bex vs Dokku
bex is Render-compatible self-hosted PaaS with MCP and API automation; Dokku is the minimal Heroku-compatible git-push PaaS on a single server.
bex and Dokku, capability by capability
| Capability | bex | Dokku | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted on your own servers | Yes | Yes | 1 |
| Render-compatible platform API | Yes | No | 2 |
| First-party agent MCP server | Yes | No | 1 |
| Managed PostgreSQL | Yes | Yes | 3 |
| Persistent disks / volumes | Yes | Yes | 4 |
| Declarative app / stack manifest | Partial
bex's Blueprint/parity surface covers Render-shaped stacks; it is not Dokku's Heroku-style app.json. | Yes | 5 |
| SSH access | Yes | Yes | 3 |
Where Dokku is the better fit
| Capability | bex | Dokku | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herokuish / Heroku buildpacks by default | No | Yes | 6 |
Notes
- bex exposes a Render-compatible CLI and API for fleet automation. Dokku is a CLI-and-plugin Heroku-compatible git-push PaaS without that Render control-plane shape.
Sources
- 1.dokku.com/docs/getting-started/installation/ checked September 10, 2026
- 2.dokku.com/ checked September 10, 2026
- 3.dokku.com/docs/deployment/application-deployment/ checked September 10, 2026
- 4.dokku.com/docs/advanced-usage/persistent-storage/ checked September 10, 2026
- 5.dokku.com/docs/appendices/file-formats/app-json/ checked September 10, 2026
- 6.dokku.com/docs/deployment/builders/herokuish-buildpacks/ checked September 10, 2026
- 7.bex.co/docs/platform/cli checked September 10, 2026