals are that no Kubernetes experience is needed, there is no steep learning curve, local setup is quick with minimal configuration, and deploying to production works the same as deploying in development. It requires a Kubernetes cluster with an Ingress Controller and cert-manager, after which installation is a short step. The Epinio CLI is installed from a release binary or Homebrew, and a quick-start tutorial walks through creating a namespace and pushing an application. Security features include a TLS-secured API server and basic authentication.

Epinio is written in Go, licensed under Apache-2.0, documented at docs.epinio.io and discussed on the Rancher Users Slack. You run it on your own cluster.

Key features

Push code to a URL in one step
PaaS workflow on any Kubernetes cluster
No Kubernetes expertise required
Same deployment flow for dev and production
CLI installable by binary or Homebrew
TLS-secured API server

Good fit for

→Developer-friendly PaaS on a company cluster
→Quick app deployments to Kubernetes for small teams

Built with: Go; Kubernetes
Tags: paas; kubernetes; deployment; golang; self-hosted; devops; developer-experience

Epinio: questions and answers

What is Epinio used for?: Epinio is an opinionated PaaS that runs on Kubernetes and takes an application from code to a running URL in one step, without Kubernetes expertise. It is a good fit for developer-friendly PaaS on a company cluster and quick app deployments to Kubernetes for small teams.
Is Epinio open source?: Yes. Epinio is open source under the Apache-2.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at epinio/epinio and is written mainly in Go.
Is Epinio free?: Yes. Epinio is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
Can I self-host Epinio?: Yes. Epinio can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What is Epinio an alternative to?: Epinio is an open-source alternative to Heroku, AWS Elastic Beanstalk, Google App Engine and Azure App Service. Other open-source alternatives to Heroku include Kubero, Coolify and Dokploy.
Is Epinio actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to Epinio was on 1 October 2026, and the latest release is v1.14.2, published on 3 September 2026. The project has 611 stars on GitHub.