head to head · open source
Docker vs Dokploy
Docker has 72,241 GitHub stars, 19,301 forks, 3,902 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Dokploy has 38,240 stars, 3,149 forks, 668 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Docker leads on adoption by 89% (72,241 vs 38,240 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 | ★ 38K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Custom / other |
| Written in | Go | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-05 | 2026-11-04 |
| Forks | ⑂ 19K | ⑂ 3.1K |
| 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
The Moby Project ================ Moby is an open source project created by Docker to enable and accelerate software containerization. It provides a "Lego set" of toolkit components, the framework for assembling them into custom container based systems, and a place for all container enthusiasts and professionals to experiment and exchange ideas. Components include container build tools, a container registry, orchestration tools, a runtime and more, and these can be used as building blocks in conjunction with other tools and projects. Principles Moby is an open project guided by strong principles, aiming to be…
read the full Docker overview →
About Dokploy
Join us on Discord for help, feedback, and discussions! Dokploy is a free, self hostable Platform as a Service (PaaS) that simplifies the deployment and management of applications and databases. ✨ Features Dokploy includes multiple features to make your life easier. Applications : Deploy any type of application (Node.js, PHP, Python, Go, Ruby, etc.). Databases : Create and manage databases with support for MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, MariaDB, libsql, and Redis. Backups : Automate backups for databases to an external storage destination. Docker Compose : Native support for Docker Compose to manage complex…
read the full Dokploy overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Docker or Dokploy more popular?
Docker has 72,241 GitHub stars and Dokploy has 38,240. 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 (72,241 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.