Dokploy vs Render (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Render grades higher than Dokploy: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Dokploy grades higher on value for money. Render grades higher on features and ease of use. They get the same grade on the free plan and platforms.
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
Render
Cloud hosting for web services, databases and workers
Which one is for you
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
Pick Render if
- Fits if you want web services and Postgres together
- Works for backends that need cron jobs and background workers
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: free instances have limits and 5 GB of bandwidth
- Pricey if you add it up: workspace plus each service's instance
- Watch out: full-stack previews and autoscaling need Pro
- Watch out: HIPAA workspaces, SAML SSO and SCIM start at $499 on Scale
- Watch out: no bandwidth overage price is named
How we grade them
| 2.2GPADokployFair | 2.4GPARenderFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BHobby is $4.50 per server a month, inside the cheaper quarter, and you bring the servers. | CPro is $25 a month plus compute, above the dearer quarter's $19 as a floor, but Hobby is $0. A $7 instance buys 512 MB RAM and Postgres starts at $6. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 7-day trial with no card. After that, nothing free on Cloud, though the software is described as open source. | CHobby is $0 with up to 25 services, but free instance types come with limitations and bandwidth is 5 GB. |
| Features | CBuilds, multi-server deploys, backups, templates, monitoring, API, CLI and MCP. Hobby is limited to 1 user, 2 environments and 1 backup per database. | BWeb services, workers, cron, Postgres, Key Value, previews, autoscaling, API and infrastructure as code. The listing names no core gap. |
| Ease of use | DYou connect and run your own servers, which takes command-line and server skills. | CNo store rating on record. You define services, instance types and databases. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb dashboard with an API, CLI, MCP server and several integrations. | BWeb only, with Docker, a CLI, a REST API and an MCP server. |
| Best for | self-hosted deploys with a cloud option | web services and Postgres in one place |
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: Dokploy and Render. How we grade
Price against what you get
Dokploy starts at $4.50 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Render starts at $25 a month and scores 2.7.
Render scores higher, and starts $20.50 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other web hosts on the chart, 11 score higher than Dokploy for less, and none scores higher than Render 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 and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Render also covers workflow automation.
At a glance
| Dokploy | Render | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $4.50 per server / month on the Cloud Hobby plan | $25 per month plus compute (Pro workspace) |
| Free plan | None | Hobby workspace: $0 a month, up to 25 services, 5 GB of bandwidth, and free instance types for web services, Postgres and Key Value (limitations apply). |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial on Dokploy Cloud, no credit card required. | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Dokploy | Render |
| Price read from | dokploy.com | render.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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
Render
- The workspace fee is only part of the bill: every service pays for its instance, for example $7 a month for 512 MB RAM or $25 for 2 GB.
- Free instance types carry limitations, and Postgres on a paid plan starts at $6 a month for 256 MB RAM.
- HIPAA-compliant workspaces, SAML SSO and SCIM start on the $499 Scale plan.
- Bandwidth is included per workspace plan (5 GB, 25 GB, 1 TB), with the page naming no overage price.
Key features
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.
Render
- Services and workers
- Web services, private services, background workers and cron jobs run Node, Python, Go, Rust, Ruby, Elixir or custom Docker containers.
- Managed Postgres and Key Value
- Fully managed PostgreSQL with point-in-time recovery and connection pooling, plus a Redis-compatible Key Value store.
- Preview environments
- Pull requests can get their own preview, single-service on Hobby and full-stack on Pro and above.
- Autoscaling and zero-downtime deploys
- Horizontal autoscaling is a Pro feature, and deploys are listed as zero downtime in the product menu.
- Infrastructure as code and API
- Services can be defined as code, managed with the Render CLI and REST API, or driven from an MCP server.
- Persistent disks
- SSD disks can be attached to services at $0.25 per GB per month.
Plans
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.
Render
Hobby$0
per month, plus compute
Up to 25 services, 5 GB of bandwidth, single-service previews, custom domains, database PITR and chat support.
Pro$25
per month, plus compute
Unlimited seats and services, 25 GB of bandwidth, full-stack previews, horizontal autoscaling and isolated environments.
Scale$499
per month, plus compute
Multiple workspaces, 1 TB of bandwidth, HIPAA-compliant workspaces, SAML SSO and SCIM, and advanced RBAC roles.
EnterpriseCustom
Contractual uptime SLAs, a dedicated technical account team, a support Slack channel and support response SLAs.
Ways to pay less
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.
Render
- Startups
Up to $100K in credits for VC-funded startups
The pricing page links to Render for Startups, which offers up to $100K in credits to VC-funded startups.
- Other savings
Up to $10K in migration credits
Teams moving to Render can get up to $10K in credits through the migration program linked from the pricing page.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Dokploy or Render?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Dokploy is cheaper to start with: $4.50 a month, against $25 a month for Render. Dokploy starts at $4.50 per server / month on the Cloud Hobby plan, and Render starts at $25 per month plus compute (Pro workspace).
Which has a free plan, Dokploy or Render?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Render 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.