Divio vs Dokku
A detailed comparison to help you choose between Divio and Dokku.
Quick Verdict
3.5/5
Divio
0 reviews
4.2/5
Dokku
0 reviews
Dokku is rated higher (4.2 vs 3.5). Divio is a Swiss cloud PaaS focused on Python and Django applications. Wagtail CMS hosting specialists. Strong in European enterprise Django deployments with multi-cloud options. Dokku is an open source PaaS you deploy on any VPS. Heroku-compatible buildpacks, Git push deployments, Let's Encrypt SSL, and Docker support. Run your own Heroku on a $5 Hetzner server.
Divio Cloud PaaS for Django, Wagtail, and Python | Dokku Self-hosted mini Heroku on your own VPS | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 3.5 (0 reviews) | 4.2 (0 reviews)✓ |
| Pricing model | paid | free |
| Starting price | From $10/mo | Free✓ |
| Best for | Digital agencies and European enterprises running multiple Django or Wagtail estates who want managed multi-environment hosting with EU data residency and cloud-vendor flexibility. | Developers comfortable with Linux who want Heroku-style deployments at VPS pricing on infrastructure they own and control |
| Features | ||
| IPv6 | ✓ | |
| DDoS protection | ✓ | |
| Automated backups | ||
| Snapshots | ✓ | |
| Managed option | ||
| Bare metal | ||
| GPU available | ||
| S3-compatible | ||
| Hourly billing | ||
| Free tier | ||
| Tags | ||
| Tags | free tiermanaged optioneu datacenterus datacenter | free tieropen sourceself hostable |
| Visit Divio → | Visit Dokku → | |
Divio
Pros
- + Two decades of Django expertise — created django CMS, tooling designed around agency workflows
- + Multi-cloud on AWS, Exoscale, or Azure with one-click region/vendor migration (CloudShift)
- + Third-party IaaS passed through at cost with no markup — unusual pricing transparency
- + EU data residency (Switzerland, Germany), ISO 27001 certified, GDPR compliant
- + Managed databases, environments, backups, and workers in one project model
- + Named support channels (Swiss and US phone lines) with defined response-time tiers
Cons
- - Three stacked pricing layers (hosting + features + support) make the real bill much larger than the headline
- - No permanent free plan; the Lite plan (256 MB RAM, 250 MB database) is not production-grade
- - Soft uptime story: 99.50% expected infrastructure uptime, no credited SLA outside enterprise
- - Python/Django-centric despite added stack support; small integration ecosystem (11 documented integrations)
- - Abstraction layer between you and the underlying cloud provider limits access to native services
- - Parent company is Swedish-listed (Stockholm) despite the Swiss-origin branding
Dokku
Pros
- + Free MIT-licensed software — you only pay for the underlying server
- + Heroku-compatible buildpacks and git push workflow make migration from Heroku straightforward
- + Mature project (since 2013) with 353 releases and a large plugin ecosystem
- + Full control over data, costs and where your apps physically run
- + Optional Dokku Pro is a one-time $849 lifetime license, not a subscription
Cons
- - Self-managed: OS updates, security, backups and monitoring are your responsibility
- - Single-host design — no built-in failover, autoscaling or multi-host scheduling
- - Support is community-only (GitHub issues, Slack) unless you buy Dokku Pro
- - Plugin quality and upgrade compatibility vary across the community ecosystem
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