Docker Enginevsdokku
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Docker Engine | dokku | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 80/100 | 77/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 11 in Container Orchestration | #3 of 14 in Platform as a Service |
| GitHub stars | 72 218 | 32 204 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +86 | +50 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 17 | 23 |
| Latest release | docker-v29.9.2 · 20 Oct 2026 | v0.38.32 · 25 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | No | No |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Go | Go |
Which one should you pick?
Docker Engine scores 80/100 against 77/100 for dokku, so it is the safer default.
dokku ships more often: 23 stable releases in the past year, against 17 for Docker Engine.
If you want the quickest setup, dokku is easier to run; Docker Engine needs more configuration.
Docker Engine details →dokku details →
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