Deplexo vs CapRover
CapRover is an open-source self-hosted PaaS that uses Docker Swarm. Deplexo is a managed PaaS with secure container defaults.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Deplexo | CapRover |
|---|---|---|
| License | Proprietary (managed PaaS) | Open-source (modified Apache 2.0) |
| Container orchestration | Managed containers | Docker Swarm |
| Container security defaults | Locked-down security defaults | Docker Swarm defaults (standard Docker security) |
| Managed hosted option | Yes — deplexo.com, free tier included | No — self-host only |
| Free managed tier | Yes — 128 MB RAM, 1 app, no card | N/A (must own a server) |
| OAuth Git integration | GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Codeberg | GitHub (webhook-based), custom Dockerfile only |
| Build method | Dockerfile (default) or auto-detect via deplexo.yaml | Via captain-definition file or Dockerfile |
| Custom Dockerfile | Yes | Yes |
| Env vars encrypted at rest | Yes — encrypted at rest | Stored in plaintext in the Swarm config |
| Reverse proxy | Built-in reverse proxy | Nginx (managed by CapRover) |
Orchestration: Swarm vs standalone
CapRover uses Docker Swarm as its container orchestration layer. Swarm adds complexity — services, tasks, overlay networks, Swarm manager state. For a single-server deployment, Swarm's distributed features go unused while adding operational overhead.
Deplexo runs managed containers on each worker. There is no Swarm state to manage. Scaling is handled at the worker-fleet level — add a worker node and the scheduler assigns jobs to it.
Container security
CapRover runs containers with Docker's default security profile. Deplexo applies a locked-down security profile by default to every container. These are not opt-in settings.
Configuration files
CapRover requires a captain-definition JSON file in your repo to specify how the app is built. Deplexo builds from your Dockerfile by default. For repos without one, add a deplexo.yaml to configure auto-detect — Deplexo generates a Dockerfile for Node.js, Python, Go, Ruby, Rust, Java, PHP, Elixir, and static sites.
FAQ
- Can I migrate a CapRover app to Deplexo?
- Yes. Connect the same GitHub repo. If you have a Dockerfile in the repo, Deplexo will use it. Copy your environment variables from CapRover's app config panel to Deplexo's env vars panel and deploy.
- Do I need a captain-definition file?
- No. Deplexo builds from your Dockerfile by default. You can optionally add a deplexo.yaml for auto-detect builds.
- Does Deplexo support Docker Compose?
- No. Deplexo deploys single-container apps per service. Multi-container compositions are not supported. Each service (app, database, cache) would be a separate Deplexo app.
- Does Deplexo support one-click apps like CapRover?
- No. Deplexo is focused on deploying your own code from a git repo. CapRover's one-click marketplace for third-party apps (Wordpress, Nextcloud, etc.) is not a feature Deplexo provides.
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