Deploy a representative application to Dokku with environment variables, persistent data, and a database dependency. Release a safe change, then deliberately deploy a broken one and measure the rollback path. Confirm logs, health checks, TLS, and backup procedures on the server you plan to operate.
Dokku can make a small server feel like a platform, but the team still owns the host. Document upgrades, disk pressure, and secret rotation. The right comparison is the full deploy-and-recover cycle, not the first push.
Akousa