appwrite vs dokku
Two of the top projects in Backends, databases and hosting, side by side: who leads on each score part and who each one suits, then setup, license, activity and what each review found.
appwrite
Self-hostable backend with auth, databases, storage, functions, messaging and hosting
dokku
Self-hosted mini-Heroku PaaS that deploys apps with git push
Verdict
appwrite ranks higher, 94 to 76. Of the 5 score parts we measure for both, appwrite leads on 3, dokku on none and 2 are even.
- Adoptionappwrite leads by 15 points, 91 to 76: a wide gap.
- FreshnessEven at 100.
- MaintenanceEven at 92.
- Easy to runappwrite leads by 33 points, 100 to 67: a wide gap.
- Agent-readyappwrite leads by 70 points, 70 to 0: a wide gap.
Pick appwrite if you are
Developers who want a self-hosted or managed backend for web and mobile apps
- One Docker-based installer sets up the full stack, with Compose and env files also published
- SDKs for 6 client and 10 server platforms, plus REST, GraphQL and Realtime APIs
Pick dokku if you are
Self-hosters wanting a Heroku-style git-push deploy on one VM
- Installs on a single VM with one bootstrap script
- Supports Ubuntu 22.04/24.04/26.04 and Debian 11+ on amd64 and arm64
| What we compare | appwrite | dokku |
|---|---|---|
| Score parts, out of 100 | ||
| Adoption | 91, widely used | 76, popular |
| Freshness | 100, active | 100, active |
| Maintenance | 92, healthy | 92, healthy |
| Easy to run | 100, very easy | 67, easy |
| Agent-ready | 70, partly | 0, none |
| Facts from GitHub and the README | ||
| Stars | 57.7k | 32.2k |
| License | BSD-3-Clause (permissive) | MIT (permissive) |
| Last commit | Oct 2026 | Oct 2026 |
| Last release | Oct 2026 | Sep 2026 |
| Language | TypeScript | Go |
| Docker | Yes | Yes |
| GPU | Not needed | Not stated |
| arm64 or Apple Silicon | Mentioned | Mentioned |
appwrite
Appwrite is a backend platform that bundles Auth, Databases, Storage, Functions, Sites, Messaging, Realtime and a Firewall behind REST, GraphQL and WebSocket APIs. It runs as a managed cloud or self-hosted via a Docker installer, and offers a hosted MCP server so coding agents can operate on a live project. Client and server SDKs cover Web, Flutter, Apple, Android, React Native, Unity, Node.js, Python, PHP, Go, Rust and others.
Who it is for: Developers who want a self-hosted or managed backend for web and mobile apps
Strengths
- One Docker-based installer sets up the full stack, with Compose and env files also published
- SDKs for 6 client and 10 server platforms, plus REST, GraphQL and Realtime APIs
- Hosted MCP server uses OAuth, so no API keys are needed on Cloud
- Same product runs on managed Cloud or on your own infrastructure
Weaknesses
- Installer needs access to the Docker socket on the host
- Self-hosted instances must use a separate local MCP server, not the hosted one
- Hybrid monolith-plus-workers architecture means many services to operate
- RAM and CPU requirements are not stated in the README
- no GPU
- Docker + Compose
- Needs Docker
- port 20080
dokku
Dokku is a small Platform-as-a-Service that runs on a single Ubuntu or Debian VM and builds and runs applications in Docker containers. Applications are deployed over SSH, and the server is managed through the `dokku` command line, including domains and SSH keys. The README describes it as a Docker-powered mini-Heroku and does not mention any AI features.
Who it is for: Self-hosters wanting a Heroku-style git-push deploy on one VM
Strengths
- Installs on a single VM with one bootstrap script
- Supports Ubuntu 22.04/24.04/26.04 and Debian 11+ on amd64 and arm64
- MIT license, with an active release history and Ubuntu and Arch packages
- Written in Go, with documentation and a Slack support channel
Weaknesses
- Not an AI project; the README has no AI or model features
- Targets one server; the README describes no multi-node setup
- Only Ubuntu and Debian are listed as supported operating systems
- Deployment and management are CLI and SSH based; the README mentions no web UI
- Docker
- Needs Docker, SSH keypair
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