Convox vs Dokku (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Convox grades higher than Dokku: 2.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Convox grades higher on ease of use and platforms. Dokku grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Convox
Heroku-style deploy platform that runs in your own cloud account
Dokku
Open-source, single-server platform as a service you run yourself
Which one is for you
Pick Convox if
- Fits if you want Heroku-style deploys inside your own AWS or Google Cloud account
- Makes sense if you are one developer who can stay within the free plan
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you are a small team, at $165 a month for 2 users and $99 for each extra
- Tight if you want more than 1 rack or 2 workflows, which the free plan caps
- Skip it if you need RBAC or email support, as those start at Pro at $415 a month
- Watch out: the self-hosted console for PCI or HIPAA is quoted through sales
Pick Dokku if
- Fits if you are comfortable with a command line and want git-push deploys on your own server
- Makes sense if one server is enough for your apps
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a web dashboard without paying, as the UI and API need Dokku Pro at $849
- Not for you if you use Windows or Mac servers, since it needs Ubuntu or Debian
- Tight if you need more than one server, as it is single-server by default
- Watch out: the Pro page says the current price reflects an early-bird discount and may rise
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAConvoxFair | 1.8GPADokkuWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DBasic is $165 a month billed annually with 2 users, many times the $10.99 middle for web hosting, and each extra user is $99. Your cloud account is billed separately. | CThe core is free but only if you host it yourself, so it counts as C. The web interface and API are Dokku Pro at $849 once, the only one-time price in this category. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free plan with 1 user, 1 rack, 2 workflows and 1 quick app, with API throttling. Those caps will be hit by any team. | BThe open-source core is free with no cap, but you pay for the server and support is the community channels. |
| Features | CAuto-scaling, CI/CD workflows, racks and quick apps, database and cache management and a local rack. RBAC and email support start at Pro, and WordPress and Magento quick apps are listed as coming soon. | CGit-push deploys, several builders, plugins, proxy and SSL options and cron. A web UI and JSON API need Pro, and it runs on a single server by default. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You connect cloud accounts and set up racks and workflows. | DNo store rating on record. It is driven from the command line on a server you install and maintain. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, but it connects to GitHub, GitLab, Slack, AWS, Google Cloud, Azure and DigitalOcean. | DRuns on Linux only, Ubuntu or Debian. It connects to Docker, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI and Woodpecker. |
| Best for | Heroku-style deploys into your own cloud | git-push deploys on one server |
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: Convox and Dokku. How we grade
Where they differ
- Dokku is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Convox also covers workflow automation.
At a glance
| Convox | Dokku | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $165 per month, billed annually ($199 billed monthly) | $849 one-time for Dokku Pro; core Dokku is free to self-host |
| Free plan | 1 user, 1 rack, 2 workflows and 1 quick app, with a limited monitoring dashboard. | The open-source core is free to install on your own server. You pay for the server, and support comes from the community channels. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Convox | Dokku |
| Price read from | convox.com | pro.dokku.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Convox
- Convox's fee covers the console only; infrastructure is billed by your cloud provider, though the FAQ says Convox adds no markup on instances or apps.
- Each user beyond those included costs $99 a month on every paid plan.
- RBAC and email support start on Pro, and the self-hosted console for PCI/HIPAA is quoted through sales.
- WordPress and Magento quick apps are listed as coming soon.
Dokku
- Dokku does not supply servers or hosting; you provide and maintain an Ubuntu or Debian machine.
- It runs on a single server by default; the docs list K3s and Nomad schedulers for larger setups.
- The web interface and API need Dokku Pro, a separate $849 one-time license.
- The Dokku Pro page says its current price reflects an early-bird discount and may rise.
Key features
Convox
- Runs in your cloud account
- Convox deploys to your own AWS, Google Cloud, Azure or DigitalOcean account, so you keep direct access to the infrastructure.
- Auto-scaling
- The platform ships with pre-configured auto-scaling policies that can be tuned as needs change.
- CI/CD workflows
- Workflow integrations with GitHub and GitLab build and deploy code, with a limit on workflows and concurrent jobs set by plan.
- Racks and quick apps
- Racks are the infrastructure environments Convox manages, and quick apps launch prebuilt applications such as Drupal.
- Database and cache management
- The product pages cover managing databases and caches, plus monitoring and alerts through a dashboard and Slack notifications.
- Local development rack
- A local rack installs on Mac or Linux to mirror staging and production environments on a developer machine.
Dokku
- Git-push deployment
- Applications are pushed with git and built on the server, either from a Dockerfile or by detecting the language with buildpacks, then started as containers.
- Several builders
- The docs list Cloud Native Buildpacks, Herokuish buildpacks, Dockerfile, Nixpacks, Railpack and a Lambda builder, plus deploys from Docker images and archives.
- Plugin system
- Dokku is built from plugins. Official datastore plugins add databases, and anyone can write plugins in any language and share them.
- Proxy and SSL options
- Routing can use nginx, Caddy, Haproxy, OpenResty or Traefik, and the docs cover domain configuration and SSL setup.
- Process and cron management
- Apps can run web and background processes, scheduled cron tasks and one-off commands, with zero-downtime deploy checks.
- Dokku Pro web interface
- The paid add-on gives a browser dashboard for apps, datastores, environment variables, scaling and live log tailing, plus a JSON API.
Plans
Convox
Free$0
1 user, 1 rack, 2 workflows, 1 quick app and 1 deploy key, with some API throttling.
Basic$165
per month, billed annually ($199 billed monthly)
2 users plus $99 a month per extra user, 5 racks, 10 workflows, Slack notifications and 24-hour audit logs.
Pro$415
per month, billed annually ($499 billed monthly)
5 users plus $99 a month per extra user, 20 racks, 50 workflows, simple RBAC, email support and 30-day audit logs.
Plus$832
per month, billed annually ($999 billed monthly)
10 users plus $99 a month per extra user, 100 racks, 100 workflows, priority feature requests and 90-day audit logs.
Dokku
Dokku (open source)$0
Install it yourself on an Ubuntu or Debian server. Git-push deploys, buildpacks and Dockerfiles, plugins, command-line management.
Dokku Pro$849
one-time, lifetime license
Add-on for an existing install: web UI, JSON API, HTTP(S) app push, team management and email support. Covers 1 production and 2 pre-production servers.
Ways to pay less
Convox
- Annual discount
2 months free with annual billing
The pricing page marks annual billing as two months free; Basic is $165 a month billed annually against $199 billed monthly.
Dokku
- Lifetime license
Lifetime Dokku Pro license
Dokku Pro is sold as a one-time lifetime license with free upgrades and no per-seat fees, at a discounted price while it is in development.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Convox or Dokku?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Convox starts at $165 per month, billed annually ($199 billed monthly), and Dokku starts at $849 one-time for Dokku Pro; core Dokku is free to self-host.
Which has a free plan, Convox or Dokku?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Convox and Dokku have a free plan.
Which platforms do Convox and Dokku run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Convox lists a web app and only Dokku lists a Linux app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.