AppCrane vs Dokploy
Shopping for a self-hosted Dokploy alternative? Dokploy and AppCrane are close cousins — both are open-source, Docker-based platforms you run on your own server. Dokploy is a well-liked Heroku-style PaaS with ~30k GitHub stars, Docker Swarm multi-node support, buildpacks, and an official MCP server. The catch: that MCP is an add-on to a human-first product. AppCrane is agent-first by design — the MCP tools are how you drive it — and it layers on enterprise SSO, RBAC, per-user audit, and a secret hard-wall.
| AppCrane | Dokploy | |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting model | Self-hosted, 1 box | Self-hosted |
| Data ownership | Yours entirely | Yours entirely |
| MCP that can deploy | ✓ built in | ✓ separate official package |
| Enterprise SSO (SAML/OIDC/SCIM) | ✓ in the open-source build | ~ Enterprise licence |
| RBAC + per-user audit | ✓ agent or human tagged | ~ Enterprise licence |
| Secret hard-wall (operator can't read) | ✓ | Not documented |
| Docker container isolation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sandbox + production envs | ✓ | ~ |
| Heroku-style buildpacks | ~ Nixpacks | ✓ |
| Multi-node (Docker Swarm) | ✗ single box | ✓ |
| Whole-system + scheduled S3 backup | ✓ | ~ |
| Open source / license | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Pricing model | Flat — your server | Free — your server |
| No vendor lock-in | ✓ | ✓ |
Pick Dokploy if…
Dokploy is a genuinely good PaaS and wins in a few real places. Choose it when these matter most.
You want Swarm + buildpacks + community
- Docker Swarm multi-node clustering when you outgrow a single server.
- Heroku-style buildpacks for zero-config language detection.
- ~30k GitHub stars and a large, active community.
- A mature human-first dashboard your team already knows how to click.
Pick AppCrane if…
AppCrane is the self-hosted Dokploy alternative for teams that want the agent in the driver's seat and enterprise governance baked in — not an MCP bolted onto a human UI.
Agent-first, not agent add-on
The 74 appcrane_* MCP tools (npx appcrane-mcp) are the primary interface. Dokploy has an official MCP server too, but it wraps a product designed for humans; AppCrane is designed around the agent from the start.
Enterprise SSO, RBAC and audit
SAML/OIDC/SCIM, four-role RBAC, and per-user token-bound audit ship in the box. Dokploy sells its SSO, SCIM, custom roles and audit logs as Enterprise features behind a licence key; in AppCrane they are in the AGPL-3.0 build with nothing to activate.
Secret hard-wall
The platform operator can't read app secrets or model API keys. On a shared box with multiple teams' apps and compliance in scope, that boundary is the difference. Dokploy's docs do not describe one.
FAQ
Is AppCrane a good self-hosted Dokploy alternative?
Yes. Both are self-hosted, open-source, Docker-based platforms on your own server. AppCrane is agent-first from the ground up and adds enterprise SSO (SAML/OIDC/SCIM), four-role RBAC, per-user audit, and a secret hard-wall, all in the open-source build; Dokploy's SSO, SCIM, roles and audit logs need its Enterprise licence.
Doesn't Dokploy already have an MCP server?
It does, but it's an add-on to a human-first product. AppCrane is agent-first: the 74 appcrane_* MCP tools are the primary way to drive the platform, not a bolt-on.
Where does Dokploy beat AppCrane?
Dokploy has a larger community (~30k stars), Docker Swarm multi-node support, and Heroku-style buildpacks. If those matter most, Dokploy is the stronger pick.
Can the AppCrane operator read my app secrets?
No. AppCrane enforces a secret hard-wall — the platform operator can't read an app's secrets or model API keys. Dokploy's docs do not describe an equivalent operator-side boundary.
Try the self-hosted Dokploy alternative
One command on your own Ubuntu server. Your infra, your data, your keys.
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gitayg/appCrane/main/install.sh | sudo bash
View AppCrane on GitHub ↗
Comparison reflects typical default capabilities as of mid-2026; every product evolves, so verify specifics against each vendor's current docs. "~" marks features that exist but require add-ons, extra configuration, or aren't part of the core product.