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Coolify, an open-source Netlify alternative.

Last verified: . Written by the Coolify team, so we have a stake in this. Netlify facts link to Netlify's pricing page and docs. See Corrections if a credit or plan detail has changed.

Summary: Netlify hosts the site on its CDN, builds deploy previews from Git, and offers Functions plus a managed Postgres. Coolify runs the app on a server you administer, next to databases and other Docker services. Use Netlify when you want them to run the network. Use Coolify when you want the machine.

Hosting model

Netlify connects a repository and publishes the site to its CDN. Deploy Previews get their own URL. Functions ship with the deploy. Netlify Database is a managed Postgres with a separate database branch for each deploy preview, so schema experiments stay off production. Plans are credit-based. The Free plan includes custom domains with SSL.

Coolify is software you install (Apache-2.0). A documented server is 2 cores, 2 GB RAM and 10 GB disk. From the dashboard you deploy static sites, APIs, Compose stacks and databases onto servers you can SSH to. Certificates are Let's Encrypt. Traffic comes from your server, and deploys are not billed as credits. Coolify Cloud hosts the dashboard for a monthly fee and still expects you to bring servers.

Feature and pricing comparison

Plan and credit figures are from Netlify's pricing page on 2026-10-19.

Feature Coolify Netlify
Hosting model Open-source software (Apache-2.0) on your server, or Coolify Cloud for the dashboard only. Apps are served from the servers you connect. Hosted platform with a global CDN. Sites and functions run on Netlify.
What you can run Web apps, APIs, Docker Compose stacks, databases and 363 one-click service templates (count on 2026-10-19). Builds use Nixpacks, Railpack, a Dockerfile, Compose, or a prebuilt image. Sites and apps from Git, Netlify Functions, and Netlify Database (managed Postgres). Functions deploy with the site and are immutable per deploy. The docs describe this as full-stack, without a server to manage.
Git and previews GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket and Gitea, with preview deployments on each. Deploy Previews for pull and merge requests from GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Azure DevOps and Cursor Origin. The Free plan lists unlimited deploy previews.
Databases PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, Redis, KeyDB, Dragonfly and ClickHouse on your server, with scheduled backups to S3-compatible storage. You operate them. Netlify Database is managed Postgres. Production uses the main database. Each deploy preview gets a database branch copied from production at creation. Docs say it is on credit-based plans, and compute and bandwidth use credits.
HTTPS Automatic Let's Encrypt certificates for custom domains. Custom domains with SSL are included on the Free plan.
Pricing checked 2026-10-19 Self-hosted is free, with the same features as Cloud. Coolify Cloud is $5/month for 2 servers, plus $3/month per extra server. You pay the server provider separately. Deploys are included in that, with no credit meter. Free is $0 with 300 credits. Personal is $9/month with 1,000 credits. Pro is $20/month, unlimited members, 3,000 credits. Enterprise is custom. Production deploys are listed at 15 credits each, bandwidth at 20 credits per GB.
What you operate The Linux server. Documented minimum: 2 cores, 2 GB RAM, 10 GB disk. The site, its environment and the credit balance. Netlify runs the CDN, functions and the managed database.

When to choose which

  • Choose Netlify when the project is a site or app that fits Git, a CDN, Functions and a managed Postgres, and you want deploy previews (including a database branch per preview) without a server to patch. Watch the credit balance. Production deploys and bandwidth draw from it.
  • Choose Coolify when you want long-running containers, more than one database engine, or a set of self-hosted services on one machine. You pay the server provider and you maintain that server. Self-hosted Coolify includes the same features as Coolify Cloud.
Start self-hosting See pricing

FAQ

Is Coolify a Netlify alternative?

Yes, when you want sites and apps on a server you control. Netlify hosts the site on its CDN, with Functions and a managed Postgres. Coolify is open-source software that runs containers and databases on your server. They overlap on Git deploys, previews and custom domains, and they differ on who runs the machine.

Is Netlify only for static sites?

No. Netlify's docs describe Functions and Netlify Database, a managed Postgres with a database branch per deploy preview. Coolify runs long-lived containers, Docker Compose, several database engines and one-click services on your server.

Does Coolify have deploy previews?

Yes. Coolify preview deployments are documented for GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket and Gitea. Netlify builds a Deploy Preview for pull and merge requests from GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Azure DevOps and Cursor Origin, and its Free plan lists unlimited deploy previews.

How does pricing compare?

On 2026-10-19, Netlify Free included 300 credits, Personal was $9/month with 1,000 credits, and Pro was $20/month with 3,000 credits. Deploys and bandwidth spend credits. Self-hosted Coolify was free. Coolify Cloud was $5/month for 2 servers plus $3/month per extra server, and the server bill is separate. Confirm both pricing pages, because credits and plan prices change.

Sources

Checked 2026-10-19, from public pages:

Corrections

Netlify's credit prices are dated. If they change, tell us at github.com/coollabsio/coolify.io/issues with a link to the current page.