A self-hosted PaaS lets you deploy web apps, databases and services on a server you control, usually with a Git push or a Docker image, instead of paying a platform like Heroku or Vercel for every workload. Three open-source options in the Stackora catalog cover this space: Coolify, CapRover and Dokku. They all sit in the Infrastructure & DevOps category, but they differ in scope, interface and licensing.

How to choose: the criteria that matter

Before comparing products, decide which factors your team actually cares about:

  • Deployment model: Git push, Docker image or both.
  • Scope: apps only, or apps plus databases and other services.
  • Interface: a web dashboard versus a command-line workflow.
  • License: the terms under which you can run and modify the software.
  • Community size: publicly reported star counts give a rough signal of adoption, not of quality or support.
  • Operational fit: how much server administration you are willing to own.

The catalog data gives a clear picture on licensing and popularity, so the comparison below uses those facts directly.

Coolify

Coolify is described as an open-source, self-hostable PaaS for deploying apps, databases and services on your own servers, positioned as an alternative to Heroku, Netlify and Vercel. It is published under the Apache-2.0 license by the coollabsio publisher, and it is the most widely starred of the three in the catalog at 63,025 stars.

Strengths

  • Covers apps, databases and services in one tool, which suits teams that want a single control plane.
  • Permissive Apache-2.0 license.
  • Largest community signal among the three options.

Trade-offs

  • Broader scope means more moving parts to understand than a minimal deployment tool.
  • Teams that want a purely command-line workflow may find a dashboard-first product less direct.

CapRover

CapRover is a self-hosted PaaS and web server manager. It deploys apps and databases on Docker, Nginx and Let's Encrypt, and is positioned as a cheaper alternative to Heroku. The catalog lists 15,185 stars and the publisher path is caprover. The catalog entry does not list a license, so check the repository before adopting it in a commercial setting.

Strengths

  • Bundles Docker, Nginx and automatic Let's Encrypt certificates in its description, which covers common web hosting needs.
  • Handles databases alongside apps.

Trade-offs

  • No license is recorded in the catalog data, so license review is a required step.
  • Smaller star count than Coolify or Dokku.

Dokku

Dokku is an MIT-licensed, Docker-powered mini-Heroku PaaS that lets you deploy and manage app lifecycles on your own server. With 32,186 stars, it has the second-largest community signal in this group, and it is maintained under the dokku publisher.

Strengths

  • MIT license, one of the most permissive options for internal or commercial use.
  • Heroku-style workflow built around Git push, which many developers already know.
  • Solid community adoption.

Trade-offs

  • Its focus is app lifecycle management, so you will need to handle wider service concerns separately.
  • Command-line oriented, which can be a barrier for teams that prefer a visual dashboard.

Who should pick what

  • Pick Coolify if you want one dashboard to manage apps, databases and services under a permissive Apache-2.0 license.
  • Pick CapRover if you want Docker, Nginx and Let's Encrypt handled for web hosting, and you can verify its license before rollout.
  • Pick Dokku if you want a minimal, Heroku-like Git push workflow under the MIT license and are comfortable on the command line.

For most teams, the decision comes down to two questions: do you want a dashboard or a CLI, and does your license policy require a confirmed open-source license. Test your shortlist on a non-production server with one real app before committing. You can also browse the wider Infrastructure & DevOps category and the Developer tools catalog for related utilities such as monitoring and deployment helpers.