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dokku

From public sources

Dokku is an MIT-licensed, Docker-powered mini-Heroku PaaS that lets you deploy and manage app lifecycles on your own server.

Infrastructure toolCategory: Infrastructure & DevOps · Containers & OrchestrationOpen sourcedata checked Oct 15, 2026
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Overview

Deploying web applications to a bare VM usually means wiring together Docker, reverse proxies, SSL and environment configuration by hand. Dokku is a Docker-powered mini-Heroku that handles this build-and-deploy lifecycle on a server you control, so you can push code and let the platform run it. Dokku is installed on a fresh Ubuntu or Debian VM and is managed through a command-line interface, with applications deployed over SSH using git. Once set up, you configure your global domain and add user SSH keys, then deploy your apps with the same workflow you would use on a hosted platform. It suits developers and small teams who want a self-hosted Heroku-style PaaS without the cost or lock-in of a managed service. Dokku is released under the MIT License and is documented at dokku.com.
  • buildpack
  • containers
  • deployment
  • devops
  • docker
  • dokku
  • heroku
  • kubernetes
  • nomad
  • paas
  • self-hosted
  • selfhosted

Installation

Commands are shown, never run by the marketplace. Check them against the official documentation.
  • Official websiteFrom public sourcesfrom catalog metadata
    dokku.com/ ↗
  • Build from sourceFrom public sourcesfrom catalog metadata

    Build from source: no validated build recipe — follow the repository instructions.

    github.com/dokku/dokku ↗

Compatibility

Unknown means no evidence was found — not that the product is incompatible.
PlatformStatusArchitectureEvidenceConfidence
WindowsUnknown———
macOSUnknown———
LinuxUnknown———
Container (OCI)Unknown———
Server / self-hostedCompatible—Declared on the card—

Releases

checked Oct 29, 2026
v0.38.33LatestOct 29, 2026Official source ↗

Files in 0.38.33

This release has no attached files.

Release history

Quality profile

algorithm quality-v1.0 · assessed Oct 15, 2026
Quality Score91
Risk Score0
Confidence 1.00
Quality Score and Risk Score are different measures. A high score does not guarantee safety.

Score components

Maintenance · 2020
last activity 0 days ago
Documentation · 1515
README 10233 chars, description present
Ready to use · 156
install instructions: no; releases: yes
Metadata · 1010
4/4 of description, homepage, license, topics
Releases · 1010
10 release(s), latest 19 days ago
Category confidence · 1010
classifier confidence 1
Adoption · 1010
32186 stars (log-dampened, 10k = max)
License clarity · 55
SPDX MIT
Community · 55
issues enabled, 2090 forks

License

MIT
Known licensefrom the repository host

This is the catalog policy status, not legal advice.

Sources

github.com/dokku/dokkuPrimary★ 32,186 starslast activity Oct 15, 2026Primary repository · Confidence 1.00

Reviews

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README

From dokku/dokku · license MIT · fetched Oct 29, 2026

Dokku

[Build Status] [Ubuntu Package] [Arch Package] [Slack Group] [Documentation] [OpenCollective] [OpenCollective] [Patreon]

Docker powered mini-Heroku. The smallest PaaS implementation you've ever seen.

Sponsors

Become a sponsor and get your logo on our README on GitHub with a link to your site. [Become a sponsor]

[OpenCollective Sponsor 0] [OpenCollective Sponsor 1] [OpenCollective Sponsor 2] [OpenCollective Sponsor 3] [OpenCollective Sponsor 4] [OpenCollective Sponsor 5] [OpenCollective Sponsor 6] [OpenCollective Sponsor 7] [OpenCollective Sponsor 8] [OpenCollective Sponsor 9] [OpenCollective Sponsor 10] [OpenCollective Sponsor 11] [OpenCollective Sponsor 12] [OpenCollective Sponsor 13] [OpenCollective Sponsor 14] [OpenCollective Sponsor 15] [OpenCollective Sponsor 6] [OpenCollective Sponsor 17] [OpenCollective Sponsor 18]

Backers

Support us with a monthly donation and help us continue our activities. [Become a backer]

[OpenCollective Backer 0] [OpenCollective Backer 1] [OpenCollective Backer 2] [OpenCollective Backer 3] [OpenCollective Backer 4] [OpenCollective Backer 5] [OpenCollective Backer 6] [OpenCollective Backer 7] [OpenCollective Backer 8] [OpenCollective Backer 9] [OpenCollective Backer 10] [OpenCollective Backer 11] [OpenCollective Backer 12] [OpenCollective Backer 13] [OpenCollective Backer 14] [OpenCollective Backer 15] [OpenCollective Backer 16] [OpenCollective Backer 17] [OpenCollective Backer 18] [OpenCollective Backer 19] [OpenCollective Backer 20] [OpenCollective Backer 21] [OpenCollective Backer 22] [OpenCollective Backer 23] [OpenCollective Backer 24] [OpenCollective Backer 25] [OpenCollective Backer 26] [OpenCollective Backer 27] [OpenCollective Backer 28] [OpenCollective Backer 29]

Requirements

A fresh VM running any of the following operating systems:

  • Ubuntu 22.04 / 24.04 / 26.04 (amd64/arm64) - Any currently supported release
  • Debian 11+ (amd64/arm64)

An SSH keypair that can be used for application deployment. If this exists before installation, it will be automatically imported into dokku. Otherwise, you will need to import the keypair manually after installation using dokku ssh-keys:add.

Installation

To install the latest stable release, run the following commands as a user who has access to sudo:

wget -NP . https://dokku.com/install/v0.38.33/bootstrap.sh
sudo DOKKU_TAG=v0.38.33 bash bootstrap.sh

You can then proceed to configure your server domain (via dokku domains:set-global) and user access (via dokku ssh-keys:add) to complete the installation.

If you wish for a more unattended installation method, see these docs.

Upgrade

View the docs for upgrading from an older version of Dokku.

Documentation

Full documentation - including advanced installation docs - are available online at https://dokku.com/docs/getting-started/installation/.

Support

You can use GitHub Issues, check Troubleshooting in the documentation, or join us on Gliderlabs Slack in the #dokku channel.

Contribution

After checking GitHub Issues, the Troubleshooting Guide or having a chat with us on Gliderlabs Slack in the #dokku channel, feel free to fork and create a Pull Request.

While we may not merge your PR as is, they serve to start conversations and improve the general Dokku experience for all users.

License

MIT License © Jeff Lindsay

Open the repository ↗