The CapRover Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about CapRover in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
CapRover
The Insider’s Guide
Free, self-hosted platform for deploying apps with Docker
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among web hosts, read from CapRover’s own pages.
Made by CapRover · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from CapRover’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on CapRover’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.0
GPA, above 49 of the 122 other web hosts we grade
CapRover is a free, self-hosted platform for deploying and managing apps on a server you control. It builds on Docker, nginx, Let's Encrypt and Docker Swarm, and apps can be deployed from the dashboard, a command-line tool, a webhook or an existing Git workflow. There is no paid edition or hosted service described on its site; funding comes from community donations.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about CapRover, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You rent and maintain the server, and support is documentation and a community Slack.
- 1
Best for self-hosting your own app platform
CapRover is a free app platform you install on your own server, with one-click apps and automatic HTTPS.
- 2
It is free
CapRover has no paid plan at all. The whole platform is free to install on your own server; the site's headline says "free forever".
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
Apps in any language
Node.js, Python, PHP, Java, Ruby, .NET or anything that runs in a container can be deployed.
- 5
One-click apps
Databases, WordPress, monitoring tools and other popular services can be launched from a catalog.
- 6
Automatic HTTPS
Let's Encrypt certificates are issued and renewed, with a one-click redirect from HTTP to HTTPS.
- 7
A 2.0 GPA, above 49 of 122
That is against the other web hosts we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
CapRover is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
CapRover at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- CapRover
- Category
- Web Hosting
- Our grade
- 2.0 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for self-hosting your own app platform
CapRover is a free app platform you install on your own server, with one-click apps and automatic HTTPS. You rent and maintain the server, and support is documentation and a community Slack.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Free software, but only free if you host it yourself, and you pay for the server. |
| Free plan and trial | B | The whole platform is free to install, with no paid tier. You need your own server. |
| Features | C | Apps in any language, one-click apps, HTTPS, several deploy methods and Docker Swarm clusters. No hosted version, so updates and backups are yours. |
| Ease of use | D | Self-hosting with a fresh Ubuntu server, wildcard DNS and open ports 80, 443 and 3000. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Web dashboard with one-click apps and no API or apps listed. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who CapRover is for
- Fits if you run your own server and want a simple app dashboard
- Works for developers who know Docker and DNS
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Developers who want a Heroku-style workflow on their own VPS
- Anyone running several small apps on one server
- Teams that want no per-seat or per-app platform fees
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
CapRover is free to use.
Free software, but only free if you host it yourself, and you pay for the server.
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.
The free plan
The whole platform is free to install on your own server; the site's headline says "free forever".
Read from caprover.com on Nov 13, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Free, self-hosted platform for deploying apps with Docker. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: self-hostable, databases.
Apps in any language, one-click apps, HTTPS, several deploy methods and Docker Swarm clusters.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Docker
- nginx
- Let's Encrypt
- DigitalOcean
- GitHub
CapRover is made by CapRover.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
49/122
Other web hosts it is graded above
CapRover's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 49 of the 122 other web hosts we grade, and level with 24.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 99 of 122) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
CapRover has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 123 web hosts we grade, cut by the letter each got. CapRover’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 13 of 122
- BFree plan and trialAbove 99 of 122
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 122
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 122
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 1 of 122
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 111 web hosts. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. CapRover is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
CapRover is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
What you could not
- Databases with views, filters and links between them.
- It plugs into other products, Docker, nginx and Let's Encrypt among them.
What this rests on. CapRover’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Coolify, Dokploy, Dokku, Render and Railway
The 5 tools CapRover is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Coolify
Free plan · from $5/mo
Open-source platform to deploy apps and databases to your own servers.
- Coolify is open source, according to its own site.
- 2.2GPA
Dokploy
Free trial · from $4.50/mo
Open-source platform to deploy apps and databases on your own servers.
- CapRover has a free plan. Dokploy does not, though it has a free trial.
- Dokploy is open source, according to its own site.
- 1.8GPA
Dokku
Free plan · from $849 one-time
Open-source, single-server platform as a service you run yourself.
- Only CapRover lists a web app.
- Only Dokku lists a Linux app.
- Dokku is open source, according to its own site.
- 2.4GPA
Render
Free plan · from $25/mo
Cloud hosting for web services, databases and workers.
- CapRover is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Render also covers workflow automation.
- 2.6GPA
Railway
Free trial · from $5/mo
App and database hosting billed by the second for usage.
- CapRover has a free plan. Railway does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Railway lists iOS and Android apps.
- CapRover is self-hostable, according to its own site.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is CapRover free?
Yes. CapRover is free to use.
How much does CapRover cost?
CapRover lists one plan. Self-hosted: $0.
What platforms does CapRover work on?
CapRover is available on Web.
Does CapRover have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. CapRover is listed for Web.
Does CapRover have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. CapRover is listed for Web.
Is CapRover open source?
CapRover is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Can CapRover be self-hosted?
Yes. CapRover's own site says it can be run on a server of your own.
What does CapRover integrate with?
CapRover's listing names Docker, nginx, Let's Encrypt, DigitalOcean and GitHub.
Who makes CapRover?
CapRover is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to CapRover?
The closest alternatives to CapRover in our directory are Coolify, Dokploy, Dokku, Render and Railway.
How does CapRover compare with other web hosts?
CapRover's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 49 of the 122 other web hosts we grade, and level with 24.
Is CapRover good value for money?
ToolGPA grades CapRover C for value for money. CapRover has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of CapRover?
CapRover is free, so making your own would save you nothing. What you could not make: Databases with views, filters and links between them.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from CapRover’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from CapRover's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by CapRover. Prices change, so check caprover.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- CapRover, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/caprover
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "CapRover: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/caprover
Know someone choosing between web hosts?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/caprover/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded web hosts after CapRover, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Web Hosting Insider's GuideEvery one of the 123 web hosts we grade, compared
- Cloudflare Pages Insider's GuideGit-based hosting for static sites and full-stack apps2.8 GPA
- GitHub Pages Insider's GuideStatic site hosting built into GitHub repositories2.8 GPA
- Netlify Insider's GuideGit-based hosting for sites and web apps, priced by monthly credits2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what CapRover’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. CapRover is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by CapRover. Prices and plans change: check caprover.com before you buy.