Instead of Vercel, Heroku and Render

Push code, get a running deployment.

Swap it

Coolify is the closest thing to Vercel on your own box: connect a repo, get a build, get TLS. The catch is that you now own the box.

You lose: Zero-config scaling, preview deployments that never fall over, and someone else's pager.

Start here

Coolify

Apache-2.0an eveningactive

Very good, and it manages Docker for you. When it breaks, you debug Docker.

github.com/coollabsio/coolify coolify.io

A compose file, a domain and a reverse proxy.

Also worth a look

DokployApache-2.0an eveningactive
Similar shape, newer. Fewer rough edges than a year ago.
github.com/Dokploy/dokploy dokploy.com
DokkuMITan eveningactive
The Heroku experience, on one server, through a CLI.
github.com/dokku/dokku dokku.com
CapRoverApache-2.0an eveningactive
Mature and simple. Fewer features than Coolify, and it is honest about that.
github.com/caprover/caprover CapRover.com

Head to head

Coolify vs DokployCoolify has the years and the integrations. Dokploy is the cleaner rewrite and it shows.

What the desk has written

Facts checked 8 November 2026. Licences, activity and archive status come from each project's own repository; the verdict and the cost lines are the desk's.