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Coolify

Self-hostable deployment platform for apps, databases and 280+ one-click services, positioned as an open-source alternative to Heroku or Vercel.

Visit coolify.io ↗Alternatives
Works with AI agents:llms.txt
Ask your AI about this, with this page as the source:ChatGPT ↗Claude ↗Perplexity ↗

Coolify gives you a Heroku-style dashboard for servers you already have: connect a Linux box (a VPS, bare metal, even a Raspberry Pi) and it builds and runs your apps, databases and one-click services there, with domains and HTTPS.

The model: a Coolify instance acts as a control plane that reaches each connected server over SSH, prepares Docker there, then builds an image (from a Git repo, a Dockerfile or Docker Compose, or a prebuilt image) and runs it as ordinary containers behind a reverse proxy that issues certificates. Workloads are plain Docker, so running apps survive the Coolify instance going down.

What matters to a small team: Git push deploys and preview deployments per pull request through a GitHub App; scheduled backups for PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB and ClickHouse to S3-compatible storage; one instance managing many servers; and teams with roles. You can self-host the instance (it needs at least 2 CPU cores, 2 GB RAM and 10 GB disk) or use Coolify Cloud, where the Coolify team runs the control plane and you still bring the servers.

The main limit is responsibility: Coolify doesn't host anything. OS updates, firewalls, DNS and tested restores are yours, along with the instance itself if you self-host. Scaling out is basic: Coolify can push the same image to several servers, but you set up the load balancer, and apps with persistent storage or Docker Compose can't use multi-server deploys.

Where it fits

Hosting · Your own serverA Heroku- or Vercel-style dashboard on your own server, with many one-click services.Trade-off: The dashboard itself runs on your server and needs updates.

How Coolify itself is built

3 tools, from its own code, website and Product Hunt page.

Claude CodePostgreSQLResend

Who uses it

23 makers' products, each linked to the source that shows it.

The maker says so 22Subprocessor list 1How evidence is collected →
ClipwingGet more views and grow your audience with short clips

“Fast deployments, easy container management, and simple multi-server support”

HostingMaker says so · source ↗
FAQPopupMaximize conversion rates with proactive FAQs

“FAQ Widget is hosted via coolify. Thanks for Andras and the community for this amazing piece of tech.”

HostingMaker says so · source ↗
SODAX SDKDigital asset flows you can build and deploy with AI.

“Self-hosting is always a must and Coolify brings a Vercel-like UX with full control, no vendor lock-in, and is far cheaper at scale.”

HostingMaker says so · source ↗
ListadumImprove your sales on Etsy with data and AI

“Coolify enables Listadum to manage our servers cost-efficiently, which is essential given the compute and bandwidth demands of running shop intelligence and the keyword explorer features.”

HostingMaker says so · source ↗
RPC InfoBlockchain RPC endpoint aggregator for web3 users and devs!

“Migrated everything to Coolify. It's simply an incredible tool for indie makers, looking to cut costs on the criminally expensive services provided by today's cloud giants.”

HostingMaker says so · source ↗
volfinds podcasts to extend your curiosity

“coolify is the way to go! (probably) takes some more work, but when you have multiple projects and the appetite to debug stuff, it's easier in the long run. I don't recommend it for everyone, if you're just starting or not worried about costs then maybe go for the most popular paas solutions. but for me it makes it much easier just to chuck whatever application I want onto a hetzner box.”

HostingMaker says so · source ↗
BotsLikeYouUnveiling Insights into Humanoid Robotics

“All the backend of this product is deployed using Coolify. It is the ultimate tool for indie hackers on budget that don't want too much hassle with container stuff. Honestly it's huge and I can't believe it's open-source 🙌”

HostingMaker says so · source ↗
ErbutSimple, Elegant, and Yours Forever!

“All our deployment is done on one instance of Hetzner running Coolify! Except the Google Buckets for image storage.”

HostingMaker says so · source ↗
ReplioTransform your surveys into AI conversational interviews.

“Huge thanks to Coolify for simplifying app deployments! 🎉 Its intuitive interface and powerful automation tools make it stand out from other deployment platforms, allowing developers to manage and scale applications with ease.”

HostingMaker says so · source ↗

What makers say

16 makers on why they use Coolify, in their own words on Product Hunt.

coolify is the way to go! (probably) takes some more work, but when you have multiple projects and the appetite to debug stuff, it's easier in the long run. I don't recommend it for everyone, if you're just starting or not worried about costs then maybe go for the most popular paas solutions. but for me it makes it much easier just to chuck whatever application I want onto a hetzner box.
volSep 2026 ↗
coolify is the way to go! (probably) takes some more work, but when you have multiple projects and the appetite to debug stuff, it's easier in the long run. I don't recommend it for everyone, if you're just starting or not worried about costs then maybe go for the most popular paas solutions. but for me it makes it much easier just to chuck whatever application I want onto a hetzner box.
volJul 2025 ↗
Coolify enables Listadum to manage our servers cost-efficiently, which is essential given the compute and bandwidth demands of running shop intelligence and the keyword explorer features.
ListadumSep 2026 ↗
Migrated everything to Coolify. It's simply an incredible tool for indie makers, looking to cut costs on the criminally expensive services provided by today's cloud giants.
RPC InfoSep 2026 ↗
Self-hosting is always a must and Coolify brings a Vercel-like UX with full control, no vendor lock-in, and is far cheaper at scale.
SODAX SDKSep 2026 ↗

Loved and watch-outs

Themes that recur in makers' words and Hacker News comments, each linked to what it summarises, with how Product Hunt tags its reviews.

Most loved
  • It gives a Vercel- or Heroku-style git-push workflow on your own server. PHHNHN 2
  • Self-hosting with it cuts costs compared with managed platforms. PHHNHN 2
  • SSL, backups, deploys and monitoring are handled from one web UI. PHHNHN 2
  • It is open source with no vendor lock-in, and one-click services start with few issues. PHHNHN 2
Watch-outs
  • Reliability is uneven, including a nasty breaking bug around its Traefik proxy. HNHN 2HN 3
  • Setup and UX can be hard, and it takes more debugging than a hosted platform. HNHN 2PH
  • It is tied to Docker and lacks some integrations, such as Forgejo. HNHN 2
  • Its single-server model struggles once a company outgrows one VPS. HNHN 2
On Product Hunt 5.0★ · 41 reviews
application deployment 7easy setup 6open source 5self-hostable 5feature development 3VPS compatibility 3community support 2free tier 2backup options 3
Read the reviews on Product Hunt ↗

Reliability and open issues

Most wanted on GitHubOpen on 2026-10-04 in coollabsio/coolify, with activity in the last year — issues and feature requests by 👍.

Who switches

Public pull requests on GitHub since Oct 2024 whose title says "X to Y" — real code changes moving a project from one tool to another, by developers in general. Open a row to see the pull requests.

Vercel → Coolify9 PRs
All matching pull requests on GitHub ↗
Railway → Coolify6 PRs
Railway vs Coolify compared →All matching pull requests on GitHub ↗
Render → Coolify3 PRs
All matching pull requests on GitHub ↗

Alternatives to Coolify

All alternatives by situation →
RailwayServers, workers and databases deployed together, with almost no configuration.112 makers · hostingCompare with Coolify →
VercelNext.js apps — zero-config deploys and preview URLs.Free tier
NetlifyStatic sites and JAMstack apps on any framework.Free tier241 makers · hosting
CloudflareCheap global hosting with Workers, plus database (D1) and storage (R2) on the same platform.Free tier375 makers · hosting
RenderA Heroku-style platform for web services, cron jobs and Postgres.Free tier128 makers · hosting
Fly.ioDocker apps that should run close to users in many regions.66 makers · hosting
Amazon Web ServicesThe widest catalog of building blocks — Lambda, containers, managed databases, queues — to assemble your own infrastructure.Free tier386 makers · hosting
Hetzner CloudA lot of CPU and RAM per euro, in European, US and Singapore regions.100 makers · hosting
SSTDefining an app and its AWS or Cloudflare infrastructure — functions, containers, queues, databases — in TypeScript, and deploying it with one command.Open sourceFree tier7 makers · hosting

On Product Hunt, people weigh it against: Render, DigitalOcean, Heroku, Porter, Zeabur.

Questions makers ask about Coolify

What do I need to self-host it?

A Linux server with SSH access and at least 2 CPU cores, 2 GB RAM and 10 GB disk. A one-line script installs everything, and a fresh server is recommended to avoid conflicts. source ↗

What's the difference between self-hosted Coolify and Coolify Cloud?

Only who runs the control plane. With Cloud, the Coolify team installs, updates and backs up the instance. In both cases your apps and data run on servers you provide. source ↗

If Coolify goes down, do my apps go down?

No. Deployed resources are standard Docker containers on your servers, so they keep running. You lose the dashboard and automation until the Coolify instance is back. source ↗

Does it do preview deployments for pull requests?

Yes. Each pull or merge request can get its own deployment, domain and environment variables, separate from production, and Coolify deletes it when the PR is closed or merged. source ↗

Can it back up my databases?

It can schedule backups for PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB and ClickHouse and upload copies to S3-compatible storage. Redis, Dragonfly and KeyDB aren't covered by this feature. source ↗

Can I scale an app across several servers?

Coolify can deploy the same image to multiple connected servers, but you provide and configure the load balancer in front. Apps with persistent storage and Docker Compose apps can't use multi-server deployment. source ↗

Am I locked in?

Not at the runtime level. Workloads run as ordinary Docker containers, networks and volumes on your own servers, without a proprietary Coolify runtime. source ↗

Is Coolify free?

Yes — there is a free tier a small product can run on; paid use starts at $5/mo (Cloud). source ↗

Is Coolify open source or self-hostable?

Open source, and you can self-host it. source ↗

Can AI coding agents work with Coolify?

It serves an llms.txt docs index.

Who uses Coolify?

23 makers' products we track, each with a source. source ↗