CapRover vs Dokploy (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Dokploy grades higher than CapRover: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
CapRover grades higher on the free plan. Dokploy grades higher on value for money and platforms. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Dokploy
Open-source platform to deploy apps and databases on your own servers
Which one is for you
Pick CapRover if
- Fits if you run your own server and want a simple app dashboard
- Works for developers who know Docker and DNS
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a hosted service, as the site lists none
- Not for you if you cannot set wildcard DNS or open ports 80, 443 and 3000
- Tight if you want paid support, as none is listed
- Watch out: the docs target a fresh Ubuntu 24.04 install
Pick Dokploy if
- Fits if you want to run apps on your own servers with a dashboard
- Works for solo developers on the Hobby plan
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you want a team: Hobby allows 1 user, 1 organization and 2 environments
- Watch out: you bring the servers, and extra ones are $4.50 a month each
- Skip it if you need roles, 2FA or chat support, which start on Startup
- Not for you if you need SSO, SCIM or audit logs, which need Enterprise
How we grade them
| 2.0GPACapRoverFair | 2.2GPADokployFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CFree software, but only free if you host it yourself, and you pay for the server. | BHobby is $4.50 per server a month, inside the cheaper quarter, and you bring the servers. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe whole platform is free to install, with no paid tier. You need your own server. | CA 7-day trial with no card. After that, nothing free on Cloud, though the software is described as open source. |
| Features | CApps in any language, one-click apps, HTTPS, several deploy methods and Docker Swarm clusters. No hosted version, so updates and backups are yours. | CBuilds, multi-server deploys, backups, templates, monitoring, API, CLI and MCP. Hobby is limited to 1 user, 2 environments and 1 backup per database. |
| Ease of use | DSelf-hosting with a fresh Ubuntu server, wildcard DNS and open ports 80, 443 and 3000. | DYou connect and run your own servers, which takes command-line and server skills. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb dashboard with one-click apps and no API or apps listed. | BWeb dashboard with an API, CLI, MCP server and several integrations. |
| Best for | self-hosting your own app platform | self-hosted deploys with a cloud option |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: CapRover and Dokploy. How we grade
Price against what you get
CapRover has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Dokploy starts at $4.50 a month and scores 2.0.
Dokploy scores higher, and starts $4.50 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other web hosts on the chart, none scores higher than CapRover for less, and 11 score higher than Dokploy for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Dokploy is open source, according to its own site.
At a glance
| CapRover | Dokploy | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free trial |
| Starts at | Free | $4.50 per server / month on the Cloud Hobby plan |
| Free plan | The whole platform is free to install on your own server; the site's headline says "free forever". | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day free trial on Dokploy Cloud, no credit card required. |
| Web | ||
| Made by | CapRover | Dokploy |
| Price read from | caprover.com | dokploy.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
CapRover
- CapRover does not supply servers; you rent and maintain your own, and the docs target a fresh Ubuntu 24.04 install.
- Setup needs a domain with wildcard DNS access and public inbound ports 80, 443 and 3000.
- Support comes from documentation and a community Slack group; no paid support is listed.
- The site lists no hosted version, so updates, backups and security fall to you.
Dokploy
- The Cloud plans are priced per connected server, and you bring the servers; extra servers cost $4.50 a month each.
- The Hobby plan allows 1 user, 1 organization, 2 environments, 1 backup per database and 1 scheduled job per application.
- Role-based permissions, 2FA and email and chat support start on the Startup plan; SSO, SCIM and audit logs need Enterprise.
- The yearly toggle shows a 20% discount but only monthly figures are in the page text; a self-hosted Enterprise option is listed, and the docs call the software free and open source
Key features
CapRover
- Apps in any language
- Node.js, Python, PHP, Java, Ruby, .NET or anything that runs in a container can be deployed.
- One-click apps
- Databases, WordPress, monitoring tools and other popular services can be launched from a catalog.
- Automatic HTTPS
- Let's Encrypt certificates are issued and renewed, with a one-click redirect from HTTP to HTTPS.
- Several ways to deploy
- Deploy from the dashboard, the command-line tool, a webhook, or an existing Git workflow.
- App settings in one place
- Ports, persistent directories, environment variables and instance counts are managed from the dashboard.
- Docker Swarm clusters
- Additional nodes can be added to a Docker Swarm cluster, with load balancing handled by CapRover.
Dokploy
- Flexible builds
- Applications can be built with Nixpacks, Heroku Buildpacks or a custom Dockerfile, and Docker Compose is supported natively.
- Multi-server deployment
- Applications can be deployed to remote servers, and Docker Swarm clusters are supported for multi-node setups.
- Databases with backups
- MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, MariaDB and Redis can be managed and backed up from the dashboard.
- Templates
- Open-source templates deploy popular apps such as Supabase, Cal.com and PocketBase in one click.
- Monitoring and notifications
- CPU, memory and network usage are shown in real time, with alerts sent to channels such as Slack, Discord, Telegram and email.
- API, CLI and MCP
- A REST API and a command-line tool are included, and AI tools can connect to Dokploy through MCP.
Plans
CapRover
Self-hosted$0
Install it yourself on Ubuntu 24.04 with at least 1 GiB of RAM and 5 GiB of free disk. Server costs are yours; the project asks for donations via OpenCollective.
Dokploy
Hobby$4.50
per server / month
Unlimited deployments, databases and applications on 1 server, with 1 user, 1 organization and 2 environments. Community support on Discord.
Startup$15
per month, starting at, with extra servers at $4.50 each
Up to 3 servers, 3 organizations, unlimited users and environments, basic roles (Admin, Developer), 2FA, and email and chat support.
EnterpriseCustom
Unlimited servers, fine-grained roles, SSO/SAML, SCIM, audit logs, white labeling and priority support, available hosted or self-installed. Sold through sales.
Ways to pay less
CapRover
No public discounts listed.
Dokploy
- Annual discount
20% off with yearly billing
The pricing page's billing toggle labels yearly billing as a 20% discount; the yearly figures are not shown in the page text.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, CapRover or Dokploy?
As of Nov 13, 2026, CapRover is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $4.50 a month for Dokploy. CapRover is free, and Dokploy starts at $4.50 per server / month on the Cloud Hobby plan.
Which has a free plan, CapRover or Dokploy?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only CapRover has a free plan. Dokploy does not, though it has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.