Our CapRover Development Services
Alpina Tech configures CapRover-based infrastructure for teams that want a self-hosted Heroku alternative built on Docker Swarm. We handle server setup, app deployment, cluster configuration, and ongoing automation — giving your team a web-based PaaS on servers you own.
CapRover Installation & Server Setup
We deploy CapRover and harden it for production:
- One-command installation on any Ubuntu/Debian server (Hetzner, DigitalOcean, Linode, bare-metal)
- Nginx reverse proxy with automatic Let’s Encrypt SSL for every app
- Wildcard DNS configuration for instant subdomain routing
- Firewall rules, SSH key-only access, and automatic security updates
- CapRover dashboard secured with strong auth and optional IP whitelisting
Application Deployment & One-Click Apps
CapRover supports multiple deployment methods. We configure:
- Git-push deployments via CapRover CLI — push to deploy, similar to Heroku
- Dockerfile and docker-compose based deployments for custom stacks
- One-click apps from CapRover’s template library — WordPress, Ghost, Minio, Grafana, n8n, and 100+ more
- Environment variable management per app with web UI access
- Persistent volume mapping for stateful applications and databases
Docker Swarm Cluster Configuration
For workloads that outgrow a single server, CapRover natively supports Docker Swarm clustering:
- Worker node addition — connect multiple servers to distribute containers
- Service replication across nodes with automatic load balancing
- Node labels and placement constraints for separating database and app workloads
- Rolling updates with zero-downtime deployments across the cluster
- Shared overlay networks between services on different nodes
Migration to CapRover
We migrate workloads from managed platforms and legacy hosting:
- Heroku migration — mapping buildpacks to Dockerfiles, add-ons to self-hosted services
- Shared hosting / cPanel migration — containerizing PHP, WordPress, and legacy apps
- Database transfer with dump/restore and data verification
- DNS cutover with downtime minimization strategy
- Cost analysis: monthly platform spend vs. VPS + CapRover
Backup & Monitoring Setup
Self-hosted infrastructure needs a reliability layer. We configure:
- Automated database backups to external storage (S3, Backblaze B2, Hetzner Storage Box)
- Server and container monitoring via Grafana + Prometheus or Netdata
- Uptime monitoring with alerting (Uptime Kuma, Healthchecks.io)
- Log access per app through CapRover’s dashboard
- Disaster recovery plan with documented restore procedures
We extend these setups with advanced alerting and incident playbooks.
How We Approach CapRover Projects
Server & Provider Selection
We recommend server specs based on your workload count and resource requirements. For most teams, a single Hetzner CX31 (4 vCPU, 8GB RAM) handles 10–15 containerized apps comfortably.
Hardened Installation
CapRover installs in minutes, but production readiness takes more. We lock down the server, configure backups, and set up monitoring before any application deploys.
App Onboarding
We deploy and test each application individually — verifying builds, health checks, persistent storage, and environment variables. One-click apps get configured with production-appropriate settings, not defaults.
Handoff & Documentation
Your team gets CapRover dashboard access, CLI setup instructions, and documented procedures for deploying, scaling, and troubleshooting. Non-technical team members can manage apps through the web UI.
Technology Stack with CapRover
Container & Orchestration
- Docker — application containerization and runtime
- Docker Swarm — native clustering, service replication, and load balancing
- Nginx — reverse proxy with automatic SSL termination
- CapRover CLI — Git-push deployments from terminal
Databases & Services (One-Click or Custom)
- PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB — relational databases with persistent volumes
- MongoDB — document store deployable via one-click template
- Redis — caching, sessions, and message queuing
- MinIO — self-hosted S3-compatible object storage
Hosting Providers
- Hetzner Cloud — default recommendation for EU, €4–7/month entry point
- DigitalOcean — popular for US-based teams
- Linode, Vultr, OVH — alternative VPS options
- Any Linux server — CapRover runs on any machine with Docker support
Business Benefits
- Lowest self-hosting entry point — CapRover runs on a single €4/month VPS. For small teams deploying 5–10 apps, total hosting costs stay under €20/month vs. $100+ on managed platforms.
- Docker Swarm built in — scaling from one server to a cluster requires adding nodes through the dashboard. No Kubernetes complexity for workloads that don’t need it.
- 100+ one-click apps — deploy databases, CMS platforms, monitoring tools, and dev utilities from CapRover’s template library without writing Dockerfiles.
- Web dashboard for non-developers — project managers and stakeholders can restart services, check logs, and manage environment variables without terminal access.
- Full infrastructure ownership — your code, data, and configuration live on servers you control. No platform vendor can change pricing, deprecate features, or access your data.
- Simple mental model — CapRover is Docker + Nginx + Let’s Encrypt with a web UI. No abstractions to learn, no proprietary concepts. If you understand containers, you understand CapRover.
