Why I Deploy Rails Apps with Capistrano in Docker (Yes, Still)

Most Rails devs have moved on to CI pipelines, fancy cloud hooks, or even zero-deploy tools.

So when I tell people I still use Capistrano to deploy all my Rails apps, I get a look — like I just admitted to still using FTP.

But…I’ve deployed hundreds of times using Capistrano.

And now I do it all inside Docker.

Not only does it work flawlessly, it avoids a whole category of headaches:

• No SSH agent weirdness
• No local Ruby version dependencies
• No flaky CI step failures
• No provisioning a new box every time

If you’re a solo developer or running a small team, this setup might save your sanity.

Why Not Just Use CI or GitHub Actions?

Because I don’t need to.

My Docker-based Capistrano workflow:

• Works consistently on every project
• Doesn’t rely on CI/CD services
• Deploys over existing installations, with zero downtime
• Avoids manual SSH key forwarding