FAQ

Is this Kubernetes?

No. SimpleDeploy is a single Go binary that runs docker compose for you, fronted by an embedded Caddy reverse proxy. There is no scheduler, no etcd, no overlay network. One host, one binary, your compose files.

Why not just use docker compose directly?

You can. SimpleDeploy adds the things you build around compose anyway: TLS via Let’s Encrypt, a dashboard, deploy history with rollback, scheduled backups to S3 or local disk, metrics, alert rules, user accounts with role-based access, and an API for CI.

How is this different from Dokku, CapRover, Coolify?

• Dokku is git-push-to-deploy on top of buildpacks or Dockerfiles. SimpleDeploy is compose-file-first.
• CapRover is opinionated about app structure and uses Docker Swarm. SimpleDeploy uses plain compose, no Swarm.
• Coolify is a much larger system with broader scope (databases as services, multi-server, more integrations). SimpleDeploy aims smaller: one binary, one host, compose files you already understand.

Pick SimpleDeploy when you want compose with the production extras and nothing more.

How is data backed up?

Per-app, per-strategy. The built-in strategies cover Postgres, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, SQLite, and generic volumes. Targets are local disk or S3-compatible storage. Configure under Backups in the dashboard or via simpledeploy.backup.* labels in compose. The system DB itself is backed up nightly via VACUUM INTO.

What happens if SimpleDeploy crashes?

Your apps keep running. Containers are managed by Docker, not by SimpleDeploy. The proxy stops accepting new connections only if the host process dies; on restart it picks up where it left off from the SQLite state on disk.

Can I run multiple SimpleDeploy nodes?

Not yet. SimpleDeploy is single-host today. Multi-host is on the roadmap but not the next priority. For HA, run two hosts with shared DNS failover and replicate compose files via your config-management tool.

Can I roll back a deploy?

Yes. Every deploy stores a snapshot of the compose file and the resolved image digests. From Versions in the app view, click any prior deploy and Rollback. The CLI: simpledeploy rollback <app> --to <version>.

Is there a hosted option?

No. SimpleDeploy is self-hosted by design. Run it on a $5 VPS or on your laptop.

Is it free?

Yes. MIT licensed. No paid tier, no telemetry, no upsell.

What about logs? How long are they kept?

Container logs flow through Docker’s default logger. Configure rotation in /etc/docker/daemon.json or per-service in compose. SimpleDeploy itself keeps a ring buffer of recent process logs (default 500 lines, configurable via log_buffer_size) for streaming to the UI. Request stats are kept in the metrics tables, rolled up after 7 days.

How do I expose a non-HTTP service?

Set simpledeploy.tcp.port (or expose the port directly via the compose ports: field) and skip simpledeploy.domain. Caddy doesn’t proxy raw TCP; bind the port on the host and point clients at the host directly. For TCP behind Caddy’s TLS, look at Caddy’s layer4 module (advanced setup, not built-in).

How do I run a one-off task?

Use simpledeploy exec <app> <service> -- <command>. It’s a thin wrapper over docker exec. For migrations or seeds at deploy time, add a command: override in compose or use a sidecar service with restart: no.

How big a server?

For 5 to 10 small apps, a 2 vCPU / 2 GB VPS is comfortable. SimpleDeploy itself uses around 60 MB RAM. The rest is Docker plus your apps.

Does it work on a Raspberry Pi?

Yes. Linux/arm64 and linux/armv7 binaries ship with every release. A Pi 4 with 4 GB handles a handful of small services well.

Where are secrets stored?

Registry credentials are AES-256-GCM encrypted with the master_secret from your config, stored in the SQLite DB. App env vars are stored as plain text in compose files on disk. Treat the host filesystem as your trust boundary: full-disk encryption, restricted SSH, and don’t commit master_secret to git.

How do I report a bug or suggest a feature?

Everything goes through GitHub at vazra/simpledeploy. The dashboard’s “Help & feedback” menu (bottom of the sidebar) links to all of it:

• Bug open an issue with reproduction steps, version, and relevant logs.
• Feature or improvement file an enhancement issue describing the use case.
• Question or general feedback start a thread in GitHub Discussions.
• Fix or improvement SimpleDeploy is MIT-licensed and PRs are welcome. See contributing setup.

If you ship something useful upstream, your name lands in the changelog. Starring the repo also helps others find the project.