Why Deploy with Dokploy on Your VPS?
Dokploy fills a specific niche: the simplicity of a PaaS, but with native Docker Compose support, which makes it ideal for multi-service stacks. Under the hood, it relies on Docker Swarm for orchestration and Traefik for routing and automatic SSL. You connect a Git repository, and Dokploy builds via Nixpacks or your Dockerfile, and manages domains, Let's Encrypt certificates, and environment variables. Everything stays on your VPS, without pay-per-use billing and without dependence on a cloud provider.
Dokploy's Strengths
- Native Docker Compose support to deploy multi-service stacks as-is
- Automatic reverse proxy and SSL via built-in Traefik (Let's Encrypt with no configuration)
- Deployments triggered by Git push or via the API/webhooks
- One-click managed databases: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, Redis
- Scheduled backups to S3-compatible storage and built-in restore
- Multi-server: control several VPS instances and distribute your services from a single panel
Prerequisites
Dokploy starts Docker Swarm and Traefik in addition to your applications: aim for at least 2 vCPU and 2 GB of RAM, more if you host databases on it. Installation requires a freshly provisioned Linux VPS (Ubuntu/Debian recommended) with no Docker preinstalled, since the script handles it. Plan for a domain for the panel and for each application, and open ports 80, 443, and 3000 (installation interface).
Install and Deploy with Dokploy
Prepare the VPS
Provision a dedicated Ubuntu 22.04 LTS VPS. Update the system and configure UFW to allow SSH (22), HTTP (80), and HTTPS (443). Do not install Docker manually: the Dokploy installer initializes Docker and Docker Swarm.
Run the Installation
Run the official script: curl -sSL https://dokploy.com/install.sh | sh. It installs Docker, initializes a Swarm node, and deploys Traefik and the Dokploy panel. Once finished, open http://votre-ip:3000 to create the administrator account.
Point the Panel Domain
Create an A record dokploy.yourdomain.com pointing to the VPS IP, then enter this domain in Dokploy's server settings. Traefik automatically provisions the panel's SSL certificate via Let's Encrypt.
Create a Project and an Application
Create a project, then add an application by linking it to your Git repository (GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket) and to the target branch. Dokploy detects the stack via Nixpacks or uses your Dockerfile. Enter the domain and the environment variables.
Deploy a Docker Compose Stack
For a multi-service project, choose the Compose type and paste or link your docker-compose.yml. Dokploy deploys all the services on the Swarm and exposes those you map to a domain via Traefik. Launch the deployment and follow the logs live.
Provision a Database and Backups
Add a PostgreSQL or Redis instance in one click; Dokploy provides the connection string to inject into your application. Then configure scheduled backups to an S3-compatible bucket directly from the interface.
Take advantage of Dokploy's Docker Compose support to migrate existing stacks without rewriting them: paste your docker-compose.yml as-is and add only the Traefik labels needed for routing. Also remember to enable automatic backups of Dokploy's internal database: it is what stores the configuration of all your projects.
The Official Documentation
For advanced configuration and tool-specific options, refer to the official Dokploy documentation. This guide covers going live on a VPS; the vendor's documentation remains the reference for fine-tuning, major updates, and specific use cases.
