CapRover vs Coolify
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted self-hosting platforms (paas) options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
CapRover
Scalable PaaS built on Docker Swarm and Nginx
VS
Coolify
Self-hosted platform-as-a-service alternative to Heroku
| Feature | CapRover | Coolify |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | ≈5-minute setup | ≈5-minute setup |
| Health score | 95 · Excellent | 100 · Excellent |
| Category | Self-Hosting Platforms (PaaS) | Self-Hosting Platforms (PaaS) |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, one-click | docker, one-click |
| GitHub stars | ★ 15,166 | ★ 62,206 |
| First released | 2017 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Heroku | Heroku, Netlify, Vercel |
What are CapRover and Coolify?
CapRover
CapRover is a self-hosted platform-as-a-service that automates app deployment using Docker Swarm, Nginx, and a one-click app marketplace. It handles SSL, scaling, and load balancing out of the box.
- One-click app marketplace
- Automatic SSL via Let's Encrypt
- Docker Swarm scaling
- CLI and web dashboard
Coolify
Coolify is an open-source, self-hostable platform for deploying applications, databases, and services from Git repositories. It provides automatic builds, SSL, and management for any server you own.
- Git-based deployments
- Automatic SSL certificates
- Database and service management
- Bring your own server
CapRover vs Coolify: key differences
CapRover is written in TypeScript, while Coolify is built with PHP. CapRover is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Coolify. CapRover is the more established project (first released 2017), while Coolify arrived in 2021. Coolify has the considerably larger community, at 62,206 GitHub stars versus 15,166.
Why pick each one
Choose CapRover if…
- One-click app marketplace
- Automatic SSL
- Beginner friendly
Watch out for
- Tied to Docker Swarm
- Basic monitoring only
Choose Coolify if…
- One-command installation
- Automatic SSL certificates
- No vendor lock-in
Watch out for
- Needs capable server
- Docs lag rapid releases
Frequently asked questions
Is CapRover or Coolify better?
Neither is universally better. Coolify has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are CapRover and Coolify free and open-source?
Yes. CapRover is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Coolify under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run CapRover and Coolify with Docker?
CapRover: yes. Coolify: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, CapRover or Coolify?
CapRover has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Coolify. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.