Dokku

Run your own Heroku on any VPS with Dokku. Set up git-push deployments, manage apps and Docker-based buildpacks, provision Postgres/Redis plugins, wire Let's Encrypt TLS, and scale processes — all without Kubernetes.

This skill helps you self-host apps with Dokku, the minimalist PaaS. It installs Dokku on a VPS, creates apps deployed via git push or Dockerfile/buildpacks, attaches datastore plugins (Postgres, Redis, MySQL), configures domains and automatic Let's Encrypt certificates, sets environment variables and config, scales web and worker processes, and manages zero-downtime deploys. It also covers backups, the Docker options plugin, and troubleshooting failed builds.

When to use

Use when self-hosting apps with Dokku — git-push or Dockerfile deploys, datastore plugins, domains and Let's Encrypt TLS, config vars, process scaling, or running a PaaS on your own VPS.

Examples

Deploy an app with Postgres

git push to production

Show the Dokku commands to create an app, provision and link a Postgres database plugin, set env vars, and deploy it via git push with a custom domain

Automatic HTTPS

Let's Encrypt certificates

Configure the Dokku letsencrypt plugin to issue and auto-renew a TLS certificate for my app's domain, and force HTTPS redirects