What is the Dokploy vs Coolify score?

Dokploy scores 77/100 and Coolify scores 78/100 on PromptToProd's evidence-based ranking. Scores are never for sale.

Yes. The self-hosted open-source edition is free; you pay only for the server, which needs at least 2 GB RAM and 30 GB disk. Dokploy Cloud, which hosts the control panel for you, starts at $4.50/mo per server with a 7-day free trial.

Is Dokploy better than Coolify?

By our score Coolify leads narrowly, 78 to 77, mainly for its larger community (about 63k vs 38k GitHub stars). Dokploy is the stronger fit for Docker Compose stacks, Heroku buildpacks and multi-server Docker Swarm setups.

Which managed cloud is cheaper, Dokploy Cloud or Coolify Cloud?

For one server, Dokploy Hobby at $4.50/mo is slightly cheaper than Coolify Cloud’s $5/mo base. From two servers on, Coolify Cloud costs less on list prices: $5 for 2 servers and $3 for each extra one, vs $4.50 per server on Dokploy Hobby.

← Hosting & deploy

Dokploy vs Coolify (2026)

Head-to-head comparison for vibe coders: scores, free tiers, pricing and best-for, using the same evidence-based methodology. Rankings are never for sale.

Dokploy

Open-source, self-hostable Vercel/Heroku alternative with Docker Compose and multi-server deploys

Coolify

Open-source, self-hostable Heroku/Vercel alternative for your own servers

Side-by-side comparison

Criterion	Dokploy	Coolify
Score	77/100	78/100
Free tier	Yes: the open-source self-hosted edition is free to use (you pay for your own server)	Yes: the self-hosted edition is free with all features (bring your own server)
Open source	Yes	Yes
Pricing	Self-hosted free (Apache-2.0 outside the /proprietary directory; needs a server with at least 2 GB RAM and 30 GB disk). Dokploy Cloud (managed control panel, you bring the servers): Hobby $4.50/mo per server; Startup from $15/mo with 3 servers included, extra servers $4.50/mo; Enterprise custom. Yearly billing saves 20%; 7-day free trial, no card required	Self-hosted free forever (you pay for your own server; Coolify needs 2 CPU cores, 2 GB RAM, 10 GB disk); Coolify Cloud $5/mo for 2 servers + $3/mo per extra server (annual saves 20%)
Best for	Builders who want Vercel-style git deploys and Compose stacks on one cheap VPS without per-app fees	Builders who want Heroku-style git deploys for several apps on one cheap VPS, with no per-app or per-seat fees
Category	Hosting & deploy	Hosting & deploy

Score breakdown

Criterion	Dokploy	Coolify
Fit for the use case /25	18	18
Vibe-coder friendliness /15	9	9
Output quality & reliability /15	11	11
Pricing & free tier /15	14	14
Ecosystem & integrations /10	7	8
Momentum /10	8	8
Code ownership & lock-in /10	10	10

Based on desk research of official pricing pages and docs; see methodology.

How they differ

Both are free, open-source platforms you install on your own server to get git-push deploys, automatic HTTPS, preview deployments and one-click databases: a self-hosted take on Heroku or Vercel. Coolify (Apache-2.0, about 63k GitHub stars) is the larger project and community. Dokploy (about 38k stars, Apache-2.0 outside its /proprietary folder) runs on Docker Swarm with Traefik, treats Docker Compose stacks as a first-class deploy type, and supports multiple servers and Swarm clusters.

How they build your app

Coolify builds with Nixpacks, Railpack, a Dockerfile or Docker Compose. Dokploy builds with Nixpacks (its default), Railpack, a Dockerfile, Heroku or Paketo buildpacks, or a static Nginx build, and deploys Docker Compose stacks natively. If you are moving an app from Heroku, Dokploy’s Heroku buildpack option (heroku-24 by default) is the closest match to how Heroku built it.

Server requirements

Coolify needs at least 2 CPU cores, 2 GB RAM and 10 GB disk. Dokploy asks for at least 2 GB RAM and 30 GB disk, and ports 80, 443 and 3000 must be free. With either one, operating-system updates, firewall rules and backups are your job.

What the managed dashboards cost

Both are free to self-host with every core feature. Coolify Cloud runs the dashboard for you at $5/mo including 2 connected servers, plus $3/mo per extra server, with unlimited team members. Dokploy Cloud Hobby is $4.50/mo per server for 1 user and 1 organization (one backup per database); Startup starts at $15/mo with up to 3 servers, unlimited users and backups, basic roles and 2FA; Enterprise is custom. Yearly billing saves 20% on both, and Dokploy Cloud has a 7-day free trial. Your apps keep running on your own servers either way.

Which to pick

Coolify if you want the bigger community and the cheapest managed dashboard once you have two or more servers. Dokploy if your apps are Docker Compose stacks, you want Heroku buildpacks, or you plan to spread apps across several servers with Docker Swarm. Both are solid ways to run many small vibe-coded apps on one cheap VPS.

Who wins: Dokploy or Coolify?

By score, Coolify wins Dokploy vs Coolify at 78/100 vs 77/100. Coolify: The most popular open-source self-hosted PaaS (~63k GitHub stars, actively updated) and the cheapest way to run many apps: one VPS can host them all with no platform markup. You become the ops team, though: server security, backups and updates are on you, which is a real step up for first-time builders. Dokploy: One of the two most popular open-source self-hosted PaaS options (~38k GitHub stars, pushed Oct 16 2026, v0.30.8 released Sep 29) with native Docker Compose and multi-server support, and a cheap per-server managed option. Like Coolify, you become the ops team for server security, backups and updates, and its ecosystem is a bit smaller, so it lands just behind Coolify. Coolify is best for Builders who want Heroku-style git deploys for several apps on one cheap VPS, with no per-app or per-seat fees. Dokploy is best for Builders who want Vercel-style git deploys and Compose stacks on one cheap VPS without per-app fees.

FAQ

Which is better, Dokploy or Coolify?: By our score, Coolify (78/100) ranks above Dokploy (77/100). Coolify is best for Builders who want Heroku-style git deploys for several apps on one cheap VPS, with no per-app or per-seat fees. The right pick still depends on your workflow; see the side-by-side table.
What is the Dokploy vs Coolify score?: Dokploy scores 77/100 and Coolify scores 78/100 on PromptToProd's evidence-based ranking. Scores are never for sale.
Is Dokploy free?: Yes. The self-hosted open-source edition is free; you pay only for the server, which needs at least 2 GB RAM and 30 GB disk. Dokploy Cloud, which hosts the control panel for you, starts at $4.50/mo per server with a 7-day free trial.
Is Dokploy better than Coolify?: By our score Coolify leads narrowly, 78 to 77, mainly for its larger community (about 63k vs 38k GitHub stars). Dokploy is the stronger fit for Docker Compose stacks, Heroku buildpacks and multi-server Docker Swarm setups.
Which managed cloud is cheaper, Dokploy Cloud or Coolify Cloud?: For one server, Dokploy Hobby at $4.50/mo is slightly cheaper than Coolify Cloud’s $5/mo base. From two servers on, Coolify Cloud costs less on list prices: $5 for 2 servers and $3 for each extra one, vs $4.50 per server on Dokploy Hobby.