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Coolify vs Dokploy.

Last verified: . Written by the Coolify team, so we have a stake in this. The table reuses the sourced cells from the five-tool comparison, which also covers CapRover, Dokku and Kamal. Spot something wrong? See Corrections.

Summary: Coolify and Dokploy are both self-hosted PaaS dashboards. You install the software, deploy with Docker, and the apps run on servers you control. Coolify publishes a larger one-click catalog and previews on four Git providers. Dokploy has Docker Swarm built in, and its free edition can grant Members specific permissions.

Hosting model

Self-hosted, each product runs the dashboard on your machine. Coolify Cloud and Dokploy Cloud both host that dashboard for you and deploy to servers you connect over SSH. Your apps, databases and files stay on those servers. Neither cloud plan replaces the server bill.

Coolify documents a minimum of 2 cores, 2 GB RAM and 10 GB disk. Dokploy documents 2 GB RAM and 30 GB disk. Coolify's license is Apache-2.0. Dokploy is Apache-2.0 outside /proprietary. That folder is under the Dokploy Source Available License, which requires a commercial agreement for production use.

Feature comparison

Wording here is the same as the five-tool matrix. Both also include a web UI, an API and a CLI, and automatic Let's Encrypt HTTPS. Those rows are on the full comparison.

Feature Coolify Dokploy
Docker Compose deployments Built in Built in
Git providers GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Gitea Built in: GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket and Gitea integrations Built in: GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket and Gitea integrations
Preview deployments per PR Built in: GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Gitea Built in: GitHub Dokploy's docs describe previews as "specifically designed for applications with GitHub integration".
Rollbacks Built in: to retained images A Coolify rollback redeploys an older image still retained on the server. It doesn't undo database migrations. Built in: Swarm auto-rollback + registry-based
One-click services / templates Built in: 360+ 363 templates in Coolify's one-click service catalog (templates/service-templates.json) on 2026-10-19. Browse them on coolify.io/services. Built in: count not published Dokploy offers "open-source templates (Plausible, Pocketbase, Calcom, etc.) with a single click". We couldn't find a published total.
Multi-node clustering one app across nodes Partial: same image to several servers, your own load balancer Coolify deploys the same image to several standalone servers. You put your own load balancer in front. Compose apps and apps with persistent storage can't use this yet. Docker Swarm support was experimental, is deprecated, and will be removed in Coolify v5 in favor of Compose replicas and Coolify's own scaling. Built in: Docker Swarm
Reverse proxy Traefik or Caddy Traefik
Databases Built in: 8 engines, one click PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, Redis, KeyDB, Dragonfly, ClickHouse. Built in: 6 engines MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, MariaDB, libsql, Redis.
Scheduled database backups to S3 Built in Built in
Volume backups Built in: since v4.3.0 Scheduled backups of volume and directory mounts, stored locally or on S3-compatible storage, with retention controls. Added in v4.3.0. Built in: named volumes Docker named volumes only, not bind mounts. Stored on S3 destinations. The Hobby Cloud plan allows 1 volume backup per application.
Role-based permissions Partial: Owner/Admin/Member, team-wide Owner, Admin and Member (Member is read-only), applied per team. There are no project-level permissions. Built in: per-member permissions; custom roles in Enterprise Free edition: Owner, Admin and Member, where Members get specific permissions (create/delete projects, services, environments, Docker/Traefik/API access and more). Enterprise adds custom roles.
License Apache-2.0 Apache-2.0, except /proprietary (source-available) Code outside /proprietary is Apache-2.0. Code under /proprietary is under the Dokploy Source Available License, which requires a commercial agreement for production use.
Documented minimum server 2 cores, 2 GB RAM, 10 GB disk 2 GB RAM, 30 GB disk
Managed cloud option Built in: Coolify Cloud $5/month for 2 servers, +$3/month per extra server. Same features as self-hosted. Apps run on your servers. Built in: Dokploy Cloud Hobby plan: $4.50/month per server (1 user, 1 organization, 2 environments, some limits). Startup plan from $15/month. Enterprise on request.
Official MCP server (AI agents) Built in Built-in MCP endpoint at https://<your-coolify>/mcp. It uses team-scoped API tokens. Built in: official package Dokploy/mcp, "The Official MCP package for Dokploy".

Pricing

Prices below were checked on 2026-10-19. They move, so confirm them before you decide.

  • Coolify, self-hosted: free, with the same features as Coolify Cloud. You pay for the server.
  • Coolify Cloud: $5/month for 2 servers, plus $3/month per extra server. The dashboard is hosted by coolLabs. Apps run on your servers. (coolify.io/pricing)
  • Dokploy, self-hosted: the free edition. Per-member permissions are in that edition. Custom roles, SSO, SCIM and audit logs are documented as Enterprise.
  • Dokploy Cloud: the cloud docs list Hobby at $4.50/month per server (1 server included, extra servers $4.50/month) and Startup at $15/month with 3 servers included, then $4.50/month per extra server. Enterprise is custom. The pricing page lists Hobby limits of 1 user, 1 organization, 2 environments, 1 volume backup per application, 1 database backup and 1 scheduled job per application. Annual billing is listed at a 20% discount. (Dokploy Cloud docs, dokploy.com/pricing)

When to choose which

  • Choose Coolify when you want one dashboard for apps, databases and the one-click catalog, preview deployments on GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket and Gitea, and a built-in MCP server. Plan on your own load balancer if you spread one app across servers. Compose apps and apps with persistent storage can't use that multi-server deploy yet. Roles are team-wide: Owner, Admin and Member.
  • Choose Dokploy when you want Docker Swarm from the UI, or member permissions you can set individually in the free edition. Preview deployments are documented for GitHub. The template catalog doesn't publish a count. Enterprise is where Dokploy documents custom roles, SSO, SCIM and audit logs.
Start self-hosting See pricing

FAQ

Is Coolify or Dokploy better?

It depends on the job. Both are self-hosted dashboards with Docker Compose, database backups, an API, a CLI and a managed cloud that hosts the dashboard while your apps run on your servers. Coolify has a larger published service catalog (363 templates on 2026-10-19), preview deployments on GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket and Gitea, and a built-in MCP server. Dokploy has Docker Swarm clustering in the product, and its free edition can grant Members specific permissions.

Can I self-host Coolify and Dokploy for free?

Yes. Self-hosted Coolify is free and includes the same features as Coolify Cloud. Dokploy's free edition is self-hosted. Dokploy documents custom roles, SSO, SCIM and audit logs as Enterprise features. Coolify is Apache-2.0. Dokploy is Apache-2.0 except the /proprietary folder, which is source-available and requires a commercial agreement for production use.

Which one supports Docker Swarm?

Dokploy documents Docker Swarm clustering. Coolify can deploy the same image to several standalone servers, and you put your own load balancer in front. Compose apps and apps with persistent storage can't use that yet. Coolify's Docker Swarm support was experimental, is deprecated, and is planned to be removed in v5.

How do Coolify Cloud and Dokploy Cloud compare?

Both host the dashboard and leave your apps on servers you connect. On 2026-10-19, Coolify Cloud was $5/month for 2 servers, plus $3/month per extra server. Dokploy's cloud docs listed Hobby at $4.50/month per server (1 server included) and Startup at $15/month for 3 servers, with extra servers at $4.50/month. Those prices change. You still pay your server provider either way.

Sources

Table cells come from the five-tool comparison, last verified 2026-10-19. Each link is a public page from Coolify or Dokploy.

Corrections

If a cell is wrong or out of date, tell us at github.com/coollabsio/coolify.io/issues with a link to the official docs. We'll update this page and the five-tool comparison together.