Dokku vs Cloudways
A detailed comparison to help you choose between Dokku and Cloudways.
Quick Verdict
4.7/5
Dokku
251 reviews
4.4/5
Cloudways
513 reviews
Dokku is rated higher (4.7 vs 4.4). 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. Managed hosting layer that sits on top of DigitalOcean, AWS, GCP, Vultr, or Linode. You get managed control with one-click staging, Breeze caching, and 24/7 support.
Dokku Self-hosted mini Heroku on your own VPS | Cloudways Managed cloud hosting on your choice of provider | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 4.7 (251 reviews)✓ | 4.4 (513 reviews) |
| Pricing model | free | paid |
| Starting price | Free✓ | From €14/mo |
| Best for | Developers who want Heroku-style deployments at VPS pricing on infrastructure they own and control | Agency developers and freelancers who want managed hosting flexibility without paying Kinsta prices |
| Specifications (entry plan) | ||
| CPU cores | — | 1 vCPU |
| RAM | — | 1 GB |
| Storage | — | 25 GB |
| Bandwidth | — | 1 TB/mo |
| SLA uptime | — | 99.9% |
| Data-center count | — | 65 |
| €/vCPU/mo | — | €14.00 |
| €/GB RAM/mo | — | €14.00 |
| Features | ||
| IPv6 | ||
| DDoS protection | ✓ | |
| Automated backups | ✓ | |
| Snapshots | ||
| Managed option | ||
| Bare metal | ||
| GPU available | ||
| S3-compatible | ||
| Hourly billing | ||
| Free tier | ||
| Data-center locations | ||
| Regions | — | United StatesUnited KingdomGermanyNetherlandsSingaporeAustralia+1 |
| Tags | ||
| Tags | free tieropen sourceself hostable | managed optionddos protectionbackups includedeu datacenterus datacenterapac datacenter |
| Visit Dokku → | Visit Cloudways → | |
Dokku
Pros
- + Free and open source — just need a VPS
- + Heroku buildpack compatible
- + Full control over your data and costs
Cons
- - Self-managed — you handle updates and maintenance
- - Requires Linux server knowledge
Cloudways
Pros
- + Choose your underlying cloud provider
- + Excellent price-to-managed-value ratio
- + One-click staging environments
Cons
- - Adds markup on top of underlying provider cost
- - Less control than raw VPS for advanced users
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