head to head · open source
kubernetes vs Dokploy
kubernetes has 128,660 GitHub stars, 45,728 forks, 3,072 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Dokploy has 38,229 stars, 3,145 forks, 668 open issues and last shipped yesterday. kubernetes leads on adoption by 237% (128,660 vs 38,229 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 36% as many forks as stars, Dokploy 8%. Dokploy 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 | ★ 129K | ★ 38K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Custom / other |
| Written in | Go | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-04 | 2026-11-04 |
| Forks | ⑂ 46K | ⑂ 3.1K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick kubernetes if
- You weight community size — 129K 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) Kubernetes, also known as K8s, is an open source system for managing [containerized applications] across multiple hosts. It provides basic mechanisms for the deployment, maintenance, and scaling of applications. Kubernetes builds upon a decade and a half of experience at Google running production workloads at scale using a system called [Borg], combined with best of breed ideas and practices from the community. Kubernetes is hosted by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation ([CNCF]). If your company wants to help shape the evolution of technologies that are container packaged, dynamically…
read the full kubernetes 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 kubernetes or Dokploy more popular?
kubernetes has 128,660 GitHub stars and Dokploy has 38,229. 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 (128,660 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.