Coolify vs Dokploy vs Kamal: Which Should You Run on a VPS?

Coolify, Dokploy and Kamal let you run a Heroku- or Vercel-style deployment platform on your own Linux VPS: you push code, and the tool builds it, starts it and puts HTTPS in front of it. This Coolify vs Dokploy vs Kamal comparison covers how each self-hosted PaaS deploys, what it does for databases and backups, how it handles security, what it costs and how big a server it needs, so you can pick one before you install anything. Every fact comes from the projects' own documentation, checked on 30 October 2026.

What you give up compared with a managed platform is someone else looking after the server. Updates, backups and the firewall are yours, whichever tool you choose.

Coolify, Dokploy or Kamal: the short answer

• Choose Coolify if you want a web dashboard, one-click databases and services, and deploys from your Git provider with little setup.
• Choose Dokploy if you also want a dashboard, built on Docker Swarm, with database backups to S3 and a cloud option for the control panel.
• Choose Kamal if your app has a Dockerfile and you are happy to deploy from your terminal or a CI job, with no dashboard at all.

Coolify vs Dokploy vs Kamal at a glance

Coolify: requirements, install and pricing

Coolify is the most complete of the three as a dashboard. Its latest release at the time of writing is v4.5.3, published on 28 October 2026. [1]

Server and install. Coolify asks for 2 CPU cores, 2 GB RAM and 10 GB of free disk on an amd64 or arm64 Linux server. It can start on less, but the project does not recommend it, and it warns that running builds on the same server can make that server unresponsive. On Ubuntu, use an LTS release. [2]

curl -fsSL https://cdn.coollabs.io/coolify/install.sh | bash

Deploys. For Nixpacks, Railpack, static, Dockerfile and Docker image apps, Coolify starts the new container next to the old one, waits for its health check and only then removes the old one. Docker Compose apps do not get this rolling update, and the documentation is clear that rolling updates alone do not mean zero downtime: your app still has to report readiness and shut down cleanly. [3]

Databases and backups. Scheduled backups cover PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, ClickHouse and SQLite. Each backup is written on the server, and a copy can go to S3-compatible storage. Redis, Dragonfly and KeyDB are not covered, and the documentation recommends a test restore before you rely on any backup. [4] Our guide to automated VPS backups covers the off-server side.

Scaling. Docker Swarm support in Coolify is deprecated and will be removed in Coolify v5. For new setups that span servers, the project points to multi-server deployments behind an external load balancer. [5]

Price. Self-hosted Coolify is free, with every feature. Coolify Cloud, which runs the dashboard for you while your apps stay on your servers, costs $5 a month for two servers plus $3 for each extra server. [6]

Dokploy: requirements, install and pricing

Dokploy is the other dashboard option. Its most recent release is v0.30.10 from 22 October 2026, and it ships updates every few days to few weeks. [7]

Server and install. Dokploy asks for at least 2 GB RAM and 30 GB of disk, and lists Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora and CentOS releases it has been tested on. Ports 80, 443 and 3000 must be free, or the installer stops. The script installs Docker if it is missing. [8]

curl -sSL https://dokploy.com/install.sh | sh

After the install, open port 3000 on the server's IP address and create the admin account, then give the panel a domain with HTTPS. [8]

Deploys. Dokploy runs your apps as Docker Swarm services. By default, a new deployment stops the running container before the new one is ready, which can show a "Bad Gateway" error. To avoid it, add a health check in the app's Swarm settings that only passes when the app can serve requests. [9]

Databases and backups. Database backups run on a cron schedule to an S3 bucket you configure as a destination, and a test button checks the setup before you depend on it. [10]

Editions. The self-hosted open-source edition is free and includes apps, databases, Docker Compose, domains, certificates, templates and remote servers. SSO, SCIM, custom roles, audit logs and white labelling need an Enterprise licence, and Dokploy Cloud starts at $4.50 a month per server. [11]

Coolify vs Dokploy: the main differences

Coolify and Dokploy are both web dashboards for deploying Docker apps, and both are free to self-host. They differ in what runs underneath, in how deploys avoid downtime and in which extras cost money:

• Underneath: Coolify runs apps with Docker and is phasing out Docker Swarm [5]; Dokploy runs them as Docker Swarm services. [9]
• Zero downtime: Coolify does rolling updates for most app types, but not for Docker Compose apps [3]; Dokploy needs a health check that you add yourself. [9]
• Backups: Coolify keeps a copy on the server and can upload it to S3, for six database engines [4]; Dokploy sends database backups to an S3 bucket. [10]
• Paid features: self-hosted Coolify includes every feature [6]; Dokploy keeps SSO, SCIM, custom roles and audit logs for its Enterprise edition. [11]
• Server: Coolify needs 2 cores, 2 GB RAM and 10 GB of disk [2]; Dokploy needs 2 GB RAM and 30 GB of disk. [8]

Kamal: how deploys work

Kamal is a command-line tool from the makers of Basecamp, installed as a Ruby gem. The current version is 2.12.0, released on 18 June 2026. [12] There is no dashboard and nothing extra to run on the server besides Docker and its proxy.

gem install kamal
kamal init
# describe the servers and the registry in config/deploy.yml, then:
kamal setup

The deploy cycle. kamal setup connects to each server over SSH (as root by default, with your SSH key) and installs Docker if needed. It builds the image from the Dockerfile in your app, pushes it to your registry and pulls it onto the servers. kamal-proxy, on ports 80 and 443, sends traffic to the new container once it answers GET /up with 200 OK, and the old container stops. After that, kamal deploy repeats the cycle. With more than one server, you put a load balancer in front of them. [13]

HTTPS. kamal-proxy gets a Let's Encrypt certificate for you when you deploy to one server, set the host name and leave port 443 open. Across several servers, you load your own certificates instead. [14]

proxy:
  host: app.example.com
  ssl: true

Databases. Kamal runs a database as an "accessory": any container image, managed apart from your app. Accessories are not updated when you deploy and do not get zero-downtime switches, and backing them up is your job. [15]

Security checklist for a self-hosted PaaS

A deployment dashboard can start containers on your server, so treat it like root access.

• Create the admin account right away. On Coolify, the first visitor to the registration page becomes the admin. [2]
• Close the dashboard ports once the domain works. Coolify uses 8000, 6001 and 6002 for direct access; after the dashboard works through a domain, you can close them. Its documentation also warns that a plain UFW rule does not reliably block ports that Docker publishes, so prefer your provider's firewall. [16] On Dokploy, set up the domain with HTTPS first, then remove the public port 3000 binding:

docker service update --publish-rm "published=3000,target=3000,mode=host" dokploy

• Keep databases off public ports. Kamal's accessory example binds MySQL to 127.0.0.1 only. [15]
• Use SSH keys and keep SSH open while you edit firewall rules, so you never lock yourself out.
• Update often. Coolify's GitHub security tab lists 61 advisories published between January and July 2026, 16 of them rated critical, so a dashboard left on an old release is a real risk. [17] Watch the releases of whichever tool you run.

For the network side, our DDoS protection checklist adds the steps that sit in front of the tool.

What size VPS do Coolify, Dokploy and Kamal need?

The projects publish minimums for the tool itself, not for your apps, so add your own application and database on top of these figures.

On StealthRDP plans, Bronze (2 cores, 4 GB RAM) meets the documented minimums of Coolify and Dokploy with room for a small app, and its NVMe storage (60 GB in the USA, 40 GB in the EU) clears Dokploy's 30 GB. Builds are the heaviest moment, so choose Silver (8 GB RAM) when you build and run a database on the same server. Compare them on the Linux VPS page.

Running Coolify, Dokploy or Kamal on a StealthRDP VPS

All three tools need Linux, so choose a Linux VPS rather than a Windows one; Coolify, for example, only runs on Linux. [2] Our Linux plans come with full root access and NVMe storage, in Phoenix (USA) or Amsterdam (Netherlands). Most servers are live within 60 seconds of payment confirmation. EU plans include network-level DDoS protection.

FAQ

What is Coolify?

Coolify is an open-source platform you install on your own server to deploy apps, databases and services from a web dashboard, much like a self-hosted Heroku or Vercel. The self-hosted version is free. [6]

Is Coolify free?

Yes. The self-hosted version is free with all features. Coolify Cloud, which hosts the dashboard for you, starts at $5 a month for two servers. [6]

How much RAM does Coolify need?

The documented minimum is 2 GB RAM with 2 CPU cores and 10 GB of disk. Your apps and builds need more on top. [2]

What is the difference between Coolify and Dokploy?

Both are free, self-hosted dashboards for Docker apps. Coolify runs apps with Docker and includes every feature in its free edition [6]; Dokploy runs them as Docker Swarm services and keeps SSO and audit logs for its paid Enterprise edition. [11]

Is Dokploy free?

The self-hosted open-source edition is free. SSO, audit logs and custom roles are part of the paid Enterprise edition. [11]

Which is better for Docker Compose apps?

Both dashboards deploy Docker Compose. Coolify does not use rolling updates for Compose apps [3], and Dokploy needs a health check for deploys without a gap. [9] Kamal deploys an image built from a Dockerfile instead.

Does Kamal have a dashboard?

No. You run it from your own computer or a CI job, and it reaches your servers over SSH. [13]

Can I run Coolify, Dokploy or Kamal on a Windows VPS?

No. Coolify runs only on Linux [2], Dokploy is tested on Linux distributions such as Ubuntu and Debian [8], and Kamal installs Docker on the servers it deploys to over SSH. [13] Choose a Linux VPS.