Zela
Zela: An open-source control plane for deploying and operating Docker workers you provide. Ranked #49 of 63 in Docker Hosting by our editors (4.2/10); pricing: Free plan; best for operators self-hosting a container cluster.
At a glance
- Editor score4.2 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forOperators self-hosting a container cluster
- Free planYes
- Paid fromFree
- AutoscalingNo
- Facts checked23 Oct 2026
Where it wins
- Deploy images with replica, resource, environment, and placement controls
- Monitor host and container metrics; manage service discovery and edge routes
- Operate through a dashboard, CLI, REST API, Docker clients, or MCP tools
Where it doesn't
- Operators must supply and pay for their own servers
- No autoscaling or persistent shared application storage
- Recovery is limited to eligible managed stateless replicas
Our verdict on Zela
Zela is open-source, self-hosted software for managing Docker workers and container workloads on Linux servers. It is aimed at operators who want a cluster control plane rather than a hosted Docker provider: you supply the servers and hosting. The published feature set covers image deployment, replica configuration, CPU and memory limits, environment variables, ports, and worker placement. The source is published under the Apache 2.0 license.
Its operating surface is broad for infrastructure management. Operators can provision Linux workers over SSH, connect TLS agents, or use a local Docker socket for one host. The dashboard, remote CLI, REST API, Docker-compatible clients, and MCP tools provide several ways to control workloads, with listed integrations for ChatGPT, Claude, and MCP-compatible assistants. Monitoring covers host and container CPU, memory, disk, network, and disk I/O. WireGuard worker networking, service discovery, stable service addresses, and edge routes with HTTPS options extend the cluster feature set beyond deployment alone.
Zela supports replica scaling and image rollouts, but the published category specifications mark autoscaling and persistent storage as unsupported. Recovery applies to eligible managed stateless replicas when a worker is lost and capacity is available; PostgreSQL or private file storage can hold manager state, with optional active/standby managers. These boundaries matter: teams needing persistent application volumes, volume replication, or a hosted service should look elsewhere. Zela fits operators comfortable running and maintaining their own Linux infrastructure who want centralized Docker management; it is less suitable for teams seeking managed hosting or stateful storage built into the platform.
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Zela pricing
Zela fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Autoscaling | No |
| Deployment methods | Container registry |
| Available regions | Not verified |
| Persistent storage | No |
| Custom domains | Not verified |
| Managed databases | No |
| Deployment | Self-hosted, Cloud, Desktop |
| Platforms | Web, Linux, macOS |
| Support | Docs |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 4 integrations: ChatGPT, Claude, Docker-compatible clients, MCP-compatible assistants |
| Pricing | Free plan |
| Website | zela.nexusai.run |
| Facts checked | 23 Oct 2026 |
Zela integrations
Zela lists 4 integrations on its own site.
- ChatGPT
- Claude
- Docker-compatible clients
- MCP-compatible assistants
Alternatives to Zela
- Google Cloud RunA usage-priced managed container platform for services, jobs, and event-driven workloads.9.4
- Amazon Elastic Container ServiceA fit for AWS teams that want managed orchestration with flexible compute and networking.9.3
- Azure Container AppsA flexible Azure service for container apps that need event-based scaling and scale-to-zero.9.2
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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