Our Dokku Development Services
Alpina Tech sets up and manages Dokku infrastructure for teams that want the simplest path from Heroku to self-hosted. Dokku runs on a single server, uses Heroku buildpacks natively, and deploys apps with git push — no Docker knowledge required, no web dashboard to learn.
Dokku Installation & Server Hardening
We install Dokku and prepare the server for production workloads:
- Dokku installation on Ubuntu (Hetzner, DigitalOcean, Linode, or any VPS)
- Nginx configuration with automatic Let’s Encrypt SSL via the letsencrypt plugin
- Global domain setup and per-app subdomain routing
- SSH key management for developer access and git-push deployments
- Server hardening — firewall rules, fail2ban, unattended security updates
Application Deployment & Buildpacks
Dokku’s buildpack system makes deployment familiar for Heroku users:
- Heroku-compatible buildpacks — Node.js, Python, Ruby, Go, PHP, Java deploy without Dockerfiles
- Custom Dockerfile deployments when buildpacks don’t fit your stack
- Environment variable configuration per app via
dokku config:set
- Process types via Procfile — web, worker, and cron processes on the same app
- Zero-downtime deploys with health checks and container rollback
Plugin Ecosystem & Service Provisioning
Dokku’s plugin system replaces Heroku add-ons with self-hosted equivalents:
- dokku-postgres — managed PostgreSQL instances with backup/restore commands
- dokku-redis — Redis for caching, sessions, and job queues
- dokku-mysql / dokku-mongo — additional database options as needed
- dokku-letsencrypt — automatic SSL certificate provisioning and renewal
- dokku-cron-restart / custom cron — scheduled tasks alongside your apps
- Service linking — connect databases to apps with automatic environment variable injection
Migration from Heroku
Dokku is the closest self-hosted Heroku equivalent. We handle the transition:
- Buildpack compatibility verification — most Heroku apps deploy on Dokku without changes
- Heroku add-on mapping to Dokku plugins (Heroku Postgres → dokku-postgres, etc.)
- Environment variable transfer and secrets management
- Database migration with
pg_dump/pg_restore and data verification
- DNS cutover and SSL configuration on the new server
Nginx & Networking Configuration
Dokku uses Nginx as its reverse proxy. We customize it for production needs:
- Custom nginx templates for WebSocket support, request size limits, and timeouts
- Per-app nginx configuration overrides without affecting other apps
- HTTP/2 and gzip compression for static assets
- Rate limiting and IP whitelisting for admin endpoints
- Cloudflare integration for CDN and DDoS protection in front of Dokku
We cover advanced networking and monitoring beyond Dokku’s built-in capabilities.
How We Approach Dokku Projects
Server Sizing
Dokku runs well on modest hardware. We typically recommend starting with 2–4 GB RAM for 3–8 apps. We calculate memory per process type and set swap as a safety net.
Plugin Selection
We install only the plugins you need — databases, SSL, cron. Dokku’s strength is minimalism. Every plugin adds a maintenance surface, so we keep the footprint tight.
Heroku-Compatible Workflow
Your developers keep using git push to deploy. Procfile, buildpacks, and environment variables work identically. The migration from Heroku is often transparent to the dev team.
Backup & Recovery
We configure automated database exports, document restore procedures, and test recovery. For Dokku, this means scripted dokku postgres:export and server snapshot schedules.
Technology Stack with Dokku
Buildpacks & Runtimes
- Heroku buildpacks — Node.js, Python, Ruby, Go, PHP, Java, Scala
- Custom Dockerfiles — for runtimes not covered by buildpacks
- Procfile-based process management — web, worker, release, cron
Databases & Services (via Plugins)
- dokku-postgres — PostgreSQL with backup, restore, and cloning
- dokku-redis — in-memory caching and pub/sub
- dokku-mysql, dokku-mongo — relational and document stores
- dokku-letsencrypt — automated TLS certificates
Hosting Providers
- Hetzner Cloud — EU default, €4–7/month for a capable Dokku server
- DigitalOcean — one-click Dokku droplet available
- Linode, Vultr — alternative VPS providers
- Any Ubuntu 22.04+ server — Dokku has no provider lock-in
Business Benefits
- Closest Heroku migration path — Dokku uses Heroku buildpacks natively. Most Heroku apps deploy on Dokku with zero code changes, making migration a server setup task, not a rewrite.
- Single-server simplicity — one VPS runs Dokku, your apps, and your databases. No cluster to manage, no orchestrator to configure. Ideal for teams running 3–15 services.
- CLI-driven, scriptable — every Dokku operation is a shell command. Automation, backups, and provisioning integrate into any CI/CD pipeline or cron job without APIs or dashboards.
- Minimal resource overhead — Dokku itself uses negligible RAM. Almost all server resources go to your applications, unlike heavier PaaS tools that consume significant memory for their own processes.
- Battle-tested stability — Dokku has been in active development since 2013. The codebase is mature, well-documented, and trusted by thousands of production deployments.
- No learning curve for Heroku teams —
git push dokku main, dokku config:set, dokku ps:scale — the commands mirror Heroku’s CLI. Developers are productive from day one.
