head to head · open source
Appwrite vs Dokku
Appwrite has 57,854 GitHub stars, 5,830 forks, 1,008 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Dokku has 32,222 stars, 2,098 forks, 36 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Appwrite leads on adoption by 80% (57,854 vs 32,222 stars). Appwrite is written in TypeScript under BSD-3-Clause; Dokku is written in Go under MIT. Appwrite has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, Dokku 7%. Appwrite was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (docker), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Appwrite | Dokku | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 58K | ★ 32K |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | Go |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.8K | ⑂ 2.1K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Appwrite if
- You weight community size — 58K stars and counting
- You want the BSD-3-Clause license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Dokku if
- You want the Dokku feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You evaluated both and Dokku fits your workflow better
About Appwrite
Appwrite Appwrite is an open source, all in one development platform. Use built in backend infrastructure and web hosting, all from a single place. English 简体中文 Appwrite is an open source development platform for building web, mobile, and AI applications. It brings together backend infrastructure and web hosting in one place, so teams can build, ship, and scale without stitching together a fragmented stack. Appwrite is available as a managed cloud platform and can also be self hosted on infrastructure you control. With Appwrite, you can add authentication, databases, storage, functions, messaging, realtime…
read the full Appwrite overview →
About Dokku
Dokku Docker powered mini Heroku. The smallest PaaS implementation you've ever seen. Sponsors Become a sponsor and get your logo on our README on GitHub with a link to your site. [Become a sponsor] Backers Support us with a monthly donation and help us continue our activities. [Become a backer] [ ](
read the full Dokku overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Appwrite or Dokku more popular?
Appwrite has 57,854 GitHub stars and Dokku has 32,222. Appwrite has the larger community by that measure.
Are Appwrite and Dokku free?
Both are open source. Appwrite is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and Dokku under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Appwrite and Dokku?
Appwrite is written in TypeScript and Dokku in Go. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Appwrite or Dokku?
Choose Appwrite if you want the larger community (57,854 stars) or its BSD-3-Clause licence terms. Choose Dokku if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.