# Dokploy alternatives for self-hosted and managed deploys in 2026

Last updated: 2026-11-10

If you want to keep running your own server, **Coolify** is a close match for what Dokploy does, while **Dokku** and **CapRover** are lighter open-source options. If you'd rather stop patching a server altogether, **Sliplane** runs your Docker containers on servers it manages and sells Postgres beside them, **Clever Cloud** builds from a Dockerfile and bills by the second, and **Eurobase** builds from Git for a flat €10 or €20 a month + VAT.

## What Dokploy is, in short

Dokploy is an open-source deployment panel you install on your own Linux server. It builds apps with Nixpacks, Heroku buildpacks or a Dockerfile, runs Docker Compose files, manages MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, MariaDB and Redis with backups, and routes traffic through Traefik. It can spread work over several servers with Docker Swarm, and its docs ask for at least 2 GB of RAM and 30 GB of disk for the server it runs on.

There's also Dokploy Cloud, where Dokploy hosts the dashboard and you connect your own servers; your apps and databases still run on those machines. The site is operated by Dokploy Technologies, Inc., and its terms are governed by the laws of Delaware in the United States.

## Dokploy alternatives at a glance

| Platform | Who runs the servers | Builds from | Databases | Starts at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dokploy | You | Nixpacks, buildpacks, Dockerfile, Compose | Yes, on your server | Self-hosted free; Cloud $4.50 a month per server |
| Coolify | You | Dockerfile, Compose and more | Yes, on your server | Self-hosted free; Cloud $5 a month for 2 servers |
| Dokku | You | Heroku buildpacks, Dockerfile and more | Through plugins | Free, open source |
| CapRover | You | Any app that runs in a container | One-click apps | Free, open source |
| Sliplane | Sliplane | Framework detection, Dockerfile or image | Managed Postgres | €9 excl. VAT |
| Clever Cloud | Clever Cloud | Dockerfile in your repository | Managed PostgreSQL, MySQL and more | Free credits, then by the second |
| Eurobase | Eurobase | Git, built with buildpacks | No managed database | Free, then €10 a month + VAT |

Prices are from each provider's own page, checked on 9 and 10 November 2026.

## What to check before you switch

- **Who patches the machine.** On Dokploy, Coolify, Dokku and CapRover, the operating system, Docker and backups are yours. Managed platforms take that on, at a higher price per app.
- **How your app is built today.** A Compose file moves easily to Coolify. A Dockerfile works on Coolify, Dokku, Sliplane and Clever Cloud. Eurobase builds from source with buildpacks and doesn't read Dockerfiles.
- **Where the database lives.** Dokploy keeps databases on your server. Decide whether you want the same, or a managed Postgres you don't have to back up yourself.
- **Preview environments.** Dokploy lists preview deployments in its plans. Not every alternative here has them.
- **The legal home of the control plane.** If you need an EU company in the chain, look at who operates the dashboard as well as where the servers sit.

## 1. Coolify

Coolify is open-source software in the same family as Dokploy: you install it on a server you control and deploy from GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Gitea and other Git hosts. It builds Dockerfiles and Docker Compose files and can run PostgreSQL as a container on your server, with scheduled backups uploaded to S3-compatible storage. Coolify Cloud hosts the dashboard for you while your apps stay on servers you connect, which mirrors the Dokploy Cloud setup.

- **Best for:** Dokploy users who want to keep full control of their own servers and the same kind of panel.
- **Price:** self-hosted Coolify is free. Coolify Cloud costs $5 a month for 2 connected servers and $3 a month for each extra one, with 20% off on annual billing. For the server itself, Hetzner prices its CPX02 at €5.49 a month excl. VAT in Helsinki and €6.49 in Falkenstein or Nuremberg, but those entry plans were listed as unavailable to order on 10 November 2026.
- **What it lacks:** a managed server. Its docs ask for 2 CPU cores, 2 GB of RAM and 10 GB of free disk, and securing that machine is up to you.

## 2. Sliplane

Sliplane is a Berlin-based platform that runs Docker containers on servers it manages for you. It detects your framework automatically, can also build from a Dockerfile or run a ready image, and sells managed Postgres as a separate product. You pay per server and fit as many services on it as it can handle, which is close to a Dokploy box without the upkeep.

- **Best for:** teams moving a handful of Docker services off Dokploy who no longer want to maintain the server.
- **Price:** from €9 excl. VAT for 1 vCPU and 1 GB of memory, up to €224 for 16 vCPU and 32 GB. Managed Postgres starts at €19 excl. VAT. A demo server is free for 48 hours.
- **What it lacks:** a Europe-only footprint. Its US and Singapore regions sit in the same picker, so Europe is a choice you make per server.

## 3. Eurobase

Eurobase pulls your code from GitHub, GitLab, Codeberg, Forgejo or Gitea and turns Node.js, Python, Go, Java, Ruby, PHP or .NET servers into containers with Paketo buildpacks, with no Dockerfile to write. Next.js, Astro, Nuxt and other frontend frameworks run on V8 isolates next to them. Everything sits on European infrastructure run by Scaleway, a French provider, and coding agents can ship through its MCP server and CLI.

- **Best for:** apps that build from source without a Dockerfile, where a fixed monthly bill matters more than owning the server.
- **Price:** Free to start, then €10 a month for Starter or €20 a month for Pro, + VAT, covering the whole workspace. Nothing is billed by usage today: work over a limit is refused, apps on V8 isolates and Functions stop until the monthly reset, and containers and static sites keep serving.
- **Company:** a business registered in Warsaw, Poland. If you connect GitHub or GitLab, GitHub, Inc. and GitLab Inc. join its subprocessors as US companies.
- **What it lacks:** Dockerfile and Compose builds, preview deployments, and managed Postgres, MySQL or Redis. ISO 27001 and SOC 2 audits are under way, but neither certificate has been issued yet.

## 4. Clever Cloud

Clever Cloud is a French company certified ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and HDS for health data, with its own data centres in France. For Docker apps it builds an image from the Dockerfile at the root of your project, and your app listens on port 8080 unless you set another one. Managed PostgreSQL, MySQL and Redis are sold as add-ons.

- **Best for:** a Dokploy app that already has a Dockerfile and now needs a certified European host.
- **Price:** set by instance size and count, billed by the second. New accounts get free credits without a payment card, and autoscaling stays inside the limits you set.
- **What it lacks:** a fixed price you can quote in advance, since the bill follows instance size and running time.

## 5. Dokku

Dokku is an open-source platform that turns a single server into a small Heroku: you push code with Git, it builds with Heroku buildpacks or your Dockerfile and runs each app in an isolated container. Datastores such as Postgres, MySQL and Redis come as plugins.

- **Best for:** developers happy in a terminal who want the fewest moving parts.
- **Price:** free and open source. Its docs list Ubuntu 22.04, 24.04 or 26.04, or Debian 11 and later, with at least 1 GB of memory for the Docker scheduler, or swap.
- **What it lacks:** managed upkeep. The server, its updates and its backups stay with you.

## 6. CapRover

CapRover is a free, self-hosted platform built on Docker, nginx, Let's Encrypt and Docker Swarm. You deploy from its dashboard, its CLI, a webhook or your Git workflow, and one-click apps cover databases, WordPress and monitoring tools.

- **Best for:** a simple web dashboard on a small server, with Swarm available when you add machines.
- **Price:** free. Its getting-started page asks for at least 1 GiB of RAM, 5 GiB of free disk, a public IPv4 address and a domain with wildcard DNS.
- **What it lacks:** someone else to run it. The server, the domain setup and every update are your job.

## How to choose

- You want Dokploy's model with a different project behind it: **Coolify**.
- You prefer Git pushes and a terminal over a dashboard: **Dokku**.
- You want a light dashboard on a 1 GB server: **CapRover**.
- You want Docker containers and Postgres without running the server: **Sliplane**.
- You have a Dockerfile and need ISO 27001 today: **Clever Cloud**.
- You build from source and want one flat workspace price: **Eurobase**, with the database hosted elsewhere.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dokploy free?

The self-hosted version is free and open source; you only pay for the server. Dokploy Cloud, where Dokploy hosts the dashboard, lists a Hobby plan at $4.50 a month per server and a Startup plan from $15 a month, with a 7-day free trial.

### Is Dokploy better than Coolify?

Neither wins outright. Both are self-hosted panels that build Dockerfiles and Compose files and run databases with backups on your own server. Dokploy lists Docker Swarm clusters among its features. On the hosted dashboards, Coolify Cloud charges $5 a month for two servers, and Dokploy's Hobby plan charges $4.50 a month for each one.

### What's a managed alternative to Dokploy in Europe?

Sliplane, based in Berlin, runs Docker containers from €9 excl. VAT and managed Postgres from €19 excl. VAT. Clever Cloud builds Dockerfiles in its own data centres in France. Eurobase builds from Git with buildpacks on a flat plan, but doesn't offer a managed database. See [the best European PaaS](/i/best-european-paas) for a wider list.

### Do Dokploy apps run in the US?

Your apps run on the servers you connect, so a European server keeps them in Europe. Dokploy Cloud's dashboard is run by a US company, Dokploy Technologies, Inc.; its docs say your code and data stay on your own servers.

### Can I move a Docker Compose app from Dokploy?

Coolify takes Compose files directly. Sliplane and Clever Cloud expect a Dockerfile or a single image, so you may need to split services. For a container-by-container comparison, see [Docker hosting in Europe](/i/docker-hosting-europe).

## Sources

- [Dokploy](https://dokploy.com/), [Dokploy pricing](https://dokploy.com/pricing) and [Dokploy terms of service](https://dokploy.com/terms-of-service)
- [Dokploy installation](https://docs.dokploy.com/docs/core/installation) and [Dokploy Cloud](https://docs.dokploy.com/docs/core/cloud)
- [Coolify pricing](https://coolify.io/pricing/), [Coolify installation](https://coolify.io/docs/get-started/installation), [Coolify Dockerfile builds](https://coolify.io/docs/applications/builds/dockerfile) and [Coolify databases](https://coolify.io/docs/databases/)
- [Hetzner Cloud](https://www.hetzner.com/cloud/) and [Hetzner Regular Performance](https://www.hetzner.com/cloud/regular-performance/)
- [Dokku](https://dokku.com/), [Dokku installation](https://dokku.com/docs/getting-started/installation/), [Dokku Dockerfile deployment](https://dokku.com/docs/deployment/builders/dockerfiles/) and [Dokku plugins](https://dokku.com/docs/community/plugins/)
- [CapRover](https://caprover.com/) and [CapRover getting started](https://caprover.com/docs/get-started.html)
- [Sliplane](https://sliplane.io/) and [Sliplane pricing](https://sliplane.io/pricing)
- [Clever Cloud](https://www.clever.cloud/), [Clever Cloud pricing](https://www.clever.cloud/pricing/) and [Clever Cloud Docker apps](https://www.clever.cloud/developers/doc/deploy/applications/docker/)
- [Eurobase containers](/docs/containers), [Eurobase plans and limits](/docs/plans), [Eurobase pricing](/pricing) and [Eurobase subprocessors](/legal/subprocessors)