Dokploy vs Coolify: Complete Comparison of the Best Self-Hosted PaaS Platforms for VPS and Dedicated Servers 2026

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Why self-hosted PaaS are replacing Heroku and Vercel in 2026

2025 has shown that developers and DevOps engineers are increasingly abandoning expensive cloud platforms like Heroku, Vercel, and Netlify in favor of their own VPS and dedicated servers. The reasons are clear: complete infrastructure control, cost reduction, and freedom from vendor lock-in.

Two platforms stand out among competitors as the most mature and feature-rich solutions for self-hosted deployment: Dokploy and Coolify. Both are open-source alternatives to commercial PaaS offerings, but each has its own unique characteristics and approaches to application management.

In this comprehensive review, we'll compare Dokploy and Coolify across all key parameters to help you choose the perfect solution for your project.

What are Dokploy and Coolify?

Dokploy: Modern PaaS focused on simplicity

Dokploy is a free open-source platform-as-a-service that simplifies deploying and managing applications and databases. The platform positions itself as an alternative to Heroku, Vercel, and Netlify, providing developers with an intuitive interface for deploying any applications on their own infrastructure.

Key Dokploy Features:

• Integration with Traefik for routing and load balancing
• Docker Swarm support for multi-node scaling
• Built-in real-time resource monitoring
• One-click templates for popular open-source applications

Dokploy monitoring tab and main menu

Coolify: Powerful platform with extensive ecosystem

Coolify is an open-source alternative to Heroku, Netlify, and Vercel that helps you manage servers, applications, and databases on your own dedicated server or VPS.

Key Coolify Features:

• Over 290 ready-made one-click services for instant deployment
• Support for any servers: VPS, bare metal, and even Raspberry Pi
• Automatic Let's Encrypt SSL certificate setup and renewal
• Powerful API for automation and integration

Coolify window with list of available services for deployment

Installation and initial setup

Installing Dokploy

Dokploy offers the simplest possible installation via a single script:

curl -sSL https://dokploy.com/install.sh | sudo sh

Installation process:

• Script automatically installs Docker and Docker Compose
• Deploys all necessary Dokploy containers
• Configures Traefik as reverse proxy
• 15 seconds after script completion, Dokploy is accessible at http://<your-server-ip>:3000

System Requirements:

Guaranteed supported OS: Ubuntu 22.04, 24.04 LTS, Debian 12, CentOS, Fedora, with deployment also possible on Rocky Linux and AlmaLinux.

After installation, you create an admin account and can immediately start deploying applications.

Installing Coolify

Coolify also installs with one simple command:

curl -fsSL https://cdn.coollabs.io/coolif... | sudo bash

Installation process:

• Checks and installs Docker
• Deploys Coolify containers
• Configures reverse proxy
• Coolify is accessible at http://<your-server-ip>:8000

System Requirements:

Important distinction: Coolify recommends using a separate server for the platform itself and separate servers for resources, ensuring better isolation and stability.

Dokploy vs. Coolify: key capabilities comparison

Application deployment

When it comes to flexibility, both projects aim for the same goal: freeing developers from the "configuration nightmare" and transforming an ordinary server into a full-fledged cloud platform. Despite different architectural approaches, they run nearly parallel in terms of technology support.

Dokploy emphasizes the ease and power of Docker Swarm. This is a "fast" tool that supports virtually any modern stack: from classic PHP to Rust and Go. For those who value speed, there's the Applications method – a true "plug-and-play" experience where the system automatically understands how to run your code. If your project requires complex structure, Docker Compose comes to the rescue, giving you complete control over each container. Dokploy's strong suit is its versatility in builds: it supports not only the popular Nixpacks but also time-tested Heroku and Paketo Buildpacks.

Coolify, on the other hand, plays the role of a "Swiss Army knife." It positions itself as the most complete alternative to Vercel and Heroku, striving to automate every step. The system handles any type of task perfectly – whether it's the simplest static site or a high-load backend with a database. By default, Coolify uses Nixpacks for automatic environment detection, allowing you to deploy applications literally "hands-free." At the same time, the platform offers slightly more freedom in methods: in addition to standard Dockerfile and Compose, there's easy deployment of pre-built images directly from external registries like Docker Hub.

Coolify application deployment method selection interface

In terms of code sources, both tools demonstrate maximum openness. They seamlessly integrate with GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and Gitea. However, Coolify takes a step forward in development process automation: thanks to GitHub App integration, it can create temporary Preview Deployments for each of your Pull Requests, allowing you to test changes before merging with the main branch. Dokploy remains true to its philosophy of direct control, allowing you to connect any Git repository or work directly with Docker Registry.

Database management in Dokploy and Coolify

Working with data is a critical aspect of any project, and here both tools offer mature solutions that eliminate the need for manual DB configuration in the terminal.

Dokploy provides developers with reliable and predictable tooling for working with the "gold standard" of modern databases: MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, and MariaDB. The panel provides complete lifecycle management: from deployment and shutdown to fine-tuning resource limits and volumes. For deep debugging, there's a terminal directly inside the database container and real-time log viewing. Dokploy also handles routine tasks, offering load monitoring and a flexible backup system – both manual and automatic. If needed, you can use custom Docker images, making Dokploy an excellent choice for specific tasks.

Coolify expands this list by offering not only classic databases but also additional options through the One-click services library. Functionally, management capabilities largely overlap with Dokploy, but Coolify places special emphasis on administrator "peace of mind." Its main pride is an advanced automatic backup system that can be configured with one button to send to any S3-compatible storage. The data recovery process is also maximally simplified and literally executed with "one click." Additionally, Coolify offers a more flexible volume management system and deep integration with an internal alert system that will instantly notify you if something goes wrong with the database.

Coolify supported databases

One-Click templates and services

The ready-made templates section is where the most active competition between panels unfolds. And if you thought the leader here was obvious, the numbers tell a different story.

Dokploy currently offers an impressive library of over 350 templates. Despite its external conciseness, the platform becomes a powerhorse, allowing you to deploy virtually any popular open-source tool in seconds. This is the ideal choice for those who want maximum ready-made solutions without burdening the server with heavy system requirements.

Dokploy template collection

Coolify, for its part, offers slightly fewer – around 290 configured services – but takes quality in execution and depth of integration. This is essentially a full-fledged "app store" for your server, where each service isn't just a running container but a professionally configured environment.

In both tools, the catalog is divided into key categories covering any business needs:

• Artificial Intelligence and ML: Instant deployment of environments like AnythingLLM, Flowise, Chroma, or LobeChat
• Analytics and Data: Self-hosted alternatives to Google Analytics – Plausible and Umami, as well as enterprise-level systems like Posthog and Metabase
• Development and CMS: From classic WordPress, Ghost, and Strapi to full GitLab and Gitea instances
• Business and Productivity: Ready-made tools for scheduling (Cal.com), accounting (Invoice Ninja), customer support (Chatwoot), or document management (Paperless)
• Monitoring and Databases: Full spectrum of DBMS from PostgreSQL to ClickHouse, as well as server monitoring systems – Grafana, Uptime Kuma, Zabbix, and Beszel

Coolify available AI category services

The main value of this section in both panels is reference-grade configuration. You don't need to think about environment variables, data storage paths, internal network configuration, or container health checks. All of this is already defined in the template. You just need to click the "Deploy" button and get a finished product configured according to DevOps best practices.

Multi-Server and scaling

When a project grows beyond a single server, Dokploy and Coolify offer two fundamentally different paths: cluster orchestration versus convenient centralized management.

Dokploy's uniqueness lies in native Docker Swarm integration. This allows you to turn multiple servers into a unified cluster where load is distributed automatically. This is the ideal choice for those who need high availability without Kubernetes complexity.

Key capabilities:

• Orchestration: Replica management and automatic restart of failed containers
• Load Balancing: Native traffic distribution through Traefik within the cluster
• Build Servers: Ability to offload heavy builds to a separate server to avoid burdening "worker" nodes

Dokploy Docker Swarm panel

Coolify focuses on multi-server capability through maximum simplicity. Adding a new server happens literally with one SSH command, turning the panel into a single control center for your entire infrastructure. Although Docker Swarm is present here, its configuration requires more manual actions and is currently considered more complex.

Key capabilities:

• Unlimited Servers: Connect any number of servers and deploy resources to them with one click
• Isolation: Recommended scheme – one server for the panel and separate nodes for applications
• Kubernetes support is planned, which will simplify clustering in the future and bring it to the de facto standard

Coolify server addition window

Monitoring and logs

System health monitoring is well-implemented in both panels, allowing you to notice critical failures in time and analyze container behavior.

Dokploy emphasizes operational diagnostics. The platform provides real-time metrics (CPU, RAM, disk, network) and ensures quick access to each container's logs. For deep debugging, there's a built-in terminal, and build history is saved with all build details. If infrastructure fails – for example, a container crashes or disk space runs out – the system instantly sends notifications to Telegram, Slack, Discord, or via custom Webhook.

Coolify offers a more visual approach to monitoring. Here, color-coded log level indication and convenient search are implemented, simplifying work with large data volumes. The main focus is on automation: the health-check system continuously verifies application availability and notifies about problems. This allows you to react to incidents before users notice them. Speaking of notifications, all the same channels are available: Email, Discord, Slack, Telegram.

CI/CD and automation

In automation matters, both panels strive for the "Push-to-Deploy" ideal: you simply push code to the repository, and the system takes care of everything else.

Speed and flexible management – Dokploy builds a straightforward and efficient process. Thanks to native Git integration, the platform instantly reacts to every update in your repository through webhooks, triggering auto-deployment. For more complex scenarios, full-featured REST API support is provided, allowing you to weave Dokploy into any existing corporate infrastructure. Special mention deserves the CLI tool for server management via command line and the built-in task scheduler, which is perfect for running regular scripts inside containers.

Dokploy deployment parameter configuration

Coolify turns automation into a flexible constructor. The platform seamlessly fits into GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or Bitbucket Pipelines, becoming their logical continuation. Coolify's main feature is GitHub App usage, which opens access to Preview Deployments: the system can automatically deploy each of your Pull Requests in a separate, temporary environment for testing. For complete infrastructure automation, a powerful API is provided, allowing programmatic resource management.

Backups and recovery

Data security is an area where both panels strive to maximize life simplification for developers, freeing them from writing custom bash scripts. In both platforms, backup work is automated and integrated into the interface.

Dokploy makes the backup process maximally transparent. You can configure automatic scheduling for any database, specify how many copies to keep to avoid filling the disk, and choose external S3 storage. Dokploy's distinctive feature is Volume backups support, allowing you to back up not only database tables but also files inside containers.

Dokploy volume backup and recovery

Coolify, in turn, offers a nearly identical set of tools: schedule automation, S3 support, and retention policies. However, the user experience here leans toward recovery speed. Coolify's interface is designed so that in case of disaster, you can find the needed dump and launch recovery with one click, minimizing service downtime.

Dokploy vs Coolify comparison table

Self-Hosted alternatives to cloud PaaS: economics and migration

Migration and transition process

Transitioning from Heroku, Vercel, or Railway to your own management panels comes down to five steps: renting a VPS/dedicated server, installing Dokploy or Coolify, importing Git repository, configuring databases, and transferring environment variables. Thanks to Nixpacks and Buildpacks support, platforms automatically recognize frameworks like Next.js, Nuxt, and others, making deployment as seamless as in the cloud.

Economics and total cost of ownership

Financial benefit here is measured not only in money but also in predictability. Instead of €40–150 for cloud tiers, where price grows with each new project or team member, you only pay for server resources. Maintaining a stack on a performant VPS costs on average €15–30/month. This provides honest savings of 60–70% compared to managed solutions, while you get complete freedom of action without limits on the number of sites and services.

Of course, if the project is tiny – something like a landing page – there may be no savings, as a minimal VPS will cost the same as a cloud tier. But as soon as there are two or more projects, self-hosted begins to win by a wide margin.

Development and community

Coolify today is a mature standard with a huge community, video guides, and LLM-optimized documentation. Dokploy is a lighter and younger alternative with a fast UI and an active development team. Both projects are actively moving toward Kubernetes support, advanced monitoring, and expanding security systems. They are already full-fledged replacements for enterprise PaaS solutions, and not a trace remains of the former complexity of self-hosting platforms.

Dokploy vs. Coolify: Which to Choose for Self-Hosting?

After detailed comparison, it becomes clear that both platforms aren't just cloud alternatives but powerful tools with different characters. Your choice will depend on task scale and familiar workflows.

Who should choose Dokploy? 

This platform will be the ideal solution if you're looking for conciseness and architectural purity. Dokploy wins with its modern interface and focus on essentials: fast delivery of your applications and databases. Thanks to deep Traefik integration and out-of-the-box Docker Swarm cluster support, it's perfect for projects planning to scale horizontally without unnecessary complexity.

Best choice for: startups, DevOps teams, and those who want to migrate from Heroku to a maximally understandable and quick-to-learn system (getting started takes literally 10 minutes).

Dokploy cluster management

Who is Coolify better suited for? 

If your goal is to turn a server into a true "Swiss Army knife," then Coolify is unmatched. This is a community giant with a huge library – over 290 ready-made services that deploy with one click. Its key advantage for teams is Preview Deployments support, allowing you to test each Pull Request in a separate environment.

Best choice for: web agencies with dozens of client sites, self-hosting enthusiasts, and teams with a developed code review culture.

Universal Recommendation

Start with Dokploy if you're a beginner in application and service hosting – easier to master, fewer configuration options, easier to understand the basics.

For experienced users, Coolify will provide more capabilities, flexibility, and ready-made solutions, but will require time to study all features. Both platforms are production-ready.

Can you use both? Yes! Many users use Dokploy for critical production applications and Coolify for auxiliary services and tools.

Start hosting applications and services the new way today – installation takes just 5 minutes, and savings can reach thousands of dollars per year!

Want to learn more about hosting applications on your own infrastructure? Contact our team for consultation on choosing the optimal VPS or dedicated server for your needs.