CapRover, Rebuilt for 2026
CapRover pioneered self-hosted PaaS. sh0 takes it further: built-in Claude AI with 27 tools, MCP server for Claude Desktop, code health scoring, CLI with sh0 push, and zero-downtime blue-green deployments.
Quick Verdict
CapRover is a proven open-source PaaS with a loyal community. sh0 is its modern successor: same self-hosted philosophy, but with a Rust core, AI-powered debugging, a polished Svelte 5 dashboard, and zero-downtime deployments out of the box.
Feature-by-feature comparison
Side-by-side breakdown of what each platform offers.
| Feature | sh0 | CapRover |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Rust (single binary) | Node.js (Docker) |
| Built-in AI assistant | 27 tools, Claude, MCP | |
| AI sandbox | Debug in container | |
| CLI push deploy | sh0 push: live in 35s | |
| Zero-downtime deploys | Blue-green | Partial |
| Code health check | 34 rules | |
| Multi-server BYOS | SSH tunnel, Business plan | Docker Swarm |
| Preview environments | PR-based | |
| Scaling | CPU/memory auto-scale | Manual Swarm |
| Dashboard | Modern Svelte 5 | Older UI |
| CLI commands | 30+, JSON output | Yes |
| Templates | 170 one-click | 100+ |
| Active development | 2026 | Slower cadence |
| Mobile app | sh0 Manager (iOS & Android) |
Why Developers Switch
Real problems, real solutions.
CapRover UI feels dated
The dashboard was designed years ago. Navigation is clunky, the layout is cramped, and it does not feel like a modern web application.
sh0 modern Svelte 5 dashboard
A clean, responsive dashboard built with Svelte 5 and TailwindCSS. 15+ pages covering logs, terminal, domains, monitoring, file browser, and more.
No help when things break
CapRover shows you logs and error codes. Interpreting them, finding the root cause, and applying the fix is entirely on you.
Claude AI reads logs, explains errors
sh0's built-in AI analyzes container logs, correlates events, and explains what went wrong in plain English. It can also debug in an isolated sandbox container.
Docker Swarm required for multi-server
Scaling across servers means setting up Docker Swarm -- manager nodes, worker nodes, overlay networks. Significant operational overhead.
sh0 SSH-based pure Rust
sh0 connects to remote servers via SSH tunnel. No Swarm, no overlay networks, no consensus protocol. Add a server, deploy to it.
Key Differentiators
What sets sh0 apart from CapRover.
Built-in Claude AI
27 tools for deployment, debugging, log analysis, and infrastructure management. MCP server for Claude Desktop and Cursor. AI sandbox for safe experimentation.
CLI with sh0 push
30+ commands with JSON output. Deploy with a single sh0 push command -- live in 35 seconds. Scriptable, automatable, CI-friendly.
Modern Architecture
Rust binary, Svelte 5 dashboard, blue-green deployments, CPU/memory auto-scaling. No Docker Swarm, no overlay networks -- just SSH and containers.
Beyond Deployment: Full Backend Services
CapRover deploys containers. sh0 also includes managed backend services out of the box.
PostgREST API
Auto-generated REST API from your PostgreSQL tables.
Auth Service (Logto)
OIDC auth with social login, MFA, and admin console.
Realtime (Centrifugo)
WebSocket + SSE with channels, presence, and history.
Serverless Functions (Deno)
TypeScript/JavaScript functions, HTTP-invokable.
S3 Storage (MinIO)
S3-compatible object storage with web console.
Email Hosting (Stalwart)
DKIM/SPF/DMARC auto-config, Cloudflare DNS setup.
Pricing comparison
CapRover is free and open source. sh0 adds AI, polish, and support.
| Tier | sh0 | CapRover |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Free (open source) |
| Solo | $19/mo | Free (self-hosted) |
| Teams | $97/mo | Free (self-hosted) |
Ready to upgrade from CapRover?
Install sh0 in 30 seconds. Free forever for 1 app.