Install Coolify on a KVM server in Germany and push to deploy from Git, run databases and add services from its catalog, all on a server you pay for by the hour.
Coolify is an open source platform you install on your own server to get the workflow of Heroku, Vercel or Netlify. You connect a Git repository, and Coolify builds the app with Nixpacks, a Dockerfile or Docker Compose, then runs it with a reverse proxy and automatic HTTPS certificates. Preview deployments for pull requests work too.
Beyond your own code, Coolify has a catalog of ready service templates such as databases, analytics, CMS and monitoring tools. That makes it easy to run the supporting pieces of a project on the same server. Everything runs as Docker containers, so you can still SSH in and look at what is going on underneath.
Server size for Coolify
Coolify itself needs about 2 GB of RAM and 2 CPU cores, and that is before your apps start. Builds are the heavy moment: installing dependencies and compiling a frontend can use more memory than the running app. For a real project, 4 GB is a sensible start, which is VPS-3 with 2 vCPU and 64 GB of NVMe.
If you plan to host several apps with their databases, pick VPS-4 with 4 vCPU and 8 GB. Faster builds and room for more containers make day to day work noticeably smoother. Docker images add up on disk, so also keep an eye on storage and let Coolify clean up old images.
4 GB RAM: Coolify with one or two small apps and a database.
8 GB RAM: several apps, databases and faster builds.
12 GB and up: a team platform with many services.
Installing Coolify on a clean server
Start with a fresh Ubuntu or Debian server and nothing else on it, because Coolify manages Docker and the ports it uses. Our step by step guide covers connecting over SSH, running the official install script and opening the dashboard to create the admin account. Do that right away, since the first person to register becomes the owner.
Then point a domain at the server IP, set it as the Coolify dashboard address and let it request a certificate. Use a firewall to allow SSH, HTTP and HTTPS, and keep other ports closed. From there, adding a new app is a matter of choosing the repository and a domain.
Things to know before you move off a hosted platform
With a hosted platform someone else handles backups, updates and failures. With Coolify that is your job. Set up database backups to S3 compatible storage from the dashboard, keep Coolify and the operating system updated and test a restore now and then. We do not make backups of VPS disks for you.
Outgoing mail ports are closed by default, so apps that send email should use an HTTPS API such as Amazon SES, Postmark, Resend, Mailgun or Brevo. All servers are in Falkenstein, Germany, which suits apps with users in Europe. Billing is hourly, so you can test your migration on a server before committing.
Step by step guides
Written by our team and tested on DataPasa servers.
Coolify asks for 2 CPU cores and 2 GB of RAM for itself. Apps and builds need more on top, so we recommend at least 4 GB, such as VPS-3, for real projects.
For many projects, yes. It gives you Git based deploys, managed databases, domains and HTTPS on your own server. You trade the monthly per app bill for handling updates and backups yourself.
It is better to use a clean server. Coolify installs Docker and its own reverse proxy and expects ports 80 and 443 to be free.
Yes. Point your domain at the server IP, set it on the app in the dashboard, and Coolify requests and renews Let's Encrypt certificates for it automatically through its built in proxy.
Outgoing mail ports are closed by default. Send email through an HTTPS API such as Amazon SES, Postmark, Resend, Mailgun or Brevo, or ask support to open the ports, which may require verification.
No, VPS disks are not backed up by us. Configure scheduled database backups to S3 compatible storage in Coolify, keep your code in Git and store important files off the server.
Yes. Top up from $5 with USDT, BTC, ETH, XMR and about 100 coin and network pairs, or with a card through Stripe. Servers are charged by the hour from that balance.