rysasahrialCapRover is a powerful open‑source Platform as a Service (PaaS) that transforms your server into a streamlined, scalable, Docker‑based deployment platform. Ideal for developers working with Node.js, Python, PHP, Ruby, Go, ASP.NET, and databases like MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, and WordPress, CapRover simplifies the deployment process with Docker, Nginx, and Let’s Encrypt integration.
With CapRover, you get both a friendly web GUI and a robust CLI tool, allowing easy configuration and automation. No deep Docker knowledge is required—just paste commands, configure your application, and deploy! Built on Docker Swarm and Nginx, CapRover handles container orchestration and load‑balancing while enabling auto‑configured, free SSL/TLS certificates via Let’s Encrypt.
This platform stands out for its cost efficiency—offering the same outcomes as Heroku or Azure, but on your own VPS for a fraction of the cost. Users report savings of up to 50× by switching from hosted PaaS to CapRover on providers like Hetzner . Built-in CI/CD support includes seamless deployment from GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket via webhooks, plus GitHub Actions support through the caprover/deploy-from-github action. One‑click rollback ensures instant recovery to previous app versions.
Installation is straightforward: a simple copy‑paste command sets up Docker, Docker Swarm, and CapRover on your server, so you can start deploying immediately . Developers can define their apps with captain-definition files, deploy via CLI (caprover deploy), or upload tarballs through the dashboard. Additional features include customizable Nginx templates, resource monitoring (NetData), clustering, and support for zero‑downtime deployments.
Because CapRover is open-source under its project license, you’re free to self-host without lock‑in—if you remove CapRover, your apps keep running. The codebase is primarily TypeScript, with some Shell and JavaScript components. Developers can contribute via GitHub, with active participation from a growing community (14k+ stars, 900 forks) .
In summary, CapRover delivers a full-featured, developer‑friendly server deployment platform with:
- One‑click Docker PaaS deployment
- SSL automation
- CI/CD integration
- Scalability via Docker Swarm
- Simple CLI & GUI
- Cost savings vs. commercial PaaS
Focus on deploying your code—CapRover handles the rest:
- Docker orchestration and scaling
- HTTPS via Let’s Encrypt
- Git‑based CI/CD and rollback
- Automated clustering
If you’re searching for “Docker PaaS”, “self‑hosted Heroku alternative”, or “automated Docker deployment platform”, CapRover should be your go‑to solution.
- Author: CapRover community (open-source)
- Programming languages: Primarily TypeScript, with Shell scripting, JavaScript, and EJS templates
- License: MIT‑style open‑source license (see LICENSE in repo)
- License limitations: Free for commercial and personal use; attribution required; no warranty; standard MIT terms apply to code reuse and redistribution