Top 8 Tools to Build Your Own PaaS
Tags: paas, heroku, devops, aws
Published: 2023-06-29 14:15:11

**Imagine you can build your own Heroku. Exciting, right?**

Building your own PaaS (Platform as a Service) can revolutionize the way you deploy and manage applications. One of the key advantages of a custom PaaS solution is its ability to streamline the complete application life cycle. With a well-designed PaaS environment, developers can easily package their applications, define dependencies, and deploy them seamlessly across various cloud environments. This simplifies the deployment process, reduces time-to-market, and ensures consistent application delivery. By leveraging PaaS tools, developers can focus their efforts on writing code and innovating rather than being burdened by infrastructure setup and maintenance tasks. 

_Disclaimer: I'm the co-founder of [Qovery](https://www.qovery.com/) and we've built our own PaaS designed to integrate with multiple cloud providers including AWS._

Here is a list of the **8 most popular tools to create your own PaaS** and unlock the full potential of your application infrastructure.
_Note: The order doesn't matter since all the following tools have  their own unique twist_

#1. Dokku
[Dokku](https://dokku.com/) is a lightweight and open-source PaaS platform that simplifies application deployment by leveraging Docker. With Dokku, developers can easily push their applications using Git, allowing Dokku to build and run them in isolated containers. Its CLI-only approach and plugin architecture make it highly extensible. Dokku's modular plugins enable features like database integration, Let's Encrypt SSL certificates, and automated Slack notifications, giving developers flexibility and control over their PaaS environment.

![Dokku](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/k7lyhq8e0lqm3b666yyi.png)

**Dokku Key Features**
* Lightweight and Easy to Set Up
* Language and Framework Agnostic
* Heroku Compatibility
* CLI client for integrating into existing build tools
* Git-Based Deployment
* Built-in Docker support for advanced usage
* Plugin System and Extensibility


#2. Cloud Foundry
[Cloud Foundry](https://www.cloudfoundry.org/) is a mature and widely adopted PaaS solution that uses the scalability of Kubernetes to build a simple yet performant PaaS option. It offers robust features such as built-in scaling, logging, and automation capabilities. With Cloud Foundry, you can easily deploy applications across multiple clouds, enabling portability and flexibility. Its extensive ecosystem and support for various programming languages make it an attractive option for enterprises seeking a powerful PaaS solution.

![Cloud Foundry](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/j8pihki1xolftog4fhq6.png)

**Cloud Foundry Key Features**
* Built-in Scaling and High Availability
* Application lifecycle
* Logging and Metrics
* Automation and DevOps Enablement
* Multiple Language and Framework Support
* Built-in service marketplace for enhancing deployment functionality
* Multi-Cloud Deployment
* Flexible infrastructure support through BOSH stemcells
* Community and Support


#3. CapRover
[CapRover](https://caprover.com/), a popular open-source PaaS solution, emerged in 2017. Developed using TypeScript, CapRover boasts a user-friendly interface that demands just a few commands to kickstart your journey. Leveraging the power of Docker, CapRover supports the deployment of a wide range of applications with minimal overhead. While CapRover's ease of use sets it apart, its standout feature lies in the built-in marketplace offering one-click deployment of popular applications like WordPress and MySQL. This marketplace simplifies the deployment process, significantly reducing the complexity associated with launching applications on CapRover.

![CapRover](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/6lux9mn3qnbrwz0m3kji.png)

**CapRover Key features**
* Web GUI for ease of use
* CLI for scripting and automation
* Load balancing with the help of Nginx
* Free SSL certificates using Let’s Encrypt
* Containerization and clustering using Docker Swarm
* Automatic SSL certificate provisioning from Let's Encrypt
* Supports all Docker-based applications
* Built-in marketplace for one-click deploys of other popular open-source applications


#4. Qovery
[Qovery](https://www.qovery.com/) is a comprehensive PaaS tool that offers a range of features to simplify the deployment and management of applications. With Qovery, you can easily deploy your applications in various cloud environments, eliminating the complexities of infrastructure setup. Its intuitive and developer-friendly interface, Git integration, and automatic scaling capabilities make it a powerful choice for building a custom PaaS. Qovery's seamless integration with popular frameworks and databases further enhances its appeal.

![Qovery](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/jc0boj5u3s3w2mw2id2i.png)

**Qovery Key Features**
* Automatically installed on your cloud account in 15 minutes!
* User-friendly Interface & Modern UI
* Easy application deployment using Git
* Zero maintenance (no infrastructure upgrades, everything is handled by Qovery)
* Built-in support for AWS
* Cronjob, Workers, Custom Domain, TLS, auto-scaling, Environment Variables, Secrets Management, Rollback…
* Preview Environments & Cloning Environments in one click
* Advanced Security features (RBAC, Audit Logs, SOC2/HIPAA Compliance)
* Extensibility & Integrations
* Business and community support

Qovery is a powerful choice for building your own PaaS on AWS or other cloud providers, allowing you to focus on your applications and accelerate your development processes.


#5. Coherence
Emerged in 2021, [Coherence](https://www.withcoherence.com/) is a cloud-native PaaS tool focused on providing seamless deployment experiences. It offers intelligent auto-scaling, logging, and monitoring capabilities, ensuring performance and reliability for your applications. Coherence's emphasis on automation and ease of use enables developers to quickly deploy and manage their applications without compromising on quality. Coherence is a relatively young platform that is still evolving, but the product looks promising.

![Coherence](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/5h009491femhzt4j99re.png)

**Coherence Key Features**
* User-friendly interface
* Automated-infra-as-code
* Managed CI/CD
* Preview Environments
* Auto-Scaling
* Seamlessly integrates with popular DevOps tools and workflows
* Built-in support for AWS

#6. Virtuozzo
[Virtuozzo](https://virtuozzo.com/) is a powerful PaaS tool designed specifically for containers and virtualization. It provides container orchestration capabilities and supports high-density workloads, allowing you to build scalable and efficient PaaS environments. Virtuozzo offers a lite edition that shares most features with its Business and Enterprise counterparts, albeit with certain limitations. But it’s very effective for small applications and saves a lot of costs. Virtuozzo is best suited for e-commerce websites and applications.

![Virtuozzo](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/bth6sb0doeviojx1ycix.png)

**Virtuozzo Key Features**
* High-Density Workloads
* Automatic vertical and horizontal scaling
* Built-in monitoring and troubleshooting tools
* API, CLI, and SSH access for container management
* Easy integration with popular container ecosystem tools and services
* Container and Kubernetes support
* Support and Expertise

#7. Portainer
[Portainer](https://www.portainer.io/) is a container management tool that can be leveraged to build a PaaS environment. Its intuitive interface, multi-cloud support, and container orchestration features simplify the management of containers and services. Portainer allows you to monitor resource usage, manage container networks, and deploy applications with ease.

![Portainer](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/908720p8s6tnrh4kxlbk.png)

**Portainer Key Features**
* Intuitive interface
* Multi-cloud support
* Powerful container orchestration tool (supports Kubernetes and Docker Swarm)
* Application templates and stacks
* Automatic stack updates
* Monitoring and logging tools integration
* Extensibility
* Community support

#8. Rancher
[Rancher](https://www.rancher.com/) is a comprehensive container management platform that offers extensive capabilities for building a custom PaaS environment. It provides advanced container orchestration, networking, and infrastructure management features. With Rancher, you can easily deploy, scale, and manage containerized applications across diverse environments. Its flexibility and scalability make it an excellent choice for organizations looking to create their own PaaS platforms.

![Rancher](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/1iyx0mxolqjb3g4mx2qe.png)

**Rancher Key Features**
* Container Orchestration & Scheduling (Kubernetes, Docker Swarm, and Apache Mesos support)
* Advanced networking capabilities
* Multi-Cluster Management
* Application Catalog
* Resource allocation & Scaling capabilities
* Extensibility and Ecosystem Integration (supports a wide range of third-party integrations)
* Observability & Alerts
* Community and Support

#Conclusion
Building your own PaaS using the right tools can revolutionize your application deployment and management processes. From comprehensive solutions like Cloud Foundry and Qovery to lightweight options like Dokku and CapRover, these tools offer a range of features and functionalities to suit different needs. 
So what’s next? Go ahead and try the above tools to build your own PaaS. Most of them are open-source or offer a free plan.

Are there any other solutions that you believe are worth mentioning and might have been overlooked?