Application hosting

Hosting Dokku

Dokku is an open-source, single-server application platform. It accepts Git deployments built with supported buildpacks or Dockerfiles and routes web processes through its host configuration. Project requirements differ by scheduler; the official guide gives a Docker-scheduler memory starting point and a separate K3s figure.

Min vCPU
Depends on workload
Min memory
Depends on workload
Min storage
Depends on workload

Must have

Hard prerequisites

  • The documented Docker scheduler starts at 1 GB system memory, or swap; the K3s scheduler guide specifies 2 GB on every cluster node.

Recommended

Documented guidance

No further general recommendations are published for this version.

Capacity depends on your workload

The project publishes scheduler-specific memory starting points, not a universal production size. Build activity, app count, databases, and traffic add to host requirements.

We only compare what providers publish. A RAM figure alone can't confirm compatibility or production capacity.

Deploy with

Supported paths

  • Git push using Cloud Native Buildpacks or Herokuish Buildpack
  • Git deployment with a Dockerfile
  • Docker image deployment

The host must provide

Runtime

Operating system
Ubuntu 22.04, 24.04, 26.04 or Debian 11+ on x64 are listed in the current guide
Architecture
AMD64 or ARM64
Scheduler
Docker scheduler or K3s scheduler; their documented memory starting points differ
Host access
Administrative access is required to install and manage the single-server platform

Storage

Persistent data

Reserve persistent disk for Dokku, build images, deployed app images, logs, and any plugins or data services. The cited installation page gives no universal disk minimum; measure image and database growth and arrange backups separately.

Step by step

A first Dokku deployment

  1. Check the host

    Use a listed operating system and architecture, select the scheduler, and leave room beyond the scheduler starting memory for builds and running applications.

    Official instructions
  2. Create the application

    Create an app on the Dokku host, then connect a Git remote. Dokku can build supported repositories with buildpacks or a Dockerfile.

    Official instructions
  3. Deploy and review routing

    Push the intended branch to the app remote. Configure its domain, ports, and TLS for the application before sending public traffic.

    Official instructions

Security

Before you go public

  • Treat the Dokku host as an administrative control plane; restrict SSH and Dokku command access to trusted operators.
  • Review plugin provenance and permissions before installation.
  • Back up application configuration and persistent data services independently of deployable images.

Cost

Beyond the server price

  • Dokku is open source; the operator supplies and pays for the server, storage, bandwidth, domains, backups, and any paid third-party services.
  • The documented scheduler memory values are not a complete production capacity recommendation.

Matching plans

Plans with published evidence

DigitalOcean

CPU-Optimized Regular Droplet · 2 vCPU / 4 GiB

2vCPU
4 GiBRAM
25 GiBStorage
4 TBTransfer
  • Dedicated CPU
  • SSD
Compatibility unclear from published plan data

Meeting documented runtime prerequisites does not prove production capacity. Traffic, workloads, software configuration, and shared host limits are not measured here.

  • The documented Docker scheduler starts at 1 GB system memory, or swap; the K3s scheduler guide specifies 2 GB on every cluster node.This prerequisite has no comparable published plan field.
DigitalOcean

General Purpose Droplet · 2 Dedicated vCPU / 8 GB

2vCPU
8 GBRAM
25 GBStorage
4 TBTransfer
  • Dedicated vCPU (100% allocatio...
  • NVMe SSD
Compatibility unclear from published plan data

Meeting documented runtime prerequisites does not prove production capacity. Traffic, workloads, software configuration, and shared host limits are not measured here.

  • The documented Docker scheduler starts at 1 GB system memory, or swap; the K3s scheduler guide specifies 2 GB on every cluster node.This prerequisite has no comparable published plan field.
Google Cloud

Compute Engine e2-medium · 2 vCPU / 4 GB

2vCPU
4 GBRAM
—Storage
—Transfer
  • Shared vCPU (1.00 sustained)
  • Persistent Disk (billed separa...
Compatibility unclear from published plan data

Meeting documented runtime prerequisites does not prove production capacity. Traffic, workloads, software configuration, and shared host limits are not measured here.

  • The documented Docker scheduler starts at 1 GB system memory, or swap; the K3s scheduler guide specifies 2 GB on every cluster node.This prerequisite has no comparable published plan field.
Google Cloud

Compute Engine e2-small · 2 vCPU / 2 GB

2vCPU
2 GBRAM
—Storage
—Transfer
  • Shared vCPU (0.50 sustained)
  • Persistent Disk (billed separa...
Compatibility unclear from published plan data

Meeting documented runtime prerequisites does not prove production capacity. Traffic, workloads, software configuration, and shared host limits are not measured here.

  • The documented Docker scheduler starts at 1 GB system memory, or swap; the K3s scheduler guide specifies 2 GB on every cluster node.This prerequisite has no comparable published plan field.
Hetzner Cloud

Hetzner Cloud CCX13 (Germany and Finland)

2vCPU
8 GBRAM
80 GBStorage
20 TBTransfer
  • Dedicated AMD vCPU
  • NVMe SSD
Compatibility unclear from published plan data

Meeting documented runtime prerequisites does not prove production capacity. Traffic, workloads, software configuration, and shared host limits are not measured here.

  • The documented Docker scheduler starts at 1 GB system memory, or swap; the K3s scheduler guide specifies 2 GB on every cluster node.This prerequisite has no comparable published plan field.
Hetzner Cloud

Hetzner Cloud CCX23 (Germany and Finland)

4vCPU
16 GBRAM
160 GBStorage
20 TBTransfer
  • Dedicated AMD vCPU
  • NVMe SSD
Compatibility unclear from published plan data

Meeting documented runtime prerequisites does not prove production capacity. Traffic, workloads, software configuration, and shared host limits are not measured here.

  • The documented Docker scheduler starts at 1 GB system memory, or swap; the K3s scheduler guide specifies 2 GB on every cluster node.This prerequisite has no comparable published plan field.
Hetzner Cloud

Hetzner Cloud CCX33 (Germany and Finland)

8vCPU
32 GBRAM
240 GBStorage
30 TBTransfer
  • Dedicated AMD vCPU
  • NVMe SSD
Compatibility unclear from published plan data

Meeting documented runtime prerequisites does not prove production capacity. Traffic, workloads, software configuration, and shared host limits are not measured here.

  • The documented Docker scheduler starts at 1 GB system memory, or swap; the K3s scheduler guide specifies 2 GB on every cluster node.This prerequisite has no comparable published plan field.
Hetzner Cloud

Hetzner Cloud CCX43 (Germany and Finland)

16vCPU
64 GBRAM
360 GBStorage
40 TBTransfer
  • Dedicated AMD vCPU
  • NVMe SSD
Compatibility unclear from published plan data

Meeting documented runtime prerequisites does not prove production capacity. Traffic, workloads, software configuration, and shared host limits are not measured here.

  • The documented Docker scheduler starts at 1 GB system memory, or swap; the K3s scheduler guide specifies 2 GB on every cluster node.This prerequisite has no comparable published plan field.
Hetzner Cloud

Hetzner Cloud CCX53 (Germany and Finland)

32vCPU
128 GBRAM
600 GBStorage
50 TBTransfer
  • Dedicated AMD vCPU
  • NVMe SSD
Compatibility unclear from published plan data

Meeting documented runtime prerequisites does not prove production capacity. Traffic, workloads, software configuration, and shared host limits are not measured here.

  • The documented Docker scheduler starts at 1 GB system memory, or swap; the K3s scheduler guide specifies 2 GB on every cluster node.This prerequisite has no comparable published plan field.
Hetzner Cloud

Hetzner Cloud CCX63 (Germany and Finland)

48vCPU
192 GBRAM
960 GBStorage
60 TBTransfer
  • Dedicated AMD vCPU
  • NVMe SSD
Compatibility unclear from published plan data

Meeting documented runtime prerequisites does not prove production capacity. Traffic, workloads, software configuration, and shared host limits are not measured here.

  • The documented Docker scheduler starts at 1 GB system memory, or swap; the K3s scheduler guide specifies 2 GB on every cluster node.This prerequisite has no comparable published plan field.
Hetzner Cloud

Hetzner Cloud CPX11 (US locations)

2vCPU
2 GBRAM
40 GBStorage
1 TBTransfer
  • Shared AMD vCPU
  • NVMe SSD
Compatibility unclear from published plan data

Meeting documented runtime prerequisites does not prove production capacity. Traffic, workloads, software configuration, and shared host limits are not measured here.

  • The documented Docker scheduler starts at 1 GB system memory, or swap; the K3s scheduler guide specifies 2 GB on every cluster node.This prerequisite has no comparable published plan field.
Hetzner Cloud

Hetzner Cloud CPX12 (Germany and Finland)

1vCPU
2 GBRAM
40 GBStorage
20 TBTransfer
  • Shared AMD vCPU
  • NVMe SSD
Compatibility unclear from published plan data

Meeting documented runtime prerequisites does not prove production capacity. Traffic, workloads, software configuration, and shared host limits are not measured here.

  • The documented Docker scheduler starts at 1 GB system memory, or swap; the K3s scheduler guide specifies 2 GB on every cluster node.This prerequisite has no comparable published plan field.

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