What it does
Coolify is an open-source deployment control plane for Docker workloads on connected servers. Run its dashboard yourself or use Coolify Cloud; in either case, you provide the servers that host your applications, databases, and services. Deploy from a Git repository, Dockerfile, Docker Compose file, or existing image, then manage domains, HTTPS, health checks, logs, and persistent storage.
Deploy to a server you control
For self-hosting, start with a Linux server with SSH access and enough resources for both the Coolify instance and your workloads. The installation guide recommends at least 2 CPU cores, 2 GB RAM, and 10 GB of disk space for Coolify itself. After installing, create the instance’s admin account, connect a server, and add an application from a Git repository, Dockerfile, Docker Compose file, or container image. For a Git deployment, configure its build, variables, domain, and health checks; Coolify builds or pulls an image and runs it as Docker resources on the connected server. It can also coordinate databases and one-click services.
Coolify Cloud changes who operates the dashboard, not where application workloads run. The Coolify team maintains the control plane, while you supply and manage servers, SSH access, operating-system updates, firewall rules, workload data, and application backups. This division is useful for teams that want a deployment dashboard without handing their workload infrastructure to a hosting provider, but it leaves substantial server operations with the customer.
Costs and operational tradeoffs
Self-hosted Coolify has no license fee, but you pay for the server running Coolify and for workload infrastructure. The managed Coolify Cloud subscription starts at $5 per month and includes two connected server slots; each additional server is listed at $3 per month. Cloud does not provide the application servers, so their provider charges are separate. The self-hosted path also means you maintain and back up the Coolify instance. Choose it when that control is worth the operational work; choose Cloud when paying for a managed control plane is preferable.
Strengths
- Supports Git, Dockerfile, Docker Compose, and existing-image deployment workflows.
- Can manage applications, databases, and services across one or more connected servers.
- Self-hosting is free of a Coolify license fee, and the codebase is open source.
Watch out for
- Coolify is a deployment control plane, not a workload hosting provider; customers supply and operate the servers.
- Self-hosting requires maintaining and backing up the Coolify instance as well as securing the connected infrastructure.
- Coolify Cloud charges a subscription, and connected workload servers remain a separate cost.
Best for
- Developers who want a self-hostable deployment dashboard for Docker-based applications
- Teams deploying services to their own VPS or other Linux servers
- Teams that want a managed control plane while retaining responsibility for workload infrastructure
Sources
- What is Coolify? Open-source, self-hostable PaaS (Oct 25, 2026)
- Applications | Coolify Docs (Oct 25, 2026)
- Self Hosted vs Coolify Cloud | Coolify Docs (Oct 25, 2026)
- Coolify Pricing: Cloud from $5/mo, self-hosted free (Oct 25, 2026)
- Install Coolify (Self-hosted): One-command Setup (Oct 25, 2026)
- coolify/LICENSE at main · coollabsio/coolify · GitHub (Oct 25, 2026)