head to head · open source
parcel vs Dokku
parcel has 44,025 GitHub stars, 2,284 forks, 606 open issues and last shipped 12 days ago. Dokku has 32,146 stars, 2,076 forks, 36 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. parcel leads on adoption by 37% (44,025 vs 32,146 stars). parcel is written in JavaScript under MIT; Dokku is written in Shell under MIT. parcel has attracted 5% as many forks as stars, Dokku 6%. 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 | Shell |
| Last push | 2026-09-06 | 2026-09-16 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.3K | ⑂ 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 Shell
- You evaluated both and Dokku fits your workflow better
About parcel
Parcel is a zero configuration build tool for the web, distributed as the parcel package on npm and licensed under MIT. It lives in the JavaScript ecosystem and is written primarily in JavaScript, with its JavaScript compiler implemented in Rust for native performance. The project has been developed for roughly nine years, carries more than 44,000 stars and over 2,200 forks on GitHub, and its documentation is hosted at parceljs.org.
read the full parcel overview →
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 →
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Frequently asked questions
Is parcel or Dokku more popular?
parcel has 44,025 GitHub stars and Dokku has 32,146. 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 Shell. 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 (44,025 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Dokku if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.