website/apps/docs/content/docs/core/differences.mdx

---
title: Cloud vs Self-Hosted
description: "Detailed comparison between Dokploy Cloud and the Self-Hosted version."
---

import { Callout } from 'fumadocs-ui/components/callout';

Both versions of Dokploy share the same **deployment engine** — same Docker/Traefik integration, same API, same core features. The main difference is operational: **who manages the Dokploy instance itself**. On top of that, there are four editions with different limits and extras, summarized below.

## Editions at a glance

Dokploy comes in four editions: **Self-Hosted (OSS)**, **Cloud**, **Enterprise Self-Hosted**, and **Enterprise Cloud**.

| | Self-Hosted (OSS) | Cloud | Enterprise Self-Hosted | Enterprise Cloud |
|---|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
| **Price** | Free | From $4.50/mo | License ([contact us](https://dokploy.com/contact)) | Custom |
| **Control plane** | You manage it | Managed by Dokploy | You manage it | Managed by Dokploy |
| **Updates** | Manual | Automatic | Manual | Automatic |
| **Core deployments** (apps, databases, Compose, domains, SSL, templates) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| **Multi-server / remote servers** | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| **Basic roles** (Owner, Admin, Member) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| **Custom roles** (granular permissions) | ❌ | Plan-dependent | ✅ | ✅ |
| **SSO (OIDC / SAML)** | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| **SCIM provisioning** (automated user lifecycle) | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| **Application Authentication** (SSO gate for your apps) | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| **Audit logs** | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| **Whitelabeling** | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| **Concurrent builds per server** | ✅ Configurable | Managed | ✅ Configurable | Managed |
| **Advanced monitoring dashboard** | Basic monitoring | ✅ | Basic monitoring | ✅ |
| **Support** | Community (Discord) | Email & Chat | Priority | Priority with SLA |

<Callout type="info">
The core deployment experience is identical in every edition — the differences are in team/enterprise capabilities (SSO, SCIM provisioning, custom roles, audit logs, whitelabeling) and who operates the control plane. [Concurrent builds](/docs/core/concurrent-builds) are included in every self-hosted edition, no license required.
</Callout>

## Enterprise: Cloud vs Self-Hosted

There are **two ways to get Enterprise**, and they are not the same thing:

- **Enterprise Self-Hosted** — you run your own Dokploy instance and activate a [license key](/docs/core/enterprise/license-keys) issued by the Dokploy team. You keep full control of your infrastructure (including air-gapped setups) and unlock SSO, [SCIM provisioning](/docs/core/enterprise/scim), custom roles, audit logs, [Application Authentication](/docs/core/enterprise/sso/application-authentication), and **whitelabeling**.
- **Enterprise Cloud** — the Dokploy team manages the control plane for you with a custom plan. You get the same enterprise capabilities (SSO, SCIM provisioning, custom roles, audit logs, Application Authentication) plus managed uptime, automatic updates, and priority support with SLA.

<Callout type="info">
Both Enterprise flavors include **all upcoming Enterprise features**: every new Enterprise capability we release is automatically part of your license or plan, at no extra cost.
</Callout>

Key differences between the two Enterprise flavors:

| | Enterprise Self-Hosted | Enterprise Cloud |
|---|:---:|:---:|
| **Activation** | License key on your instance | Cloud subscription |
| **Control plane uptime & updates** | Your responsibility | Managed by Dokploy |
| **Whitelabeling** | ✅ | ❌ (control plane is shared infrastructure) |
| **Air-gapped / private networks** | ✅ | ❌ |
| **Advanced monitoring dashboard** | Basic monitoring | ✅ |

## What's actually different

The differences come down to three things:

### 1. Managed uptime

With **Self-Hosted**, you are responsible for keeping the Dokploy instance running. If your server goes down, restarts, or runs out of disk — you need to fix it yourself.

With **Cloud**, the Dokploy team manages the uptime of the control plane (the UI, database, and management layer). Your applications still run on your own servers, but the management dashboard is maintained by us.

### 2. Automatic updates

With **Self-Hosted**, you update Dokploy manually when new versions are released.

With **Cloud**, updates are applied automatically — you're always on the latest version without doing anything.

### 3. Support

With **Self-Hosted**, support is community-based (Discord, GitHub issues).

With **Cloud**, you get direct support depending on your plan:

| Plan | Support level |
|------|--------------|
| **Hobby** | Community (Discord) |
| **Startup** | Email & Chat |
| **Enterprise** | Priority support with SLA |

## Architecture

Both versions use the same architecture. The only difference is **where** the control plane runs.

### Self-Hosted

The Dokploy UI, PostgreSQL, Redis, and your applications all run on the same server(s) that you manage.

```
┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│     Your Server (you manage)    │
│                                 │
│  Dokploy UI + PostgreSQL + Redis│
│  Traefik (reverse proxy)        │
│  ─────────────────────────────  │
│  Your Apps & Databases          │
└─────────────────────────────────┘
```

### Cloud

The control plane runs on Dokploy's infrastructure. Your servers only run your workloads.

```
┌─────────────────┐         ┌──────────────────────┐
│  Dokploy Cloud   │  SSH    │   Your Server(s)     │
│  (managed by us) │────────►│   Apps + Databases   │
│                  │         │   Traefik            │
│  UI, DB, Redis   │         └──────────────────────┘
└─────────────────┘
```

<Callout type="info">
Your **applications keep running independently** even if the Cloud control plane is temporarily unavailable. The control plane is only needed for management operations (deploys, config changes, monitoring dashboard, etc.).
</Callout>

## When to choose what

| Choose Self-Hosted if... | Choose Cloud if... |
|--------------------------|-------------------|
| You want zero cost | You don't want to maintain Dokploy itself |
| You want full control over everything | You want automatic updates |
| You prefer air-gapped or private networks | You want managed uptime for the control plane |
| You're comfortable managing servers | You want direct support (Startup/Enterprise) |

## Cloud Plans

If you choose Dokploy Cloud, there are several plans depending on your needs:

### Plan comparison

| | Hobby | Startup | Enterprise | Agency |
|---|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
| **Price** | $4.50/mo per server | $15/mo (3 servers included) | Custom | Custom |
| **Additional servers** | $4.50/mo each | $4.50/mo each | Custom | Custom |
| **Organizations** | 1 | 3 | Custom | Custom |
| **Users** | 1 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| **Environments** | 2 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| **Backups** | 1 per app/database | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| **Scheduled jobs** | 1 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| **RBAC** | Basic (Owner, Admin, Member) | Basic (Admin/Developer roles) | Fine-grained + custom roles | Fine-grained + custom roles |
| **2FA** | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| **SSO / SAML** | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| **SCIM provisioning** | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| **Audit logs** | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| **White labeling** | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| **Support** | Community (Discord) | Email & Chat | Priority with SLA | Partner team |

<Callout type="info">
Annual billing saves **20%** on all plans. See the [Pricing](https://dokploy.com/pricing) page for the latest details.
</Callout>

### Which plan do I need?

- **Hobby** — You're a solo developer deploying personal projects or small client sites on a single server.
- **Startup** — You have a team, need multiple environments (production, staging, dev), and want unlimited backups and scheduled jobs.
- **Enterprise** — You need SSO/SAML, SCIM provisioning, audit logs, white labeling, custom roles with fine-grained permissions, and priority support with SLA.
- **Agency** — You manage infrastructure for multiple clients and need a tailored partnership.