Dokku review (2026): is the free plan enough?
Open-source, single-server platform as a service you run yourself
Black Friday: is there a Dokku sale?
Dokku report card
Weak · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for git-push deploys on one server
Dokku is open source and gives you git-push deploys, buildpacks and Docker on one server you run. The web interface and API are a separate $849 one-time Pro licence, and it only runs on Ubuntu or Debian.
Who Dokku is for
- 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
Who Dokku is not for
- 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
Why Dokku gets a 1.8
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyThe 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.
- BFree plan and trialThe open-source core is free with no cap, but you pay for the server and support is the community channels.
- CFeaturesGit-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.
- DEase of useNo store rating on record. It is driven from the command line on a server you install and maintain.
- DPlatforms and integrationsRuns on Linux only, Ubuntu or Debian. It connects to Docker, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI and Woodpecker.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Dokku's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make Dokku? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/dokku#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/dokku.svg" alt="Dokku: 1.8 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Dokku stands among web hosts
Dokku's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 29 of the 122 other web hosts we grade, and level with 19.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 99 of 122) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 123 web hosts we grade, cut by the letter each got. Dokku’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 13 of 122, level with 65
- BFree plan and trialAbove 99 of 122, level with 21
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 122, level with 85
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 122, level with 39
- DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 122
Keep Dokku, or make your own?
Your call
Dokku sits between: not beyond making, and not a weekend's work either.
What you would give up is listed below. Whether that is worth the price is your call. At $849, paid once, it costs less than the weekend it would take to replace, which is the argument for keeping it. Dokku is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could not
- Databases with views, filters and links between them.
- A real app for Linux. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, Docker, GitHub Actions and GitLab CI among them.
What this rests on. Dokku’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.
What is Dokku?
Dokku is an open-source platform as a service that runs on one server you control. You push code with git, Dokku builds it with Dockerfiles or buildpacks, and runs it in containers, with plugins for databases and other extras. The core is free; a paid add-on called Dokku Pro adds a web interface and an API.
Worth knowing
- 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
- 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.
Dokku pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, Dokku has a free plan, and paid plans start at $849 one-time for Dokku Pro; core Dokku is free to self-host.
- Starts at
- $849 one-time for Dokku Pro; core Dokku is free to self-host
- Free plan
- 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
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | $849one-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. |
Read from pro.dokku.com on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Dokku before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Lifetime licenseLifetime 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.
Stated on pro.dokku.com
Works with
- Docker
- GitHub Actions
- GitLab CI
- Woodpecker CI
- DigitalOcean
- Microsoft Azure
- DreamHost
Dokku alternatives
- Dokku vs Coolify
Free plan · from $5/mo
- Dokku vs Dokploy
Free trial · from $4.50/mo
- Dokku vs Heroku
From $5/mo
- Dokku vs Render
Free plan · from $25/mo
Common questions
Does Dokku have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Dokku is listed for Linux.
Does Dokku have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Dokku is listed for Linux.
Is Dokku open source?
Yes. Dokku is open source, according to its own site. It can also be run on a server of your own.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.