Sailbox vs Dokploy
Dokploy uses Docker Swarm for orchestration. Sailbox uses Kubernetes (K3s) — a fundamentally different approach with more production features.
Dokploy is a clean self-hosted PaaS built on Docker Swarm. Both platforms aim to simplify deployment. Sailbox differentiates by using real Kubernetes (K3s), which provides Horizontal Pod Autoscaler, liveness and readiness probes, in-cluster Kaniko builds, native CronJobs, and full kubectl compatibility.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Sailbox | Dokploy |
|---|---|---|
| Open Source | ✓ | ✓ |
| Real Kubernetes | ✓ | — |
| Autoscaling (HPA) | ✓ | — |
| Health Probes | ✓ | — |
| In-Cluster Builds | ✓ | — |
| Rolling Deploys | ✓ | ~ |
| Database Backups | ✓ | ~ |
| Two-Factor Auth | ✓ | — |
| kubectl Compatible | ✓ | — |
What sets Sailbox apart
Real Kubernetes, not a wrapper
Sailbox runs K3s — a CNCF-certified Kubernetes distribution. Your apps run as real Deployments with kubectl access. No lock-in, no abstraction layer.
In-cluster builds with Kaniko
No Docker socket exposure. Sailbox builds container images inside the cluster using Kaniko, which is more secure and doesn't require privileged containers.
Production features built in
Autoscaling (HPA), health probes, rolling deploys, RBAC, 2FA, automated database backups — everything you need for production, included from day one.
Frequently asked questions
How does Sailbox compare to Dokploy's Docker Swarm approach?
Docker Swarm provides basic orchestration — service scaling and rolling updates. Kubernetes (K3s) adds autoscaling based on CPU/memory, health probes for automatic recovery, native CronJobs, RBAC, and a vast ecosystem of tools and knowledge.
Is Kubernetes harder to manage than Docker Swarm?
Sailbox abstracts the complexity through its web UI. You don't need to write YAML or use kubectl (though you can). The installation is a single curl command, and K3s is lightweight enough for a 2GB VPS.
Does Sailbox support multi-server setups?
Yes. Sailbox manages K3s nodes with a cluster topology view. You can add worker nodes and Sailbox handles scheduling. Dokploy also supports multi-server via Docker Swarm, but with fewer scheduling features.
Get started with Sailbox
One command to install. Runs on any Linux server with 2GB RAM.