Coolify vs Dokploy
Two open-source, self-hostable PaaS panels that deploy apps, databases and services on your own servers via Docker. Coolify is the bigger, more mature ecosystem; Dokploy is the fast-growing challenger built around native multi-server. Here's an honest, source-checked head-to-head.
Both are free to self-host and deploy standard Docker containers. In short:
- Pick Dokploy if → you need native multi-server clustering (Swarm + Traefik) or a UI-based database restore.
- Pick Coolify if → you want the larger ecosystem, 280+ one-click services and a bigger community.
- Either way → Buddy can build and deploy to whichever one you run — it's a CI/CD layer, not a competing panel.
Side by side
Coolify vs Dokploy, compared
The dimensions that actually decide it. Green marks the clearer advantage on that row — not a verdict on the whole tool.
| Dimension | Coolify | Dokploy |
|---|---|---|
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 (+ terms) |
| Self-host cost | Free | Free |
| Managed cloud | $5/mo (2 servers, control-plane) | From ~$4.50/mo per server |
| Native multi-server | Experimental (Swarm) | ✓ Swarm + Traefik |
| UI database restore | ✗ | ✓ |
| Docker Compose | ✓ | ✓ |
| One-click services | 280+ | Growing template library |
| Maturity / community | Larger, older (~58k★) | Fast-growing (~35k★) |
| Stack | PHP / Laravel | TypeScript |
| Best for | Breadth + community | Multi-server + backups |
Star counts and prices change often — compiled July 2026 from each project's official docs and pricing pages.
Official pages: Coolify · Dokploy · Dokploy restore docs
The honest split
Where each one wins
Coolify wins on…
- Ecosystem: 280+ one-click services and a large template catalogue out of the box.
- Maturity and community size — more guides, more integrations, more answered questions.
- A polished all-in-one dashboard that's been battle-tested in production for years.
- Single-server simplicity when you don't need a cluster.
Dokploy wins on…
- Native multi-server clustering via Docker Swarm + Traefik — first-class, not experimental.
- A UI-based database restore (Postgres, MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, Redis) Coolify doesn't have.
- A modern TypeScript stack and a documented path to scaling across nodes.
- Slightly cheaper managed cloud entry (~$4.50/mo per server).
The third option
Whichever you pick, Buddy handles build & deploy
Coolify and Dokploy answer "where do my apps run?" Buddy answers "how do they get built and shipped there?" It's a visual CI/CD layer that sits in front of either panel — so you keep self-hosting and stop hand-managing deploys.
Visual pipelines
Build, test and deploy by arranging actions — no YAML wrestling. The pipeline stays in sync with your repo.
Docker layer caching
Layers cache between runs at the platform level, so multi-minute builds drop to seconds once warm.
Deploy to your box
Ship to your Coolify server, your Dokploy cluster, any host over SSH or API, or Buddy's own hosting.
Common questions
Coolify vs Dokploy — common questions
Is Dokploy better than Coolify?
Neither is strictly better — it depends on what you need. Dokploy leads on native multi-server clustering (Docker Swarm + Traefik) and a UI-based database restore that Coolify lacks. Coolify leads on ecosystem maturity, 280+ one-click services and a larger community. Both are open source and free to self-host, so the decision comes down to multi-server scaling and backups versus breadth of services and community size.
Is Dokploy open source and free?
Yes. Self-hosting Dokploy is free and its core is licensed Apache 2.0 (with some additional terms). It also offers a managed cloud that starts around $4.50/month per connected server for the Hobby plan, similar in spirit to Coolify Cloud.
Does Coolify support multi-server?
Coolify can run multiple servers, but its own docs describe multi-server and Docker Swarm mode as experimental, and single-server is the default. Dokploy treats multi-server as a first-class feature via Docker Swarm and Traefik, which is the most-cited reason teams switch from Coolify to Dokploy.
Should I switch from Coolify to Dokploy?
Switch if you specifically need native multi-server clustering or a UI-based database restore. Because both deploy standard Docker containers, migration is mostly redefining your services and remapping environment variables and volumes. If you're happy on a single server and value Coolify's larger template library and community, there's no strong reason to move.
Can I use Buddy with Coolify or Dokploy?
Yes. Buddy is a visual CI/CD layer, not a competing panel. It builds and tests your code on every push with Docker layer caching, then deploys the result to whichever box you run — your Coolify server, your Dokploy cluster, any other host over SSH or API, or Buddy's own hosting.