Heroku vs Dokku
Side-by-side feature comparison and pricing breakdown.
Git Push Deploy Identical workflow: git push to deploy
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Heroku Buildpacks Dokku uses actual Heroku buildpacks
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Plugin Ecosystem Dokku has plugins for databases, caching, etc.
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Automatic SSL Dokku uses Let's Encrypt for free SSL
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Multi-Server Scaling Dokku is single-server only
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Web Dashboard Dokku is CLI-only by default
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Free Tier Heroku eliminated free tier; Dokku is free forever
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Docker Support Dokku is Docker-native
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Pricing
$5/mo
Free Open Source
Save 100% — Save $5-50+/mo per app (Dokku runs on a $5/mo VPS)
Verdict
Dokku is the original self-hosted Heroku alternative and still the simplest. It uses Heroku buildpacks directly, so migration is nearly seamless. For single-server deployments, Dokku on a $5/mo VPS replaces hundreds in Heroku costs.
Best for: Developers who want the exact Heroku git-push workflow on their own server with Heroku buildpack compatibility
Last updated: 2026-03-01