CapRover and Dokku are both free, Docker-based platform-as-a-service tools that let a developer git-push or one-click deploy their own application code onto a…
Best for: Developers who want a web dashboard, one-click app marketplace, and Docker Swarm clustering for deploying containerized applications on their own server.
Best for: Developers migrating away from Heroku who want the closest git-push deployment workflow and a large plugin ecosystem on a single, lightweight VPS.
Best for: Self-hosters who want a catalog of ready-made apps, such as email, file sync, and collaborative office tools, running on a single Debian server with built-in single sign-on.
At a Glance
CapRover
Dokku
YunoHost
Primary category
Hosting
Hosting
Hosting
Rating
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing model
Free (self-hosted, source-available)
Free / Open Source
free
Starting price
Free
Free
Free
Free plan
Yes
Yes
Yes
Free trial
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Platforms
Web
Not documented
Not documented
Team collaboration
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
AI features
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Public API
Yes
Not documented
Not documented
Standout Differences
Deploy Your Own Code vs Install Ready-Made Apps
CapRover and Dokku are built around pushing your own application code via Docker and git, while YunoHost's one-click catalog installs pre-packaged third-party services rather than custom code.
CapRover, Dokku, YunoHost
Heroku-Style Developer Experience
Dokku most closely mirrors Heroku's git-push deployment workflow, easing migration for teams leaving that platform, while CapRover offers a similar git-push and CLI workflow layered under a full web dashboard.
Dokku, CapRover
Built-In Identity and Email Management
YunoHost uniquely bundles single sign-on, LDAP, and automated email server management directly into the platform, capabilities that neither CapRover nor Dokku include.
YunoHost
Free but Self-Managed Infrastructure
All three tools are free to run, with CapRover and Dokku open for commercial use and CapRover's 2023 license change restricting redistribution of certain paid features, but every project requires the user to provision, secure, and maintain their own server with no official managed hosting.
CapRover, Dokku, YunoHost
Feature-by-Feature
Deployment Model
Feature
CapRover
Dokku
YunoHost
Git-push or CLI application deployment
Available
Available
Unavailable
One-click app catalog or marketplace
Available
Not documented
Available
Docker container support
Available
Available
Not documented
Networking and Security
Feature
CapRover
Dokku
YunoHost
Automatic SSL via Let's Encrypt
Available
Available
Available
Built-in single sign-on and LDAP
Not documented
Not documented
Available
Operations and Scale
Feature
CapRover
Dokku
YunoHost
Multi-host clustering
Available
Limited
Not documented
Email server management
Not documented
Not documented
Available
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
CapRover
Self-Hosted — Free N/A
Dokku
Open Source — Free N/A
YunoHost
Open Source — $0 n/a
Pros & Cons
CapRover
Pros
Completely free to run — the only cost is your own server
Automates SSL, reverse proxying, and container orchestration that would otherwise require manual setup
Works on virtually any Docker-capable machine, including low-cost VPS providers and Raspberry Pi
Large, active community with a track record dating back to 2017
Cons
Requires the user to provision, secure, and maintain their own server — there is no managed hosting option from the project itself
No official enterprise support contract or SLA in the way a managed PaaS vendor would offer
Licensing changed in 2023 to a modified Apache License that restricts redistribution of certain paid features
Less polished UI/UX than fully managed commercial PaaS competitors
Dokku
Pros
Completely free and open-source with no recurring licensing or platform fees.
Near-identical developer experience to Heroku, making migration away from Heroku straightforward.
Lightweight enough to run on a single inexpensive VPS, unlike heavier orchestration platforms.
Large plugin ecosystem covering databases, SSL, and other common infrastructure needs.
Cons
Requires the team to manage, patch, back up, and monitor their own server.
Primarily designed around single-host deployments, with more limited multi-host scaling than Kubernetes.
No official managed hosting or enterprise support contract from a vendor.
Documentation and plugin quality can vary since many plugins are community-maintained.
YunoHost
Pros
Completely free and open source with no subscription cost beyond the hardware or hosting a user provides
One-click app catalog substantially lowers the barrier to self-hosting common services compared to manual Linux setup
Built-in SSO and LDAP integration means users do not need separate logins for every self-hosted app
Automated domain, TLS and email configuration removes some of the most error-prone parts of running a server
Community-driven and ethically focused, appealing to privacy-conscious users who want to avoid third-party SaaS platforms
Cons
As a volunteer-maintained project, there is no paid support option or guaranteed response time for issues
Still requires basic comfort with server administration concepts even though YunoHost simplifies the process
Application quality and maintenance depend on individual community packagers, so not every app in the catalog is equally polished
Running your own server means taking on responsibility for uptime, security patching and backups yourself
Use Cases
Choose CapRover: Developers who want a web dashboard, one-click app marketplace, and Docker Swarm clustering for deploying containerized applications on their own server.
Choose Dokku: Developers migrating away from Heroku who want the closest git-push deployment workflow and a large plugin ecosystem on a single, lightweight VPS.
Choose YunoHost: Self-hosters who want a catalog of ready-made apps, such as email, file sync, and collaborative office tools, running on a single Debian server with built-in single sign-on.
CapRover
Low-Cost Self-Hosted App Deployment — Indie developers and small startups deploy multiple apps on a single VPS instead of paying per-app managed hosting fees.
Homelab & Personal Server Hosting — Hobbyists run self-hosted software, such as WordPress, databases, and personal tools, on hardware they own.
Dokku
Self-hosted app deployment for side projects — Deploy personal or small commercial projects to a single low-cost VPS with Heroku-style simplicity.
Heroku cost migration — Move existing Heroku applications to self-managed infrastructure to eliminate recurring per-dyno platform fees.
Internal tooling platform — Provide an internal, self-hosted deployment target for multiple small internal tools and services without standing up Kubernetes.
YunoHost
Personal cloud and file sync — Individuals self-host Nextcloud through YunoHost to sync and store files privately instead of using third-party cloud storage.
Small community or organization services — Small groups run shared blogs, wikis and email on a single YunoHost server with unified login for members.
Home-lab and self-hosting learning — Hobbyists use YunoHost on a Raspberry Pi or old computer to learn self-hosting without manually configuring every service.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core difference between CapRover, Dokku, and YunoHost?
CapRover and Dokku are platform-as-a-service tools for deploying your own application code to a self-managed server via Docker and git push, while YunoHost is a self-hosted server operating system that installs pre-packaged third-party apps like Nextcloud or email from a one-click catalog.
Which of these three tools is closest to Heroku for developers?
Dokku is the tool most frequently compared to Heroku, offering a near-identical git-push deployment workflow, while CapRover provides a similar deployment experience layered under a full web dashboard and app marketplace.
Does YunoHost support deploying custom application code the way CapRover and Dokku do?
No. YunoHost is built around installing ready-made applications from its catalog rather than deploying custom code via git push or Docker images the way CapRover and Dokku do.
Can CapRover, Dokku, or YunoHost run on a low-cost VPS or Raspberry Pi?
CapRover and Dokku are both documented as lightweight enough to run on inexpensive VPS providers, with CapRover specifically noted to work on Raspberry Pi hardware; YunoHost is built on Debian GNU/Linux and is commonly run on small home-server hardware as well.
Do CapRover, Dokku, or YunoHost offer managed hosting or paid support?
No. All three are free, community or volunteer-maintained projects that require users to provision, secure, and maintain their own server, and none offers an official managed hosting plan or paid support contract.
Which tool includes built-in single sign-on and email hosting?
YunoHost is the only one of the three with built-in single sign-on, LDAP integration, and automated email server management; CapRover and Dokku focus on application deployment and do not document these identity or email features.