Open source, Apache 2.0

From a bare Linux server to production Kubernetes in one command

What you get

Kipper console dashboard with system memory and CPU gauges — Cluster health, every component, apps, databases and backups in one console. The console is included with every installation.

Kipper installs a complete Kubernetes platform on any Linux server. Automatic SSL, a web console, git deploys and a subdomain for every cluster, ready in minutes.

Get started View on GitHub

curl -sL https://getkipper.com/install | sh

One command

bash

Terminal session: installing Kipper and deploying a first app.

$ curl -sL https://getkipper.com/install | sh
$ kip install --host 203.0.113.10 --ssh-key ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 --admin-email admin@example.com
  
  Connecting to 203.0.113.10...
  ✔  Connected
  
  Running preflight checks...
  ✔  OS: ubuntu 24.04
  ✔  RAM: 3820MB available
  ✔  Disk: 35370MB available
  ✔  Ports: 80, 443, 6443 open
  
  Registering subdomain...
  ✔  Subdomain assigned: 203-0-113-10.kipper.run
  
  Installing cluster...
  ✔  Installing k3s
  ✔  Configuring firewall
  ✔  Installing Traefik ingress
  ✔  Configuring cert-manager
  ✔  Setting up storage
  ✔  Installing metrics and dashboards (Prometheus + Grafana)
  ✔  Deploying console
  
  Cluster ready.
  Console:    https://console--203-0-113-10.kipper.run
  
$ kip app deploy --name hello --image nginx:latest --port 80
  
  Deploying hello...
  ✔  Deployment created
  ✔  Service created
  ✔  Ingress created
  ✔  Live at https://hello--203-0-113-10.kipper.run

From zero to deployed in minutes

Three commands take you from a fresh server to an app running over HTTPS.

1
Install the CLI
Run this command in your terminal to install kip on Linux or macOS.
curl -sL https://getkipper.com/install | sh
2
Install your cluster
Point kip at a server IP. It connects over SSH, runs preflight checks and sets up Kubernetes, ingress, SSL, storage, monitoring and the web console.
kip install --host 203.0.113.10 --ssh-key ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 --admin-email admin@example.com
3
Deploy your first app
Deploy any container image and get a live HTTPS URL on your cluster's own subdomain.
kip app deploy --name hello --image nginx:latest --port 80

A production platform, assembled for you

Kipper ships the pieces you would otherwise assemble by hand, installed and configured together.

Web console

Manage clusters, projects and apps from a clean dashboard with real-time log streaming and dark mode.

Automatic SSL

Every app is served over HTTPS with a valid Let's Encrypt certificate. Renewal happens on its own.

Deploy without YAML

One command turns a container image into a running app with a deployment, service and ingress behind it.

Git deploys

Deploy straight from GitHub or GitLab repositories. The provider is detected from the URL.

Built-in subdomains

Every cluster gets its own *.kipper.run subdomain with SSL included. Point your own domain at it whenever you are ready.

Databases built in

Postgres, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, RabbitMQ and more, each with persistent storage and generated credentials.

Automatic backups

Daily backups cover cluster resources and volume data. Store them off-cluster on any S3-compatible storage.

Observability included

Loki, Prometheus and Grafana are installed during setup and already wired together.

Web terminal

Open a shell inside any running pod straight from the browser.

A web console on every cluster

Every cluster gets the console at install time, served over HTTPS on its own subdomain. Check cluster health, deploy apps, attach a database and restore a backup from the browser.

Kipper console dashboard showing cluster health, resource gauges and platform component status — Cluster health, live resource usage and the state of every platform component.

Kipper console apps list showing three running apps with their container images — Every app in the environment with its image, replicas and running state.

Kipper console project view showing the test, acc and prod environments with promotion controls — Promote the same image from test to acc to prod, one app at a time or a whole environment at once.

Kipper console app panel showing log output with the deploys, scale, env, files and connect tabs — Searchable history and a live tail, alongside deploys, scale, env, files and a shell for the same app.

Kipper console web terminal attached to a running container, with equivalent kip CLI commands listed — A shell in the running container from the browser, with the kip commands for the same jobs listed underneath.

Kipper console services list showing a PostgreSQL database and a Redis cache — PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, RabbitMQ and MinIO, bound to the apps that use them.

Kipper console database client running a SQL query and showing the result rows — A SQL editor and table browser for your Postgres and MySQL services, built into the console.

Kipper console backups page showing automatic schedules and completed backup history — Scheduled cluster backups with full history, ready to restore.

Swipe to see more

Compared

How Kipper compares to Coolify, Dokploy, Dokku, CapRover and Kubero

All of them put your apps on your own servers. The difference is what runs underneath.

Coolify, Dokploy, CapRover, Dokku

Docker underneath

Apps run on Docker. Coolify and Dokploy deploy from Compose files. Dokploy and CapRover use Swarm for multiple servers. Dokku follows the Heroku model and offers an optional k3s scheduler. These are a good fit when Docker is all you need.

Kubero, Sealos

Bring a cluster, or run a cloud

Kubero is a PaaS for an existing cluster or one it provisions through a managed provider. Sealos installs its own Kubernetes distribution, built for running a multi-tenant cloud.

Kipper

Kubernetes built on your server

One command turns a plain Linux server into a k3s cluster with the console, HTTPS, storage, identity and backups configured together. More servers join as workers when you need them. Apps are ordinary Kubernetes objects, so your team can use kubectl and apply what they learn to any other cluster.

The other projects have years of public releases behind them. Kipper is pre-1.0. The full comparison covers licenses, when each project is the better choice, and the resources Kipper needs on a small server.

Read the full comparison

Apache 2.0

Open source and self-hosted

Kipper runs entirely on your own servers and the code is open for anyone to read. The project is built in the open. Issues, ideas and patches are all welcome.

Star on GitHub Contribution guide

Isometric illustration of connected servers forming a cluster