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Dokploy on RepoCloud

Dokploy is an open-source, self-hosted PaaS built specifically for Docker container management. On RepoCloud, Dokploy runs on a dedicated VPS with full root access, SSH, a browser console, and all the management tools in the RepoCloud dashboard.

Docker-Native

Purpose-built for Docker — deploy from Git repos, Docker images, or Docker Compose files with a unified interface

Auto-Detect Builds

Nixpacks auto-detects your language and dependencies, or use Heroku Buildpacks, Paketo, or a custom Dockerfile

Traefik Routing

Built-in Traefik reverse proxy handles SSL certificates, domain routing, and load balancing automatically

One-Click Databases

Provision PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, and Redis as first-class services alongside your apps

Full Root Access

SSH into your server, use the browser console, and manage everything at the OS level

Container Orchestration

Built-in service orchestration with replicas, rolling updates, and health checks

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Prerequisites

  • A RepoCloud account with credit balance (VPS Apps work with free sign-up credit)
  • An email address for the Dokploy admin account

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Deploying Dokploy on RepoCloud

1

Find Dokploy in the Marketplace

Go to the RepoCloud marketplace and search for “Dokploy”. Click on the Dokploy VPS listing.
2

Enter a Project Name

Choose a friendly name for your project (e.g., “my-dokploy”). This is for your reference in the RepoCloud dashboard.
3

Enter Your Admin Email

Provide the email address you want to use for the Dokploy admin account. It defaults to your RepoCloud account email.
4

Choose Resource Settings

Select a tier for your server. Tiers below 2 GB RAM are greyed out because Dokploy requires at least 2 GB for container orchestration initialization. Servers can be upgraded to a higher tier but not downsized.
5

Deploy

A dedicated IPv4 address is included with every VPS at no extra charge. Click Deploy Dokploy and wait 5–10 minutes.
6

Check Your Email

Once deployment finishes, you receive an email with:
  • Dashboard URL — the HTTPS link to your Dokploy dashboard
  • App Credentials — admin email and generated password
  • SSH command — ssh root@<your-ip>
  • SSH Private Key — save it to a file, chmod 600, and use it to connect
Dokploy requires a minimum of 2 GB RAM. Deploying on 1 GB causes out-of-memory errors during container orchestration initialization.

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First-Time Setup

1

Open the Dashboard

Open the dashboard URL from your deployment email. Dokploy serves its web interface on port 3000, proxied through the VPS’s default HTTPS domain.
2

Create Your Admin Account

On first visit, register with your name, email, and a secure password. The first account created becomes the Dokploy administrator.
3

Configure Your Domain (Optional)

For production use, go to Settings in the sidebar and set a domain for the Dokploy dashboard itself. Create a DNS A record pointing to your VPS IPv4, then enter the domain in Dokploy. It configures Traefik to serve the dashboard over HTTPS and you can close direct port 3000 access.
After setup, consider restricting port 3000 to your IP address via ufw. All traffic should go through the Traefik HTTPS endpoint (port 443) once a domain is configured.

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Deploying Applications

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From a Git Repository

1

Create a Project

In the Dokploy dashboard, click Create Project and give it a name (e.g., “demo-project”).
2

Add an Application

Inside the project, click Create Service and select Application. Name it (e.g., “my-app”).
3

Configure the Source

Under the General tab, choose your provider (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, or a raw Git URL). Enter the repository URL and branch.
4

Select Build Type

Choose a build method:
  • Nixpacks (default) — auto-detects your language and builds without a Dockerfile
  • Heroku Buildpacks — compatible with Heroku buildpack configurations
  • Paketo Buildpacks — Cloud Foundry buildpacks
  • Dockerfile — use a Dockerfile from your repo
5

Deploy

Click Deploy. Watch the build progress in the Deployments tab and runtime output in Logs.

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From a Docker Image

1

Create a Service

Inside a project, click Create Service and select Application.
2

Set the Docker Image

Under General, select Docker as the provider type and enter the image name (e.g., nginx:latest or ghcr.io/your-org/your-image:v1.2).
3

Configure and Deploy

Set environment variables, port mappings, and volumes as needed. Click Deploy.

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Docker Compose Stacks

Dokploy has first-class support for Docker Compose:
1

Create a Compose Service

Inside a project, click Create Service and select Compose.
2

Add Your Compose File

Paste your docker-compose.yml content or link a Git repository that contains one.
3

Configure Domains

Assign domains to any services in the stack that need external access. Dokploy configures Traefik labels for routing and SSL.
4

Deploy the Stack

Click Deploy. All services in the Compose file are built and started together.

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Managing Databases

Dokploy provisions databases as dedicated services:
1

Create a Database Service

Inside a project, click Create Service and select Database. Choose from PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, or Redis.
2

Configure

Set the database name, credentials, and any custom configuration. Dokploy pulls the official image and starts the container.
3

Connect Your App

Use the connection string shown in the database service details. For apps in the same Dokploy project, use the Docker internal hostname (e.g., db-service:5432).
Dokploy provides for each database:
  • Connection credentials and strings
  • Real-time log viewer
  • Resource monitoring (CPU, memory, disk)
  • Volume-backed persistent storage

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Custom Domains and SSL

Dokploy manages domains and SSL through its built-in Traefik reverse proxy: For applications deployed inside Dokploy:
  1. Open the application in the Dokploy dashboard
  2. Go to the Domains tab
  3. Click Add Domain and enter your domain (e.g., app.yourdomain.com)
  4. Enable HTTPS
  5. Create a DNS A record pointing to your VPS IPv4 address
  6. Dokploy configures Traefik and provisions a Let’s Encrypt certificate automatically
Traefik handles certificate renewal (30 days before expiry). If a certificate fails to issue, check that port 80 is open and DNS has propagated.
Use Dokploy’s own domain management for applications running inside it. The RepoCloud “Custom Domain” in the manage page is for the VPS itself, not for individual apps inside Dokploy.

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RepoCloud Manage Page

Your Dokploy VPS has a dedicated manage page in the RepoCloud dashboard with these sections:
View your server’s default domain (HTTPS link to Dokploy dashboard), dedicated IPv4 address, SSH connection command, and app credentials.
Power Off, Power On, and Reboot controls. Available once deployment is complete.
Browser-based serial console for emergency access without SSH.
Manage SSH public keys for root access. An Ed25519 key pair is auto-generated at deployment.
Switch between tiers. Disk cannot be shrunk after an upgrade.
Create up to 5 point-in-time snapshots. Take one before risky changes. To restore, click Restore next to the target snapshot. If newer snapshots exist, a warning lists which ones will be permanently destroyed. The server restarts during restore (~10–25 seconds) and the page refreshes automatically when complete.
Point your own domain to the VPS by creating an A record to your IPv4.
Permanently delete the server and all data.

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Advanced Usage

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Container Orchestration

Dokploy includes built-in container orchestration. This gives you:
  • Service replicas — scale any service to multiple replicas for redundancy
  • Rolling updates — zero-downtime deployments with configurable update strategies
  • Health checks — automatic restart of unhealthy containers
  • Service discovery — containers can reach each other by service name

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Custom Networks

Create isolated Docker networks for groups of services:
  • Navigate to Settings > Docker in the Dokploy dashboard
  • Create custom overlay networks
  • Assign services to specific networks for isolation

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Persistent Storage

Dokploy manages Docker volumes for data persistence:
  • Named volumes are created automatically for databases
  • Bind mounts can be configured for services that need specific host paths
  • All persistent data is stored on the VPS disk and survives container restarts

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Terminal Access

Dokploy provides terminal access at two levels:
  • Host terminal — access the VPS operating system (also available via SSH or the RepoCloud browser console)
  • Container terminal — attach to any running container’s shell directly from the Dokploy dashboard

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Troubleshooting

Dokploy’s dashboard runs on port 3000 behind the VPS’s default HTTPS domain. If the URL does not load, wait a few more minutes for all containers to start. If it remains unreachable after 15 minutes, use the browser console from the RepoCloud manage page and run docker service ls to check service status.
Dokploy requires at least 2 GB RAM. On 1 GB servers, the orchestration initialization fails and SSH may become unresponsive. Resize to 2 GB or larger from the RepoCloud manage page.
Check the build log in the Deployments tab. Common causes: unsupported runtime version, missing package.json or requirements.txt, or incorrect build command. Switch the build type to Dockerfile if Nixpacks cannot detect your project correctly.
Verify your DNS A record points to the correct IPv4 (check the manage page Access section). Let’s Encrypt uses port 80 for the HTTP-01 challenge — ensure it is not blocked. Check the Traefik logs under Settings > Traefik in the Dokploy dashboard.
Ensure your key file has chmod 600 permissions and you are connecting as root. If SSH is unresponsive, use the browser console from the RepoCloud manage page and check systemctl status sshd.

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Use Cases

Dokploy is ideal for:
  • Docker-first teams who think in containers and Compose files rather than buildpacks
  • Developers who want Vercel-like Git deploy workflows with full infrastructure control
  • DevOps engineers who need container orchestration without the complexity of Kubernetes
  • Agencies deploying multiple client apps on a single server with isolated networks and domains

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Next Steps

Deploy Dokploy

Launch your Dokploy VPS from the RepoCloud marketplace

Dokploy Documentation

Read the official Dokploy documentation

Coolify

Explore Coolify as an alternative full-stack PaaS

VPS Apps Overview

Learn about all VPS Apps and the RepoCloud manage page