How do I self-host Dokku?

Dokku can be deployed using Docker Compose. The AltStack provides a production-ready configuration that you can deploy on your own server. Simply copy the configuration and run it on any machine with Docker installed.

Is Dokku free to self-host?

Yes, Dokku is open source under the MIT and free to self-host. Your only costs are the server infrastructure. A basic cloud VPS starts at around $5-10/month.

What programming language is Dokku built with?

Dokku is built with Go. It has 32,179 stars on GitHub, indicating strong community adoption and support.

Back to Self-Hosted Stacks

Deploy Dokku

A docker-powered PaaS that helps you build and manage the lifecycle of applications

Quick Start

Create a directory

mkdir dokku-self-hosted && cd dokku-self-hosted

Create config file

Copy the content from the Config tab below into a file named docker-compose.yml

Deploy

docker compose up -d

Fast Track

Deploy Dokku in Minutes

Use our optimized Docker templates to deploy Dokku on any cloud provider. Get $200 in free credit to start on DigitalOcean.

Start with free creditDeploy on DigitalOcean

$200

Metadata

License

MIT

Language

Last Updated

10/13/2026

Configuration

yaml

services:
  dokku:
    image: dokku/dokku:latest
    container_name: dokku
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "80:80"
      - "443:443"
      - "22:22"
    volumes:
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
      - dokku_data:/mnt/dokku
    environment:
      - DOKKU_HOSTNAME=localhost
      - DOKKU_HOST_ROOT=/mnt/dokku/home/dokku

volumes:
  dokku_data:

Community Notes

Help others by adding context, corrections, or warnings about this tool. Sign in to contribute.

No community notes yet. Be the first to add context.