Self-hosted PaaS platforms let you deploy apps on your own VPS with the convenience of Heroku or Railway — without the per-seat pricing. In 2026, three contenders dominate the space: Dokploy, Coolify, and CapRover. This comparison covers setup experience, resource usage, supported workloads, and total cost of ownership on a Hetzner or DigitalOcean VPS — so you can pick the right tool for your stack.
Quick Comparison Table
| Feature | Dokploy | Coolify | CapRover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial release | 2024 | 2021 | 2018 |
| License | MIT | Apache 2.0 | Apache 2.0 |
| Docker Swarm support | Yes | No (Docker standalone) | Yes |
| Built-in database management | Yes | Yes | One-click apps |
| Git-based deployments | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Minimum RAM recommended | 2 GB | 2 GB | 1 GB |
| Active development | Very active | Very active | Moderate |
Dokploy: Modern UI, Swarm-Ready
What it is
Dokploy is the newest of the three, built with Next.js and TypeScript. It manages Docker Compose and Docker Swarm deployments from a clean dashboard and integrates directly with GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket.
Setup on a fresh VPS
curl -sSL https://dokploy.com/install.sh | shThe installer sets up Docker, creates the Dokploy stack via Docker Compose, and opens a setup wizard at port 3000. On a Hetzner CX22 (2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, €4.51/mo), the install completes in under 5 minutes.
Strengths
- Clean, modern UI — easiest for developers new to self-hosting
- Native Docker Swarm support for multi-node clusters
- Built-in log viewer, metrics, and terminal access per service
- Database management for PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis, MongoDB
- Automatic SSL via Let's Encrypt (Traefik integration)
Weaknesses
- Youngest project — some edge cases still being ironed out
- Smaller community/plugin ecosystem compared to Coolify
Coolify: Feature-Rich, Self-Contained
What it is
Coolify is a mature self-hosted PaaS with the widest feature set of the three. It handles applications, databases, services (like Plausible, Ghost, Minio), and even manages multiple remote servers from a single dashboard.
Setup
curl -fsSL https://cdn.coollabs.io/coolify/install.sh | bashCoolify runs on a single server or can manage remote servers via SSH. The dashboard runs on port 8000 by default.
Strengths
- Manages multiple servers from one dashboard
- Wide service catalog — 60+ one-click installable services
- Preview deployments (deploy branches as separate URLs)
- Backup management with S3-compatible storage
- Active community and frequent releases
Weaknesses
- Higher baseline RAM usage (~800 MB idle vs ~400 MB for CapRover)
- No native Docker Swarm — single-node Docker only
- UI can be overwhelming for simple use cases
CapRover: Lightweight, Battle-Tested
What it is
CapRover is the oldest of the three and has been used in production by thousands of developers since 2018. It's more opinionated than Coolify — uses its own "captain-definition" files — but runs on minimal hardware and has excellent documentation.
Setup
# Requires Docker pre-installed
docker run -p 80:80 -p 443:443 -p 3000:3000 \
-e ACCEPTED_TERMS=true \
-v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \
-v /captain:/captain \
caprover/caproverStrengths
- Runs on 1 GB RAM VPS — lowest resource footprint
- Docker Swarm for horizontal scaling
- Mature and stable — fewer surprise bugs
- CLI-first workflow suits DevOps-oriented teams
Weaknesses
- Older UI — less polished than Dokploy or Coolify
- Development pace has slowed compared to the newer entrants
- Less intuitive for developers used to modern dashboards
TCO Calculation: Hetzner VPS (Annual)
Scenario: 5 small apps + 3 databases
| Platform | Recommended VPS | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dokploy | Hetzner CX22 (4 GB) | €4.51 | €54.12 |
| Coolify | Hetzner CX22 (4 GB) | €4.51 | €54.12 |
| CapRover | Hetzner CX11 (2 GB) | €3.29 | €39.48 |
| Railway (reference) | Cloud managed | ~€40+ | €480+ |
All three self-hosted options are dramatically cheaper than managed PaaS. Add a Hetzner Volume for persistent storage (~€0.052/GB/month) and a floating IP (~€1.19/month) if needed.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Choose Dokploy if you want the best modern UX, plan to use Docker Swarm for multi-node setups, and want active development with a clean codebase.
- Choose Coolify if you want to manage multiple servers from one place, need preview deployments, or want the widest one-click service catalog.
- Choose CapRover if you're on a tight budget, need the smallest footprint, or prefer a battle-tested platform with years of production use.
Conclusion
Dokploy, Coolify, and CapRover are all capable self-hosted PaaS platforms that can replace expensive managed services at a fraction of the cost. The right choice depends on your technical comfort level, resource constraints, and workflow preferences — not which one has the most GitHub stars. Try each on a €5/month VPS and see which one fits your mental model.