Coolify, for when one server stops being enough.
Coolify can deploy to many servers, but by its own docs that doesn't spread traffic. Ployz joins your servers into one encrypted private network and puts a load balancer on each, so a second server is one command, not a project.
Both are free. The second server is where they differ.
Coolify and Ployz both cost $0 on your own servers. Coolify Cloud is $5 a month for two servers plus $3 for each extra one; Ployz charges $9 a month for custom domains on Ployz Cloud. The difference shows up at two servers: Coolify's docs say "Adding deployment servers does not distribute traffic by itself" and tell you to put a load balancer in front, such as Hetzner's LB11 at $7.89 a month. Move the slider to see both bills. The full feature breakdown is in Coolify vs Dokploy.
- Server cost (Hetzner CX23 + IPv4)
- $14.18
- Load balancer to rent with Coolify
- Hetzner LB11, $7.89
- Coolify, self-hosted$22/mo
Dashboard runs on one of your servers (it asks for 2 GB of RAM). From two servers, a Hetzner LB11 to spread traffic, as Coolify's docs advise.
- Coolify Cloud$27/mo
$5 includes 2 servers, then $3 per server. Same load balancer from two servers.
- Your own servers + Ployz$23/mo
Free on your servers; $9 a month for custom domains on Ployz Cloud. Every server serves https itself, so there's no load balancer to rent.
Self-hosted Coolify is the cheapest at every size, by a dollar or two. Money won't decide this one; what happens when you add a server will. Server prices are Hetzner's CX23 in Europe ($6.49 plus $0.60 IPv4). In the US, Netcup's Manassas datacenter or a DigitalOcean Droplet is the cheaper option; my first pick in Europe is Netcup's VPS 500 at €8.26 a month incl. VAT.
Where Coolify is ahead, and where Ployz is.
Coolify has more features. Ployz does fewer things, and the things it does are about running one app across several servers.
| What you need | Coolify | Ployz on your server |
|---|---|---|
| Private network across servers | Not built in, as far as its docs show | Servers join an encrypted private network; services reach each other at `NAME.internal` |
| Traffic across servers | Deploy to several servers, then add an external load balancer. Multi-server doesn't work with Compose apps or persistent storage | Every server serves HTTPS and hands each request to a healthy replica on any server. No load balancer to rent |
| Replicas | The same app deployed to each server you pick | Up to 50 replicas per service, across servers you add with one command |
| Zero-downtime deploys | Rolling updates, but not for Compose, pull-request previews or apps that publish a host port | With a health check set, the new version must pass it before the old one stops. Services with a volume (databases) have a short gap |
| Dashboard edits | Deploys start immediately; 4.3.0 removed deploy confirmations | Edits are staged and reviewed before you deploy |
| Preview per pull request | Yes, on GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket and Gitea | Yes, on GitHub. Save a preview's settings and they ship with the merge |
| Docker Compose | Yes, with magic variables for passwords and domains | No. Each service is deployed separately |
| One-click services | 300+ Compose templates | Postgres, Redis, MySQL and MongoDB |
| Backups | Scheduled database and volume backups to S3 | None. You run your own pg_dump |
| Team roles | Yes, including a read-only Member role | No, built for one operator |
| Creates servers | Hetzner, DigitalOcean and Vultr from a cloud API token | No, you rent the server and point Ployz at it |
| Dashboard | Fully self-hosted, or Coolify Cloud | Ployz Cloud, or self-host it with Docker Compose; either way it uses Ployz's relay and DNS |
Both keep serving your apps if their cloud dashboard goes down, and both run a proxy on every server. The missing pieces in Coolify are the network between servers and the traffic spreading. My Coolify review covers what it gets right, with sources for every row above.
What you give up.
Coolify does more than Ployz. If you move, these are the jobs you take back, stated plainly:
- Backups. Coolify backs up databases and volumes to S3 on a schedule. Ployz doesn't back up anything yet, so you run a
pg_dumpon a schedule from another machine. The Postgres hosting guide has the script. - Docker Compose and templates. Ployz doesn't read Compose files, and its catalog is four databases, not 300 apps. A 10-service Compose file is a lot of clicking.
- Scheduled jobs. Ployz has no built-in cron. Use your framework's scheduler as a worker, or an external cron.
- Failover. Replicas run across servers, but a database volume lives on one machine, and moving a database to another server isn't shipped yet (it's coming). Generated addresses and custom domains on a CNAME stop sending visitors to a dead server within the hour, but a root domain on A records needs its IP taken out by hand.
- Team roles. Ployz is built for one operator today.
- GitLab. Ployz deploys from GitHub, or from any Docker image.
- A dashboard that needs nothing outside your hardware. You can self-host Ployz Cloud, but it still relies on Ployz's relay and hosted DNS.
- OS updates. The server's operating system is yours to keep patched, same as with Coolify.
If any of those matter more than spreading traffic across servers, stay on Coolify. If you're comparing more tools, Coolify and Dokploy alternatives covers Dokploy, Dokku, Kamal and the rest.
Starting on a fresh server is the easy path.
I'd put Ployz on a new server rather than next to Coolify, since both want ports 80 and 443. Keep Coolify serving while you move one app at a time, then switch DNS.
$ curl -fsSL https://ployz.sh | sh
Installs the ployz CLI on macOS or Linux.
$ ployz login
Signs in to Ployz Cloud in your browser.
$ ployz up --server root@your-server
Installs Ployz on the server, builds this directory and gives it an HTTPS address.
Then recreate each container from your Coolify app or Compose file as its own service, add Postgres or Redis from the dashboard, copy your environment variables across, and restore a pg_dump from Coolify's database before you switch DNS. Add a second server whenever you need it; Scaling and multiple servers covers replicas and what happens when a server goes down. Docker Compose on multiple servers explains how the network and load balancers fit together.
Questions
Can Coolify run on multiple servers?
It can deploy an app to several servers, but its docs say that doesn't distribute traffic and doesn't create a highly available system. You add a load balancer, DNS and shared storage yourself. Multi-server doesn't work with Compose apps or persistent storage, and its Swarm mode is deprecated.
Does Coolify do load balancing?
Not across servers. Coolify runs a proxy on each server, and its docs tell you to put a cloud load balancer in front of them. In Ployz, every server serves https itself and hands each request to a healthy replica anywhere on the private network.
Is Coolify free to use?
Yes. Self-hosted Coolify is free with all features. Coolify Cloud, where the Coolify team runs the dashboard, is $5 a month for two servers plus $3 per extra server. You pay for the servers either way.
Is Coolify legit?
Yes. It's open source under Apache-2.0, has about 62,500 GitHub stars and ended its long beta with 4.0 in April 2026. It has also published 70 security advisories, so keep it updated and limit who has an account.
What does Ployz cost?
Ployz is free on your own servers, with unlimited servers, projects and preview environments. Custom domains on Ployz Cloud are $9 a month. You pay your server provider for the servers.
Can I bring my Docker Compose file?
No. Ployz doesn't read Compose files. You deploy each service separately, from GitHub or any Docker image, and they reach each other at NAME.internal. If your app is a large Compose file, Coolify or Dokploy is the easier fit.
What are good alternatives to Coolify and Dokploy?
Dokploy is the closest swap for Coolify, and Coolify for Dokploy. Dokku suits people who prefer git push and a terminal, Kamal suits config files, and Ployz suits apps that need to run across several servers without Kubernetes.
What happens if Ployz Cloud goes down?
Your servers keep serving your apps. You can't deploy until Ployz Cloud is back. The CLI and the software on your servers are open source (Apache-2.0), and the dashboard is AGPL-3.0.
Your servers. The whole platform. Free on your own servers.
Deploy your appFacts checked 2026-10-02.