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turn a single Linux VM into a PaaS from git push through build, release, and routing

OSS scale score 303.6OSS health 96Update pace 205 commits/30d
About these scores

OSS scale score is an unbounded metric that log-compresses and weights Stars, Watchers, Forks, and Contributors. Discovery score is the current OSS scale score minus the score at discovery. Update pace is commits in the last 30 days, growth momentum is the OSS scale score difference within the recent observation window, and OSS health is a 0–100 rating based on available recency, Community Health, and release data.

Stars
32,159
Primary language
Go
License
MIT
Repository last updated
Oct 1, 2026
On this page

Overview

Dokku is a Docker-powered self-hosted PaaS that manages application lifecycle through CLI and git workflows. It can build with buildpacks or Dockerfiles and combine domains, processes, configuration, storage, and service plugins to provide a Heroku-like deployment model on infrastructure you control.

Features and best fit

Based on official documentation; not hands-on tested · Content checked:

Key features

Use git push as the deployment entry point

After registering SSH access, application repositories can be pushed to the server and handed to the platform for build, release, and container startup.

Sources: [2]

Choose buildpack or Docker-based build paths

Applications can use different build mechanisms while sharing a common lifecycle layer above raw container operations.

Sources: [1][2]

Extend a single-host PaaS with domains, SSH access, and plugins

Global and application domains, deployment keys, and a plugin ecosystem provide a structured path for databases, storage, and related services.

Sources: [2]

Best fit

Fits teams self-hosting several applications without operating Kubernetes

It is relevant when a team wants more deployment consistency than a growing collection of Docker Compose files but does not need cluster orchestration.

Sources: [2]

Before adoption

Plan for a fresh Ubuntu or Debian VM with server-level sudo access

Official requirements call for a supported Ubuntu or Debian VM and an SSH keypair. Treat the host as dedicated platform infrastructure rather than an arbitrary shared server.

Sources: [2]

Pin and inspect the bootstrap installer during upgrades

The v0.38.31 release uses a versioned bootstrap script executed with sudo. Keep the tag pinned and review release changes, backups, and rollback before upgrades.

Sources: [3][2]

Design host failure and stateful-service backups separately

The mini-PaaS model simplifies application deployment but does not by itself provide high availability or off-host backup and restore for databases and persistent storage.

Sources: [1]

Official sources

  1. [1]dokku/dokku repository(2026-10-01)
  2. [2]Dokku README(2026-10-01)
  3. [3]Dokku v0.38.31 release(2026-10-01)
  4. [4]Dokku MIT license(2026-10-01)
Supplemental curator note

Dokku brings a Heroku-like workflow to a self-managed VM, using git pushes to drive builds, releases, containers, and domain routing. It is especially relevant when application hosting needs more structure than raw Docker but less operational surface than a Kubernetes platform.

Try it in 3 steps

  1. 1

    Download the v0.38.31 installer

    On a supported fresh Ubuntu or Debian VM, download the official version-pinned bootstrap script.

    wget -NP . https://dokku.com/install/v0.38.31/bootstrap.sh
  2. 2

    Review and run the installer

    Because the script changes server configuration with sudo, inspect it first and install the pinned stable tag.

    less bootstrap.sh && sudo DOKKU_TAG=v0.38.31 bash bootstrap.sh
  3. 3

    Configure a domain and deployment key

    Replace apps.example.com and the SSH public-key path for your environment. Applications can then be deployed through git pushes.

    sudo dokku domains:set-global apps.example.com && cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub | sudo dokku ssh-keys:add admin
Check the official README

Growth

Growth trends · Last 30 days

32,159 Stars

Trend data is still being collected.

Development activity

Last 90 days · weekly

Commits (last 30 days)
205
Open PRs
9

Development activity is still being collected.

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Categories and tags

Categories

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GitHub data

GitHub dataView detailed GitHub data
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GitHub Topics

  • dokku
  • paas
  • heroku
  • docker
  • kubernetes
  • nomad
  • containers
  • buildpack
  • devops
  • self-hosted
  • selfhosted
Stars
32,159
Forks
2,083
Watchers
340
Open issues
21
Contributors
406
Owner type
Organization
Primary language
Go
License
MIT
Repository last updated
Oct 1, 2026
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