Temps vs Kamal

From deployment tool to full platform

Kamal deploys containers over SSH. Temps gives you that plus a dashboard, git-push deploys, preview environments, and built-in observability — in a single binary.

Full PaaS, not just a deploy tool

Kamal is a CLI-only deployment tool — no web UI, no dashboard, no git-push triggers. Temps is a complete platform with a web interface and automated workflows.

Built-in observability

Kamal has zero built-in monitoring. You need Sentry, PostHog, Pingdom, and a logging stack separately. Temps includes analytics, error tracking, session replay, and uptime monitoring.

No Ruby required

Kamal requires a Ruby environment and Docker on your local machine. Temps is a single Rust binary — install and go.

Git-push deploys out of the box

Kamal needs GitHub Actions or CI/CD glue for automated deploys. Temps supports native git-push deployment with zero configuration.

Feature Comparison

FeatureTempsKamal
Git push deployments
Native
Requires CI/CD setup
Web dashboard
Full management UI
CLI-only
Docker support
Zero-downtime deploys
Automatic SSL
Automatic
Via kamal-proxy
Custom domains
Preview environments
Per pull request
Manual setup required
Managed PostgreSQL
HA clusters
Docker accessory (no HA)
Managed Redis
Sentinel support
Docker accessory
S3-compatible storage
Built-in MinIO
Error tracking
Sentry-compatible
Not available
Analytics
Privacy-first, unlimited
Not available
Session replay
Built-in
Uptime monitoring
Built-in alerts & status pages
Not available
Transactional email
Built-in SES integration
Multi-server support
Rolling deployments
Open source
MIT license
MIT license

Pricing Comparison

Both are free and open-source. But Kamal is a deployment tool only — adding a dashboard, observability, managed databases, and preview environments means integrating 5+ separate tools. Temps includes everything.

PlanTempsKamal
Self-hosted$0$0
Cloud versionFrom $6/moN/A (no cloud offering)
With full observability$0 (included)$50–150+/mo (Sentry + PostHog + Pingdom + logging)
With managed databases$0 (included, HA)$0 (basic Docker containers, no HA)

Choose Temps if you...

  • You want a full PaaS with a web dashboard, not just a CLI tool
  • You want git-push deploys without configuring GitHub Actions
  • You need built-in analytics, error tracking, and monitoring
  • You want preview environments for every pull request
  • You need managed databases with HA support
  • You don't want to install Ruby or manage a local toolchain

Choose Kamal if you...

  • You want the simplest possible deployment — just SSH + Docker
  • You prefer a minimal tool with no server-side control plane
  • You're deploying Rails apps and want first-party Basecamp tooling
  • You already have a mature observability stack you're happy with
  • You want zero dependencies on your servers beyond Docker

Migration from Kamal

Kamal apps are Docker-based, so they work directly with Temps. Import your Docker config, connect your repo, and deploy via git push.

Difficulty:Easy

Ready to switch from Kamal?

Get started with Temps in minutes. Self-host for free or use our cloud add-ons.