Self-host CapRover

updated Jul 2026deployed & timed by usprices checked · Aug 2026Install verified on Ubuntu 26.04 · Jul 2026 · how we test

A free, open-source PaaS that turns any Docker Swarm server into a one-click app deployment platform, with a built-in reverse proxy, free SSL, and a one-click app marketplace.

Heroku / yr$300

Self-hosted / yr~$55

You keep$245/yr

Pocket the difference — spin it up on a cheap VPS in minutes.Start free on Kamatera →

Key facts

CategoryPlatform-as-a-Service

LicenseApache-2.0

StackTypeScript, Node.js

Min RAM1024 MB

Dockeryes

Difficulty

Our recommendation

Pick CapRover when you want the fastest path from fresh VPS to "my app is live" — a one-command install, a web dashboard, a one-click app store, and a CLI, all on Docker Swarm. It's the most approachable of the self-hosted PaaS options; if you want a more modern UI or Git-native previews, Coolify and Dokploy are the newer takes.

What you need

Any VPS with at least 1024 MB of RAM
A domain you control — most self-hosted setups need HTTPS in front of them
Under an hour if you've used Docker before

Install

Run these commands on your server:

# CapRover — official Docker Swarm install (ports 80/443/3000 are fixed)
docker run -p 80:80 -p 443:443 -p 3000:3000 -e ACCEPTED_TERMS=true \
  -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock -v /captain:/captain caprover/caprover
# then open http://SERVER_IP:3000 (default password: captain42)

vps picksBest VPS for self-hostingbenchmarked quarterly · re-priced monthly

What you take on

CapRover is the easy on-ramp, but a few setup realities are worth knowing before you commit:

non-negotiableWildcard DNS up front. CapRover wants a wildcard domain (*.apps.example.com) pointed at the box before its HTTPS and subdomain routing work smoothly — sort DNS first.

non-negotiableSwarm and a mature architecture. It runs on Docker Swarm and its stack is proven rather than cutting-edge; that's stability, but also fewer of the modern niceties.

non-negotiableBack up the CapRover host. Its configuration and app definitions live on the server — snapshot them, because rebuilding a dozen one-click apps by hand is nobody's afternoon.

An alternative to

Heroku →

Head-to-head

PaaSAug 2026

CapRover

Dokku

Heroku on one box: the CLI purist vs. the dashboard.

Read the verdict →

More self-hosted tools

Platform-as-a-Service