Cloudron vs Dokploy (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Dokploy grades higher than Cloudron: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Dokploy grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Cloudron
Self-hosted platform for installing and updating apps on your server
Dokploy
Open-source platform to deploy apps and databases on your own servers
Which one is for you
Pick Cloudron if
- Fits if you want to run a few open-source apps on your own server with updates handled
- Makes sense if you are comfortable renting and securing a server but don't want to hand-configure each app
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't want to run a server, because Cloudron is software you install and maintain
- Tight if you need more than 2 apps, as the free plan stops there
- Pricey if you want groups, roles or a directory server, which need Max at 25 euros a month
- Watch out: prices are in euros, exclude VAT, and the install page asks for Ubuntu 26.04 with 2 GB RAM and 20 GB disk
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
| 2.0GPACloudronFair | 2.2GPADokployFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPro is 15 euros a month billed yearly, in the middle of web hosting at $10.99 to $20.83. The server is paid for separately, and the free plan is only free if you host it yourself. | BHobby is $4.50 per server a month, inside the cheaper quarter, and you bring the servers. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free plan for two apps, which is a cap you will hit quickly. There is no trial, and you still pay for a server. | CA 7-day trial with no card. After that, nothing free on Cloud, though the software is described as open source. |
| Features | CApp installs, updates, backups, a firewall, mail and single sign-on. Groups and roles, a directory server and multiple backup sites need Max, and the free plan has no more than two apps. | 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 | DNo store rating on record. You install it on a fresh Ubuntu server with at least 2 GB RAM and a domain, so it means self-hosting. | DYou connect and run your own servers, which takes command-line and server skills. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, but backups can go to Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage or DigitalOcean Spaces, and the App Store carries apps such as Immich and Vaultwarden. | BWeb dashboard with an API, CLI, MCP server and several integrations. |
| Best for | running a few self-hosted apps on one Ubuntu server | 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: Cloudron and Dokploy. How we grade
Price against what you get
Cloudron starts at about $16.76 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Dokploy starts at $4.50 a month and scores 2.0.
They score the same, and Dokploy starts $12.26 a month lower. Of the other web hosts on the chart, 42 score higher than Cloudron 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.
- Cloudron also covers dMARC.
- Dokploy also covers databases.
At a glance
| Cloudron | Dokploy | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | €15 per month, billed yearly (€30 billed monthly), excluding VAT | $4.50 per server / month on the Cloud Hobby plan |
| Free plan | Two apps. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day free trial on Dokploy Cloud, no credit card required. |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Cloudron UG (haftungsbeschränkt) | Dokploy |
| Price read from | cloudron.io | dokploy.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Cloudron
- Cloudron is installed on your own server, so the hosting bill is separate; the install page asks for a fresh Ubuntu 26.04 server with at least 2GB RAM and 20GB disk, plus a domain.
- The Free plan stops at two apps.
- User groups and roles, a directory server and multiple backup sites need the Max plan.
- Prices exclude VAT where applicable and are shown in euros.
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
Cloudron
- App Store installs
- Apps are installed from the Cloudron App Store without writing Dockerfiles or provisioning databases by hand.
- Timely updates
- The company says it publishes new app releases within days and security fixes within 24 hours, pulled by your server rather than pushed.
- User management
- Users can be invited and given access to chosen apps, with a dashboard that lists the apps they can open.
- Built-in mail server
- Includes catch-all addresses, aliases, per-domain relays, delivery logs and spam filtering rules, with DKIM, SPF and DMARC set up automatically.
- Backups and portability
- Encrypted backups can go to external storage such as Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage or DigitalOcean Spaces, and a whole server can be moved to another provider.
- Firewall and audit
- A built-in firewall and an audit log of events are included on every plan.
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
Cloudron
Free€0
Run up to two apps on your own server.
Pro€15
per month, billed yearly (€30 billed monthly)
Unlimited apps with app updates, per-app backups, firewall, email solution and single sign-on. Excludes VAT where applicable.
Max€25
per month, billed yearly (€50 billed monthly)
Everything in Pro plus user groups and roles, a directory server, multiple backup sites and VPN-only app access.
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
Cloudron
- Annual discount
Yearly billing halves the monthly price
Pro is €15 a month billed yearly against €30 billed monthly, and Max is €25 against €50.
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, Cloudron or Dokploy?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Dokploy is cheaper to start with: $4.50 a month, against about $16.76 a month for Cloudron. Cloudron starts at €15 per month, billed yearly (€30 billed monthly), excluding VAT, and Dokploy starts at $4.50 per server / month on the Cloud Hobby plan.
Which has a free plan, Cloudron or Dokploy?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Cloudron 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.