head to head · open source
Docker vs Dokploy
Docker has 72,113 GitHub stars, 19,233 forks, 3,902 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Dokploy has 37,387 stars, 2,983 forks, 668 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Docker leads on adoption by 93% (72,113 vs 37,387 stars). Docker is written in Go under Apache-2.0; Dokploy is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence. Docker has attracted 27% as many forks as stars, Dokploy 8%. Docker 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
| Docker | Dokploy | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 72K | ★ 37K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Custom / other |
| Written in | Go | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-19 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 19K | ⑂ 3.0K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Docker if
- You weight community size — 72K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Dokploy if
- You want the Dokploy feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Dokploy fits your workflow better
About Docker
Docker, published here as the Moby Project, is the open source collection of container toolkit components and the framework for assembling them into custom container based systems, built for engineers, integrators and enthusiasts who want to modify, hack and build on container code rather than buy a commercially supported product.
read the full Docker overview →
About Dokploy
Dokploy is a free, self hostable Platform as a Service, written in TypeScript, that simplifies the deployment and management of applications and databases on a VPS — aimed at developers and teams who want Vercel style deployment workflows while keeping the servers and the data under their own control.
read the full Dokploy overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Docker or Dokploy more popular?
Docker has 72,113 GitHub stars and Dokploy has 37,387. Docker has the larger community by that measure.
Are Docker and Dokploy free?
Both are open source. Docker is licensed under Apache-2.0, and Dokploy has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Docker and Dokploy?
Docker is written in Go and Dokploy in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Docker or Dokploy?
Choose Docker if you want the larger community (72,113 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Dokploy if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.