head to head · open source
kubernetes vs Dokploy
kubernetes has 127,843 GitHub stars, 44,692 forks, 3,072 open issues and last shipped today. Dokploy has 37,387 stars, 2,983 forks, 668 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. kubernetes leads on adoption by 242% (127,843 vs 37,387 stars). kubernetes is written in Go under Apache-2.0; Dokploy is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence. kubernetes has attracted 35% as many forks as stars, Dokploy 8%. kubernetes was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
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
| kubernetes | Dokploy | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 128K | ★ 37K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Custom / other |
| Written in | Go | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-20 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 45K | ⑂ 3.0K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick kubernetes if
- You weight community size — 128K 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 kubernetes
Kubernetes (K8s) is an open source, Apache 2.0 licensed system for managing containerized applications across multiple hosts, hosted by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation and aimed at teams who deploy, maintain and scale container packaged and microservices oriented workloads in production.
read the full kubernetes 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 kubernetes or Dokploy more popular?
kubernetes has 127,843 GitHub stars and Dokploy has 37,387. kubernetes has the larger community by that measure.
Are kubernetes and Dokploy free?
Both are open source. kubernetes 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 kubernetes and Dokploy?
kubernetes 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, kubernetes or Dokploy?
Choose kubernetes if you want the larger community (127,843 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.