Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

IBM Cloud Functions VS Dokku

Compare IBM Cloud Functions VS Dokku and see what are their differences

IBM Cloud Functions logo IBM Cloud Functions

Learn about IBM Cloud Functions, a polyglot functions-as-a-service (FaaS) programming platform based on Apache OpenWhisk.

Dokku logo Dokku

Docker powered mini-Heroku in around 100 lines of Bash
  • IBM Cloud Functions Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-12-15
  • Dokku Homepage
    Homepage //
    2024-08-26
  • Dokku Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-24

IBM Cloud Functions features and specs

No features have been listed yet.

Dokku features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Dokku provides simple commands and clear documentation, making it straightforward to deploy, manage, and scale applications using a process similar to Heroku.
  • Heroku Compatibility
    Dokku uses a Heroku-like buildpack system, which allows users to deploy applications with ease if they are already familiar with Heroku.
  • Cost-Effective
    Being an open-source project, Dokku itself is free to use, which can significantly reduce the cost of deploying applications compared to using premium services.
  • Customizability
    As an open-source tool, Dokku allows for extensive customization according to user needs, offering flexibility in deployment settings and configurations.
  • Plugin System
    Dokku supports a wide range of plugins, enabling users to extend its functionality easily, such as adding database support, monitoring capabilities, and more.

Possible disadvantages of Dokku

  • Initial Setup Complexity
    Setting up Dokku for the first time might be challenging, especially for users with limited experience in server management and Linux administration.
  • Limited Built-In Features
    Compared to fully-managed PaaS solutions, Dokku has fewer built-in features, potentially requiring more effort to implement certain functionalities such as load balancing and extensive monitoring.
  • Scalability Challenges
    While Dokku supports basic scaling, it might not handle extensive scaling needs as efficiently as more robust enterprise-level solutions.
  • Resource Management
    Dokku's resource management capabilities are limited compared to dedicated orchestration tools like Kubernetes, making it less suitable for complex and large-scale application deployments.
  • Community Support
    Even though Dokku has a growing community, it is not as large or as active as some of the more popular platforms, which can limit the availability of community-driven support and resources.

Analysis of IBM Cloud Functions

Overall verdict

  • IBM Cloud Functions is a robust option for organizations seeking a reliable, scalable, and flexible serverless computing platform. It’s especially beneficial for those already utilizing IBM Cloud services, ensuring a cohesive ecosystem.

Why this product is good

  • IBM Cloud Functions is considered useful due to its serverless architecture, which allows developers to deploy code without managing server infrastructure. It offers seamless integration with other IBM Cloud services and supports multiple programming languages, making it adaptable for various applications. The ability to scale automatically based on demand can potentially reduce costs and improve performance efficiency.

Recommended for

  • Developers looking for a serverless architecture to streamline their deployment processes.
  • Organizations already using IBM Cloud services who want to maintain a unified cloud infrastructure.
  • Companies needing scalable solutions for handling variable workloads efficiently.
  • Teams interested in integrating serverless functions with AI, analytics, or IoT services provided by IBM.

Analysis of Dokku

Overall verdict

  • Dokku is a solid option for teams or developers looking for a cost-effective way to deploy and manage applications with the flexibility of a self-hosted solution. While it might not be as polished or feature-rich as commercial PaaS providers like Heroku or AWS Elastic Beanstalk, its open-source nature and community support make it a reliable choice for those who are comfortable with a bit more hands-on management.

Why this product is good

  • Dokku is often hailed as a self-hosted Platform as a Service (PaaS) solution, which is based on Docker. It simplifies the deployment process by allowing developers to manage applications similar to how they would on Heroku, but with more control and flexibility. Dokku is lightweight, can be scaled easily, and integrates well with various databases and programming languages. It is also open-source and can be installed on any server that supports Docker, making it a cost-effective solution for many projects.

Recommended for

  • Small to medium-sized projects
  • Developers who prefer open-source solutions
  • Teams looking for a Heroku-like experience on their own infrastructure
  • Cost-conscious developers or startups
  • Technical users who are comfortable managing their server environment

IBM Cloud Functions videos

No IBM Cloud Functions videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Dokku videos

00028 Creating Your Own PaaS with Dokku

More videos:

  • Review - Dokku - An open source PAAS alternative to Heroku. You could save $$$ money!
  • Review - Rise Up and Deploy Your Own Heroku-like Service with Dokku in Minutes! #webdevelopment #tutorial

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to IBM Cloud Functions and Dokku)
Cloud Computing
5 5%
95% 95
Cloud Hosting
5 5%
95% 95
Backend As A Service
5 5%
95% 95
Business & Commerce
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare IBM Cloud Functions and Dokku

IBM Cloud Functions Reviews

We have no reviews of IBM Cloud Functions yet.
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Dokku Reviews

35+ Of The Best CI/CD Tools: Organized By Category
Dokku is a great alternative if you’re working with a stringent budget. It’s a miniaturized self-hosted platform as a service. You can deploy applications to it using Git. Because it’s a Heroku derivative, it’s compatible with Heroku apps.
Heroku vs self-hosted PaaS
CapRover is in many ways similar to Dokku. It uses Docker for deployment just like Dokku but CapRover does not support buildpack deployments as it uses Dockerfiles only. This is not necessarily a bad thing since Dockerfile deployments are great in Dokku as well. You don’t have to write your own dockerfiles however for simple deployments as there are multiple defaults for...
Source: www.mskog.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Dokku seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 21 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

IBM Cloud Functions mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of IBM Cloud Functions yet. Tracking of IBM Cloud Functions recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Dokku mentions (21)

  • Show HN: Wiederhol – GitHub for Checklists
    Android users can install https://wiederhol.com/ as a PWA (Progressive Web Application). Tech stack: Ruby on Rails, React, PostgreSQL, https://dokku.com/ for hosting on Hetzner, https://pwabuilder.com for the iOS app. PS: Wiederhol means 'repeat' (imperative verb form) in German. - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • Self-Hosting like it's 2025
    I am going to continue to stan for dokku for hosting web apps, docker images included https://dokku.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Deploy a NestJS Application with Dokku
    In this article, we will deploy a NestJS application using Dokku (https://dokku.com). - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Hosting your own PaaS: Open-Source Tools to Help You Exit the Cloud!
    # download the installation script Wget -NP . https://dokku.com/bootstrap.sh # run the installer Sudo DOKKU_TAG=v0.35.10 bash bootstrap.sh # configure your server domain Dokku domains:set-global your-domain.com # add your ssh key to the dokku user PUBLIC_KEY="your-public-key-contents-here" Echo "$PUBLIC_KEY" | dokku ssh-keys:add admin # create your first app Dokku apps:create test-app. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Stop Paying Vercel: Self-Host Unlimited NextJS Apps for $19/month
    Use GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Dokku or any CI/CD tool you prefer. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing IBM Cloud Functions and Dokku, you can also consider the following products

Google App Engine - A powerful platform to build web and mobile apps that scale automatically.

Salesforce Platform - Salesforce Platform is a comprehensive PaaS solution that paves the way for the developers to test, build, and mitigate the issues in the cloud application before the final deployment.

Google Cloud Functions - A serverless platform for building event-based microservices.

AWS Lambda - Automatic, event-driven compute service

Firebase - Firebase is a cloud service designed to power real-time, collaborative applications for mobile and web.

Heroku - Agile deployment platform for Ruby, Node.js, Clojure, Java, Python, and Scala. Setup takes only minutes and deploys are instant through git. Leave tedious server maintenance to Heroku and focus on your code.