Coolify vs Dokploy vs CapRover 2026

The self-host-your-own-PaaS trend is a direct reaction to Vercel, Netlify, and Heroku bills that scale faster than a side project's revenue. Point a $5 VPS at one of these open-source panels and you get git-push deploys, automatic TLS, and one-click databases for the cost of the box alone. The problem when you go looking for a comparison is that the search results are almost entirely hosting-vendor affiliate posts steering you toward whichever provider paid for the article. This one is neutral and dated instead. Every number below traces to an official source, read on 2026-07-17, and where a vendor page hid a figure behind JavaScript it is cross-checked against the vendor's own pricing page.

1. How are Coolify, Dokploy, and CapRover licensed and priced?

Platform	License	Self-host cost	Paid managed Cloud	Stars / since
Coolify	Apache-2.0[5]	Free (your VPS)[1]	Cloud from $5/mo (2 servers), +$3/mo per extra[2]	~58.8k / 2021[5]
Dokploy	Apache-2.0 core + source-available /proprietary carve-out[9]	Free (your VPS)[6]	Cloud from $4.50/mo per server; Startup from $15/mo[7]	~35.7k / 2024[6]
CapRover	Apache-2.0 with a custom appendix (GitHub: Other)[16]	Free (your VPS)[11]	None (no vendor-operated cloud)[11]	~15.1k / 2017[16]

"Free and open source" is true for all three, but the fine print is where a careful founder should look. Coolify is plain Apache-2.0^[5]. Dokploy licenses the bulk of its code under Apache-2.0 while reserving anything in a /proprietary directory under its own source-available license that requires a commercial agreement for production use, so it is open-core rather than fully open^[9]. CapRover ships an Apache-2.0 license with a custom appendix that forbids redistributing its paid or as-a-service features, which is why GitHub declines to classify it as clean Apache-2.0 and labels it Other^[16]. None of these will bite a solo founder self-hosting a normal app, but they explain why the projects are structured the way they are.

Only Coolify and Dokploy sell a paid managed Cloud, and it is worth understanding what you buy. In both cases the fee hosts the control panel (the UI, database, and management layer) so you do not run it yourself; you still bring your own servers and connect them over SSH, and you still pay your VPS provider for the machines your apps actually run on^[2][7]. Coolify Cloud starts at $5/mo covering two connected servers, with each additional server at $3/mo and roughly 20% off on annual billing^[2]. Dokploy Cloud starts at $4.50/mo per server on its Hobby plan, with a Startup plan from $15/mo and Enterprise or Agency plans by quote^[7]. CapRover has no such offering: you self-host it or you do not use it^[11].

2. What can each one build and deploy?

Build method	Coolify	Dokploy	CapRover
Nixpacks (auto-detect)	Yes[3]	Yes (default)[8]	No[12]
Dockerfile	Yes[3]	Yes[8]	Yes (via captain-definition)[12]
Docker Compose	Yes[3]	Yes[6]	Not a first-class build source[12]
Buildpacks (Heroku / CNB)	Not documented[3]	Yes (Heroku + Paketo)[8]	No[12]
Other	Railpack, static pack[3]	Railpack, static[8]	Template, pre-built image, CLI, tar, git[12]

This table is the clearest dividing line between the three. Dokploy has the widest build coverage: Nixpacks is its default, and it also supports Railpack (positioned as the Nixpacks successor), a plain Dockerfile, Buildpacks via both Heroku and Paketo, and static sites^[8]. Coolify covers Nixpacks, Dockerfile, Docker Compose, a static pack, and Railpack^[3]; Heroku or Cloud Native Buildpacks are not listed among its documented build packs, so treat that cell as unconfirmed rather than a yes. CapRover is deliberately narrower. It builds from a captain-definition file that references a Dockerfile, inline Dockerfile lines, a language template, or a pre-built image, and you deploy through the CLI, a tar upload, or a git webhook^[12]. There is no Nixpacks auto-detection and no Buildpacks path, which is the single biggest ergonomic gap versus the other two.

3. Databases, backups, and multi-server

Capability	Coolify	Dokploy	CapRover
One-click databases	PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, Redis and more[1]	PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, Redis, libsql[6]	PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis and more[13]
App library	280+ one-click services[1]	Open-source template marketplace[6]	Hundreds of community one-click apps[13]
Automated backups	To any S3-compatible store[1]	To S3-compatible stores, cron-scheduled[6]	Create Backup tar; images excluded[15]
Multi-server / cluster	Multiple servers + Docker Swarm[1]	Docker Swarm multi-node[6]	Docker Swarm cluster[14]

On the fundamentals the three are closer than the marketing suggests. All three deploy one-click databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, and Redis are present everywhere), all three can spread across more than one machine, and all three offer backups^{[1][6][13][14]}. The differences are in polish. Coolify advertises 280+ one-click services and automated backups to any S3-compatible target, restorable from the panel^[1]. Dokploy schedules database backups to S3-compatible destinations on a cron and clusters natively over Docker Swarm^[6]. CapRover's backup is a manual tar you download from the dashboard, and it deliberately excludes container images, so its docs recommend pairing it with a Docker Registry for a clean restore^[15]. That is a rougher backup story than the S3-native flows in the other two.

4. Maturity and the 2026 MCP angle

• CapRover is the oldest and most battle-tested. Its repo dates to 2017, the latest release v1.14.2 shipped 2026-05-14, and the code still received commits on 2026-07-17, though it cuts only a few tagged releases a year^[16]. Mature and maintained, just slow to change.
• Coolify has the largest community at roughly 58.8k stars. Its long-awaited v4.0.0 stable landed 2026-04-27 after a multi-year beta, and it now cuts frequent minors (v4.1.2 by 2026-06-04)^[5].
• Dokploy is the youngest, with its repo created in 2024 and still on a 0.x line (v0.29.x), shipping several releases a week^[6]. Fast-moving, but pre-1.0.

The genuinely new 2026 development is Model Context Protocol support, which lets an AI coding assistant talk to your PaaS directly. Coolify added a built-in, read-only MCP server in v4.1.0 on 2026-05-18: it exposes ten tools over Streamable HTTP and ships setup guides for Claude Code and Cursor, with write operations planned for a later release^[4][5]. Dokploy takes a different route, publishing a separate official MCP package under its own GitHub org that exposes its API endpoints as MCP tools over stdio and HTTP^[10]. CapRover has no official MCP server as of 2026-07-17; only unofficial community projects exist^[16]. One correction to the affiliate-blog telling of this: the MCP server arrived in Coolify's v4.1 minor, not in the v4.0.0 stable release, and no vendor here claims to be the first PaaS to ship one, so do not repeat that superlative.

5. What does it actually cost to run one?

Because the software is free, the real budget line is the VPS underneath, plus an optional managed-Cloud fee if you want someone else to host the control panel^[1][2][7]. A single small box handles a solo app comfortably: a 2 GB to 4 GB VPS is the practical floor for the panel plus a couple of services, which lands anywhere from a few euros a month on a European host to around $10 to $12 elsewhere. For the box itself, the cheapest sensible options are covered in cheapest VPS 2026.

The honest total-cost framing: on CapRover you pay only the VPS, forever^[11]. On Coolify or Dokploy you also pay only the VPS if you self-host the panel, and you add $5/mo or $4.50/mo per server respectively only if you choose the managed Cloud that runs the control plane for you^[2][7]. Compared with a metered platform such as Railway or Fly, that is a fixed, small, predictable number. To see the gap against a usage-billed host, read Railway vs Render vs Fly pricing, and fold the VPS line into your full monthly figure with the AI stack cost calculator.

6. Which should you pick?

• You want the widest features, the biggest community, and AI-agent access: Coolify. It has 280+ one-click services, S3-native backups, a built-in MCP server, and an optional $5/mo managed Cloud if you tire of self-hosting the panel^[1][2][4].
• You want native Docker Swarm multi-node and the broadest build support: Dokploy. Nixpacks by default, Buildpacks, Railpack, and Compose, plus the cheapest managed Cloud per server, if you can live with a fast-moving 0.x project^[6][7][8].
• You value stability and a small footprint and are happy writing Dockerfiles: CapRover. The oldest and most proven of the three, entirely free with no vendor cloud, at the cost of no Nixpacks and a rougher backup flow^[11][12][15].
• You want an AI assistant to manage deploys: Coolify or Dokploy, since both ship an official MCP server and CapRover does not^[4][10][16].

Re-check each project's own page before committing, because two of the three move quickly: Dokploy ships several releases a week and Coolify cuts frequent minors, so specifics like the MCP tool count or a Cloud price can shift between now and your install^[5][6]. Whichever you choose, the strategic point holds: all three trade a growing metered bill for a fixed VPS cost you control. Size that box with the AI stack cost calculator.

All facts verified against official sites, docs, and the GitHub API on 2026-07-17. Version numbers, star counts, and release dates were read from the GitHub API; Cloud prices were read from each vendor's own pricing page. Star counts are approximate and change daily.

Frequently asked questions

Is Coolify, Dokploy, or CapRover actually free?

All three are free to run yourself. You install them on a server you already pay for, so the only unavoidable cost is the VPS underneath, not the PaaS. The license fine print differs, though. Coolify is plain Apache-2.0. Dokploy is Apache-2.0 for the bulk of its code, with a source-available carve-out for anything under a /proprietary directory that needs a commercial agreement for production use. CapRover is Apache-2.0 with a custom appendix that restricts redistributing its paid or as-a-service features, which is why GitHub labels its license Other rather than a clean Apache-2.0. Only Coolify and Dokploy sell an optional paid managed Cloud that hosts the control panel for you: Coolify Cloud starts at $5/mo for two servers, Dokploy Cloud at $4.50/mo per server. CapRover has no vendor-operated cloud. All figures accessed 2026-07-17.

Which self-hosted PaaS is best for zero-config git-push deploys?

Coolify and Dokploy, because both auto-detect your stack with Nixpacks and build an image without you writing a Dockerfile. Dokploy uses Nixpacks as its default build type and also supports Railpack, Buildpacks (Heroku and Paketo), a plain Dockerfile, and static sites. Coolify offers Nixpacks, Dockerfile, Docker Compose, a static pack, and Railpack. CapRover is the outlier: it builds from a captain-definition file that points at a Dockerfile, an inline Dockerfile, a language template, or a pre-built image, with no Nixpacks and no Buildpacks. If you are comfortable maintaining a Dockerfile, CapRover is fine. If you want to push a repo and have the platform figure out the build, pick Coolify or Dokploy.

Do any of these have an MCP server for AI agents in 2026?

Yes, two of the three do, which is the fresh development in this category. Coolify shipped a built-in, read-only MCP (Model Context Protocol) server in v4.1.0 on 2026-05-18, exposing ten tools over Streamable HTTP so assistants like Claude Code and Cursor can query your infrastructure, with write operations planned for later. Dokploy publishes a separate official MCP package under its own GitHub org that exposes its API endpoints as MCP tools over stdio and HTTP. CapRover has no official MCP server as of 2026-07-17; only unofficial community projects exist. Note that Coolify added MCP in the v4.1 minor, not in the v4.0.0 stable release from 2026-04-27, and neither vendor claims to be the first PaaS to ship one.

Is CapRover still maintained in 2026?

Yes. CapRover is the oldest of the three, with its repository created in 2017, and it is still actively developed: the codebase received commits on the day this was accessed, 2026-07-17, and the latest tagged release, v1.14.2, landed on 2026-05-14. The nuance is release cadence, not abandonment. CapRover ships only a few tagged releases per year, where Dokploy pushes several a week and Coolify cuts frequent minors. If you read maturity as battle-tested stability and a small resource footprint, CapRover scores well. If you read it as a fast stream of new features, Coolify and Dokploy move faster.