Coolify vs Dokploy: Why I Chose One Over the Other

For the past few months, I've been deploying the majority of my production services to a VPS through the use of Dokploy. I originally did an entire video talking about how it had become my favorite way to deploy to a VPS in 2025, taking over from my original setup of using Docker Stack. In that article, I mentioned that I looked at a few different options when it came to finding a new platform for me to deploy on, with one of the main contenders being Coolify.

Ultimately, I decided to pass on Coolify and chose Dokploy for a few different reasons. I intentionally decided not to share those reasons in that original article as I wanted it to focus more on setting up Dokploy and deploying an application through it rather than comparing different options to one another.

However, as it turns out, a lot of you were really interested in why I didn't go with Coolify. In fact, it was perhaps the most common question that I got asked in that article's comments. Therefore, I decided to do an entire comparison talking about not only why I chose Dokploy over Coolify, but also doing a more in-depth comparison between the two, looking at what they have in common, as well as some of the key differences in order to help you decide which one might be right for you.

What Are Coolify and Dokploy?

Before comparing both Dokploy and Coolify to one another, let's take a little bit of time to quickly give an overview of each of these projects and what they share in common.

Both Dokploy and Coolify are known as platforms as a service (PaaS) which are services that enable developers to deploy, manage and scale applications without having to worry about the underlying infrastructure complexities. Some of the more popular platforms as a service include Vercel, Netlify and Railway. However, these are proprietary platforms whereas both Coolify and Dokploy make use of open-source technologies and are self-hostable.

This provides a few key benefits such as:

Full control of your infrastructure and data
Predictable long-term pricing with no unexpected bills (which can often happen when using serverless platforms like Vercel)
No platform-specific limitations on languages or frameworks
Complete freedom to migrate your applications to another service without being tied to a particular vendor's ecosystem

Coolify Overview

Coolify was first created by Andras Bachai, who started the project back in 2022 and has been working on it full-time since middle of 2023. The application itself is built using PHP with Laravel. Under the hood, it makes use of Docker in order to both build and deploy applications.

GitHub Stats:

Started: February 2022
Over 12,000 commits
Over 44,000 stars
Actively developed and well-regarded

Dokploy Overview

Dokploy is a much newer project, started just over a year ago in April 2024 by developer Mauricio Suárez. Despite being relatively new, Dokploy has managed to absolutely crush it when it comes to developer cadence.

GitHub Stats:

Started: April 2024
Over 4,000 commits
24,000 stars
Built using Next.js and TypeScript

While the tech stack might feel like an implementation detail, for myself, it absolutely plays a role when choosing one platform over the other. By choosing one with a tech stack I have a better understanding of, it means I'm more likely to be able to contribute to the project if I ever need to.

Setting Up the Comparison

For this comparison, I set up both platforms on separate VPS instances to ensure fair testing without resource contention. I used Hostinger KVM2 instances for consistency - each with 2 vCPUs, 100GB SSD storage, 8GB memory, and 8TB monthly bandwidth.

Note: This comparison is sponsored by Hostinger, who also sponsors both the Coolify and Dokploy projects. You can get your own VPS instance at hostinger.com/dreamsofcode and use coupon code DREAMSOFCODE for 10% off.

Head-to-Head Comparison

Let me break down my comparison across several key categories:

1. Ease of Installation

Both platforms provide a single command installation that takes a few minutes to complete.

Coolify Advantages:

Provides more detailed information about installation steps
Includes entertaining dad jokes during setup
Has an onboarding process for beginners
Shows private IP options for Tailscale connections

Dokploy Advantages:

Works seamlessly with common security configurations
No onboarding needed - intuitive from the start
Better compatibility with firewall restrictions

Issue I Encountered:
With Coolify, I ran into problems during setup because I had configured my firewall to deny public SSH access (a common security practice). Coolify couldn't set up the local server for deployments because it couldn't connect to itself via SSH. While I eventually resolved this by adjusting firewall rules, it required networking knowledge and left me with a slightly negative first impression.

Dokploy, on the other hand, worked straight out of the box with my security configuration.

Winner: Dokploy - Better overall experience despite Coolify's superior installation process.

2. Resource Usage

I monitored resource usage at multiple points throughout the platform lifecycle.

Memory Usage:
Both platforms used roughly 1GB of memory each - quite high but understandable given their tech stacks.

CPU Usage:

Dokploy: Very efficient at 0.8-1.5% average
Coolify: Consistently 6-7% even with no services running

After deploying services, Coolify's resource usage increased even further, especially when metrics were enabled. I tested this across multiple VPS instances to confirm the results.

Winner: Dokploy - Significantly more efficient resource utilization.

3. Structure and Organization

Hierarchy Comparison:

Top Level: Teams (Coolify) vs Organizations (Dokploy)
Second Level: Projects (both platforms)
Third Level: Environments (Coolify only)
Bottom Level: Resources (Coolify) vs Services (Dokploy)

Key Difference:
Coolify includes environments (production, staging, etc.) as a native concept, while Dokploy goes directly from projects to services. This gives Coolify an additional dimension for organization and shared variables.

Update: Dokploy has since released environments in v25, bringing it to parity with Coolify.

Winner: Coolify - More intuitive organization with environments (though this has since been addressed in Dokploy).

4. User Interface and User Experience

This is highly subjective, but I found significant differences:

Dokploy Advantages:

More responsive single-page application feel
Consistent UI design throughout
Intuitive save button placement and behavior
Better use of contrast and visibility
No intrusive popups or banners

Coolify Issues I Encountered:

Inconsistent save button behavior and placement
Some fields auto-save while others require manual saving
Password fields trigger browser save prompts constantly
Persistent donation banner that blocks interaction
Less consistent overall design patterns

Winner: Dokploy - By a considerable margin for my personal preferences.

5. Application Deployment

Both platforms excel in this core functionality:

Similarities:

Deploy from Git repositories, Docker images, or Docker Compose
Extensive template libraries for popular services
Support for Nix packs for buildpack-free deployment
Environment variable configuration
Multi-server deployment options

Dokploy Advantages:

Supports multiple Git providers (GitLab, Bitbucket, not just GitHub)
Additional build types (Railpack, Heroku buildpacks, Paketo buildpacks)
AI assistant for deployment generation

Winner: Tie - Both meet most needs, with slight edge to Dokploy for broader provider support.

6. Database Services

Both platforms offer production-ready database deployment:

Shared Features:

Scheduled S3 backups
Support for PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis, MariaDB, MongoDB
Production-ready configurations

Differences:

Coolify: Supports additional databases (Dragonfly DB, KeyDB, ClickHouse)
Dokploy: Allows custom database images, supports volume backups

Winner: Tie - Different strengths that balance out.

7. Feature Set Deep Dive

Preview Deployments

Both platforms support review apps/preview deployments for pull requests. However, both lack some advanced features I'd like to see:

Dynamic environment variables per preview
API/webhook triggered deployments
Better integration with database branching services

Notifications

Shared Support: Slack, Telegram, Discord, SMTP email

Differences:

Coolify: Resend integration, Pushover support
Dokploy: Gotify integration (more automation-friendly)

Monitoring and Metrics

Dokploy: Built-in metrics with Gotify integration for automation
Coolify: Requires manual enabling, caused CPU spikes up to 25%, experimental status

Winner: Dokploy - Better production-ready monitoring.

Advanced Features

Multi-server clustering: Both support via Docker Swarm
Remote build servers: Coolify only (though I build in CI/CD anyway)
Scheduled tasks: Both support, Dokploy also supports machine-level scheduling
Volume backups: Dokploy only
Traefik configuration: Both support, different UI approaches

8. Cloudflare Tunnels

Coolify provides built-in Cloudflare Tunnels support, which is excellent for homelab setups where you want to expose services without port forwarding.

Dokploy can work with Cloudflare Tunnels but requires manual setup.

For homelab users, this could be a deciding factor in favor of Coolify.

9. Licensing - The Big Differentiator

This is perhaps the most significant difference:

Coolify:

Fully open-source under Apache 2.0 license
Completely permissive

Dokploy:

Core is Apache 2.0, but some features are source-available only
Compose templates, multi-node support, schedules, preview deployments, and multi-server features cannot be sold or offered as a service without consent
Not technically fully open-source

This licensing restriction is a significant consideration for some users and organizations.

Final Scorecard

Category	Winner	Reasoning
Ease of Installation	Dokploy	Better compatibility with security configs
Resource Usage	Dokploy	Much more efficient CPU usage
Structure	Coolify	Native environment support (now tied)
UI/UX	Dokploy	More consistent and intuitive interface
Application Deployment	Tie	Both excellent with different strengths
Database Services	Tie	Different advantages that balance out
Feature Set	Dokploy	Better production-ready features
Licensing	Coolify	Fully open-source vs source-available

Final Score: Dokploy 6, Coolify 4

My Decision

For my personal needs and preferences, Dokploy came out ahead. The deciding factors were:

Superior UI/UX - More intuitive and consistent experience
Better resource efficiency - Important for single-node deployments
Production-ready monitoring - Built-in metrics with automation capabilities
Broader Git provider support - Not locked into GitHub

However, the licensing concern with Dokploy is significant. I'd love to see these features come under something like AGPL v3, which would protect the author's IP while preventing ambiguity around self-hosting.

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Coolify if:

You prioritize fully open-source licensing
You need Cloudflare Tunnels out of the box
You prefer the PHP/Laravel ecosystem
You need the additional database options (ClickHouse, etc.)

Choose Dokploy if:

You prioritize UI/UX and ease of use
You need efficient resource usage
You use multiple Git providers
You want built-in production monitoring
You're comfortable with source-available licensing

Looking Forward

Both platforms are actively developed and improving rapidly. This comparison represents a moment in time, and future updates may address current limitations. The Coolify team has been working on UI improvements in v4, and the Dokploy team continues to add features rapidly.

Ultimately, both are fantastic platforms that make self-hosting much more accessible. The choice often comes down to personal preferences, specific feature requirements, and licensing considerations.

Links and Resources

Coolify: https://coolify.io/
Dokploy: https://dokploy.com/
Get a VPS: https://hostinger.com/dreamsofcode (use code DREAMSOFCODE for 10% off)
CLI Apps in Go Course: https://dreamsofcode.io/courses/cli-apps-go/learn

Disclosure: This comparison includes sponsored content from Hostinger, who also sponsors both Coolify and Dokploy projects.