Introduction

Docklift is a self-hosted PaaS that turns a Linux VPS into your own Docker deployment platform. Point it at a GitHub repo or upload a ZIP, and it builds an image (Dockerfile or Railpack), runs the containers, wires custom domains with Let's Encrypt HTTPS, and can redeploy on every push — all from a web UI.

Think of it as a lighter Coolify / Dokku-style workflow with a real dashboard: git-to-deploy on hardware you control, without Kubernetes or a managed cloud account.

Your server. Your rules. Your apps.

What you get

Capability	Summary
One-click deploy	GitHub or ZIP → build → run on your VPS
Automatic builds	Prefer your Dockerfile; otherwise Railpack detects Node, Python, Go, and more
GitHub App	Private repos via an app you own; push-to-deploy webhooks
Auto-deploy	Webhook redeploys on push (10s debounce)
Custom domains + HTTPS	nginx reverse proxy and automatic Let's Encrypt
Multi-service projects	Multiple Dockerfiles with shared vs per-service env, domains, and logs
Managed databases	Postgres, MySQL, MariaDB, Redis, MongoDB — private by default
Env & secrets	Shared or per-service; build-time and runtime scopes
Host monitoring	CPU, RAM, GPU, disk, network, top processes
Web terminal	Root shell in the browser, behind step-up password
Backup & restore	Control DB, sources, vhosts, and certificates in one archive

How it works

Docklift is a small Docker Compose stack: a React dashboard, an Express backend that talks to the Docker socket, and two nginx containers with different jobs.

Container	Role
docklift-frontend	Dashboard UI
docklift-backend	Deploy, auth, GitHub App, nginx/SSL orchestration
docklift-nginx	Dashboard gateway on :8080
docklift-nginx-proxy	Public :80 / :443 for project and panel domains
docklift-certbot	Issues and renews Let's Encrypt certificates (HTTP-01)

Deploy path

1. Create a project from a GitHub repo or ZIP. Source lands in deployments/<project-id>/.
2. Docklift uses your Dockerfile when present; otherwise Railpack builds an image.
3. By default the app runs on a private project network (no public host port). Prefer a custom domain so nginx-proxy serves it on :80/:443, or opt in to Publish host ports (5500–5600) for raw IP:port.
4. With a domain set, the backend writes an nginx vhost and certbot obtains a certificate.
5. With GitHub connected and Auto-Deploy on, a push webhook rebuilds and redeploys.

Docklift writes its own runtime Compose file under deployments/.docklift/<project-id>/. Your repository is never modified.

Access model

• Admin UI: http://SERVER_IP:8080 by default. Prefer an HTTPS panel domain under Settings → Domain when you can. Optional: DASHBOARD_BIND=127.0.0.1 plus an SSH tunnel for localhost-only.
• Your apps: public hostnames on :80/:443 via nginx-proxy. Host ports are opt-in.
• First login: a one-time bootstrap secret (setup code) is required before the first admin account can be created.

Raw HTTP on a public IP is convenient for first-run — it is not private or encrypted. Put Docklift behind a firewall, use HTTPS, or bind the dashboard to localhost.

Next steps

1. Install on your VPS
2. Follow the Quick Start
3. Connect GitHub, deploy, and attach a domain