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Kamal

Deploy Docker containers to your own VMs with one CLI

DevOps / Containers · OSS/MIT · 14.7k

Reviewed 2026-09-03 · last push 2026-10-21 · repo checked 2026-10-21

What's Good

MIT (MIT-LICENSE). kamal setup / kamal deploy from a laptop to a VM. Traefik or Kamal Proxy, accessories, secrets, rolling deploys. You keep the servers; you skip Kubernetes. Built at 37signals for HEY and Basecamp.

The Catch

You still run Docker hosts. This is not a PaaS. Networking, disks, and what-if-the-VM-dies remain your problem. Kamal 2 changed proxy defaults — read the current docs, not a 2024 blog post.

Verdict

The honest alternative to a PaaS when you already have VMs.

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