head to head · open source
parcel vs Dokku
parcel has 44,008 GitHub stars, 2,425 forks, 606 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Dokku has 32,222 stars, 2,098 forks, 36 open issues and last shipped yesterday. parcel leads on adoption by 37% (44,008 vs 32,222 stars). parcel is written in JavaScript under MIT; Dokku is written in Go under MIT. parcel has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, Dokku 7%. Dokku 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
| parcel | Dokku | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 44K | ★ 32K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | JavaScript | Go |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.4K | ⑂ 2.1K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick parcel if
- You weight community size — 44K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Dokku if
- You want the Dokku feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You evaluated both and Dokku fits your workflow better
About parcel
Parcel is a zero configuration build tool for the web. It combines a great out of the box development experience with a scalable architecture that can take your project from just getting started to massive production application. Features 😍 Zero config – Parcel supports many languages and file types out of the box, from web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, to assets like images, fonts, videos, and more. It has a built in dev server with hot reloading, beautiful error diagnostics, and much more. No configuration needed! ⚡️ Lightning fast – Parcel's JavaScript compiler is written in Rust for native…
read the full parcel overview →
About Dokku
Dokku Docker powered mini Heroku. The smallest PaaS implementation you've ever seen. Sponsors Become a sponsor and get your logo on our README on GitHub with a link to your site. [Become a sponsor] Backers Support us with a monthly donation and help us continue our activities. [Become a backer] [ ](
read the full Dokku overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is parcel or Dokku more popular?
parcel has 44,008 GitHub stars and Dokku has 32,222. parcel has the larger community by that measure.
Are parcel and Dokku free?
Both are open source. parcel is licensed under MIT and Dokku under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between parcel and Dokku?
parcel is written in JavaScript and Dokku in Go. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, parcel or Dokku?
Choose parcel if you want the larger community (44,008 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Dokku if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.