head to head · open source
Dokku vs NocoBase
Dokku has 32,146 GitHub stars, 2,076 forks, 36 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. NocoBase has 24,256 stars, 2,876 forks, 307 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Dokku leads on adoption by 33% (32,146 vs 24,256 stars). Dokku is written in Shell under MIT; NocoBase is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence. Dokku has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, NocoBase 12%. NocoBase 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
| Dokku | NocoBase | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 32K | ★ 24K |
| License | MIT | Custom / other |
| Written in | Shell | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-16 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.1K | ⑂ 2.9K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Dokku if
- You weight community size — 32K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Shell
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick NocoBase if
- You want the NocoBase feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and NocoBase fits your workflow better
About Dokku
Dokku is a self hosted Platform as a Service (PaaS) that runs on a single server using Docker containers. It enables developers to deploy applications using familiar workflows like git push , mimicking the simplicity of Heroku while running entirely under the user’s control. Dokku lives in the DevOps and infrastructure automation ecosystem, targeting teams that want PaaS convenience without relying on cloud vendor lock in.
read the full Dokku overview →
About NocoBase
NocoBase is an open source AI plus no code platform, written in TypeScript, for teams and non developers who need to build and run internal business systems such as admin dashboards, CRM, and ERP tooling.
read the full NocoBase overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Dokku or NocoBase more popular?
Dokku has 32,146 GitHub stars and NocoBase has 24,256. Dokku has the larger community by that measure.
Are Dokku and NocoBase free?
Both are open source. Dokku is licensed under MIT, and NocoBase has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Dokku and NocoBase?
Dokku is written in Shell and NocoBase 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, Dokku or NocoBase?
Choose Dokku if you want the larger community (32,146 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose NocoBase if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.