MapleDeploy vs Dokku
Dokku gives you a PaaS on the command line. MapleDeploy runs a dashboard and the server for you.
Dokku is a free, open-source PaaS that you install on your own server. It calls itself a Docker-powered mini-Heroku: you push your code with git, and Dokku builds it and runs it in containers. MapleDeploy is managed Coolify with the server included: a dedicated Toronto VM with your own Coolify instance and its web dashboard, both looked after for you. This page covers what each one leaves to you, what it costs, and where your apps run.
Side by side
What you get
- Dokku
- Free software you install on your own server
- MapleDeploy
- Dedicated VM with your own Coolify instance
Server
- Dokku
- Bring your own, set up and run by you
- MapleDeploy
- Included, patched and hardened for you
Interface
- Dokku
- Command line over SSH; web UI in paid Dokku Pro
- MapleDeploy
- Coolify web dashboard
Deploys
- Dokku
- Git push, Docker image, or tar and zip archives
- MapleDeploy
- Git push or container image, through Coolify
Builds
- Dokku
- Heroku-style buildpacks, Cloud Native Buildpacks, Dockerfile, Nixpacks, Railpack
- MapleDeploy
- Coolify build packs, including Nixpacks, Dockerfile and Docker Compose
Databases and HTTPS
- Dokku
- Official plugins you install, such as Postgres, Redis and Let's Encrypt
- MapleDeploy
- One-click databases and services, with automatic HTTPS
App location
- Dokku
- Wherever your server is
- MapleDeploy
- Toronto, Canada
Pricing
- Dokku
- Free, plus your server; paid Dokku Pro add-on
- MapleDeploy
- From $45 CAD/mo, server included
When Dokku is the right choice
Dokku is a mature, actively maintained project. Its repository dates from 2013, it is MIT licensed, and it shipped several releases in October 2026.
It suits developers who like Heroku's workflow and the command line. You git push to your server and Dokku builds your app with Heroku-style buildpacks, Cloud Native Buildpacks, a Dockerfile, Nixpacks or Railpack. Official plugins add databases such as Postgres, MySQL and Redis, and Let's Encrypt certificates. Dokku can also schedule apps with K3s, or with Nomad through a plugin, if you outgrow one server.
If you already run servers and want a small, scriptable PaaS on top, Dokku on a VPS is hard to beat on cost.
What running Dokku leaves to you
Dokku runs on a server you provide. Its installation guide supports Ubuntu 22.04, 24.04 and 26.04 and Debian 11 or later, asks for at least 1 GB of memory, and has you set up SSH keys and, ideally, a domain. The operating system, its updates and Dokku's own upgrades are yours to run.
Day to day, you work over SSH. Creating an app, adding a database or turning on HTTPS is a command you run over SSH, and databases and Let's Encrypt are plugins you install first. A web interface is available as Dokku Pro, a paid add-on. Our guide to self-hosting Coolify vs managed Coolify walks through what running the server involves, and it's much the same whichever PaaS sits on top.
What MapleDeploy handles
MapleDeploy runs the server and the Coolify instance together. You get a dedicated VM in Toronto, ready in minutes, and you deploy through the Coolify dashboard.
- Security hardening. SSH key authentication, fail2ban, outbound SMTP blocking, and automatic security patches, applied before you first log in.
- OS patches. Operating system updates and kernel patches are applied for you. When a kernel update needs a reboot, it happens in a fixed 07:50 UTC window.
- Coolify itself. We run a public fork of Coolify that we rebase regularly against upstream. Changes are limited to Canadian branding and MapleDeploy integrations.
- Snapshots. Weekly full-server snapshots covering the OS, Coolify, containers, volumes and databases.
Snapshots are disaster recovery, not granular restores. For production databases, you should still set up Coolify's S3 database backups on a daily schedule.
Comparing the cost
Dokku itself is free. Your costs are the server you install it on and the time you spend keeping it patched, upgraded and running. Dokku Pro, the paid web interface, is sold as a one-time lifetime licence covering one production server and two pre-production servers.
MapleDeploy starts at $45 CAD/month for a dedicated VM with 4 GB RAM, 2 vCPUs and 35 GB of storage. The server, Coolify, patches and snapshots are in that price, with no per-project or usage fees. Starter and Pro include a 30-day free trial.
If you enjoy running servers, Dokku plus a VPS will usually cost less. If you'd rather not, the difference buys back the evenings.
Where your apps run
A Dokku server runs wherever you put it, so where your data is hosted, and under which company's jurisdiction, depends on the provider you choose.
Your apps on MapleDeploy are hosted in Toronto, under Canadian jurisdiction, on infrastructure built for PIPEDA compliance, on every plan.
Try it free for 30 days
Start with $0 due today. Your first charge comes after the trial. One flat price, with the server included.
Ready to hand off the server too?
Coolify on a dedicated Toronto VM, patched and backed up for you.