Dokku With a Dashboard and Built-in AI
Dokku is the original self-hosted Heroku -- powerful, but CLI-only. sh0 gives you the same git-push workflow plus a full web dashboard, 170 one-click templates, a browser terminal, and a Claude AI assistant that manages your infrastructure.
Quick Verdict
Dokku is a battle-tested mini-Heroku for developers who live in the terminal. sh0 is for everyone else: a full web dashboard, one-click templates, built-in monitoring, team RBAC, and an AI assistant -- while keeping the CLI power for those who want it.
Feature-by-feature comparison
Side-by-side breakdown of what each platform offers.
| Feature | sh0 | Dokku |
|---|---|---|
| Web dashboard | Full (15+ pages) | CLI only |
| Built-in AI assistant | 27 tools, Claude, MCP | |
| AI sandbox | Debug in container | |
| CLI push deploy | sh0 push: one-command deploy | git push dokku |
| One-click templates | 170 | Manual config |
| Preview environments | PR-based | |
| Auto-SSL | Caddy | Let's Encrypt plugin |
| Browser terminal | xterm.js | |
| File browser | Yes | |
| Monitoring + alerts | 5 channels | Manual setup |
| Code health check | 34 rules | |
| Backup engine | 13 storage providers | Manual |
| RBAC / teams | 4 roles | |
| CLI commands | 30+, JSON output | Dokku CLI |
| Install | curl get.sh0.dev | bash | wget dokku install |
| Mobile app | sh0 Manager (iOS & Android) |
Why Developers Switch
Real problems, real solutions.
Dokku requires SSH + CLI for everything
Every operation -- from checking logs to adding domains to scaling processes -- requires an SSH connection and command-line knowledge. No web interface at all.
sh0 web dashboard with RBAC
A full 15+ page dashboard with logs, terminal, domains, environment variables, monitoring, file browser, and team management. Four roles for safe access delegation.
Setting up WordPress or Redis takes hours
Dokku requires manual plugin installation, configuration files, and environment variable setup for every service. No templates, no one-click anything.
sh0 one-click from 170 templates
Deploy WordPress, PostgreSQL, Redis, Ghost, Plausible, or any of 170 templates with a single click. Pre-configured, ready to use, with auto-SSL.
No visibility into what is happening
No real-time metrics, no alert system, no monitoring dashboard. When something breaks, you find out from your users -- not from your platform.
sh0 real-time metrics and alerts
Real-time CPU, memory, and network monitoring with alerts on Slack, Discord, Telegram, email, or webhooks. Browser terminal and file manager for instant access.
Key Differentiators
What sets sh0 apart from Dokku.
Built-in Claude AI
27 tools for deployment, debugging, log analysis, and infrastructure management. MCP server for Claude Desktop and Cursor. AI sandbox for safe experimentation.
CLI with sh0 push
30+ commands with JSON output. Deploy with a single sh0 push command -- live in 35 seconds. Scriptable, automatable, CI-friendly.
Full Web Dashboard
15+ pages, browser terminal, file manager, real-time monitoring, team RBAC, and 170 one-click templates -- everything Dokku does not have in a GUI.
Beyond Deployment: Full Backend Services
Dokku deploys apps via Buildpacks. sh0 also includes managed backend services.
PostgREST API
Auto-generated REST API from PostgreSQL tables.
Auth Service (Logto)
OIDC auth with social login, MFA, and admin console.
Realtime (Centrifugo)
WebSocket + SSE with channels, presence, and history.
Serverless Functions (Deno)
TypeScript/JavaScript functions, HTTP-invokable.
S3 Storage (MinIO)
S3-compatible object storage with web console.
Email Hosting (Stalwart)
DKIM/SPF/DMARC auto-config, Cloudflare DNS setup.
Pricing comparison
Dokku is free and open source. sh0 adds a dashboard, AI, and support.
| Tier | sh0 | Dokku |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 (1 app) | Free (open source) |
| Solo | $19/mo | Free (self-hosted) |
| Teams | $97/mo | Free (self-hosted) |
Ready to upgrade from Dokku?
Install sh0 in 30 seconds. Free forever for 1 app.