Dokploy vs Coolify vs Komodo: Self-Hosted PaaS Comparison

Tired of paying premium prices for Vercel, Heroku, or Netlify? Want full control over your deployment infrastructure? Self-hosted PaaS (Platform as a Service) might be the perfect solution.

In this article, I’ll compare three popular self-hosted PaaS platforms: Dokploy, Coolify, and Komodo. Each has its own strengths and trade-offs, so you can pick the one that fits your needs best.

TL;DR - Quick Summary

Platform	Dokploy	Coolify	Komodo
GitHub Stars	28.4k+	48.7k+	9.2k+
Language	TypeScript/Next.js	PHP/Laravel	Rust
Maturity	Newest (April 2024)	Most Mature	Moderate
Resource Usage	Medium	Medium-High	Very Low
License	Apache 2.0*	Apache 2.0	GPL-3.0

Quick Recommendations:

• Dokploy → Modern features, Docker Swarm, preview deployments
• Coolify → Most stable, 280+ templates, comprehensive docs
• Komodo → Ultra-lightweight (Rust), distributed architecture, flexible

What is Self-Hosted PaaS?

Self-hosted PaaS is a platform you install on your own server to manage application deployments. Think Vercel or Heroku, but you’re in full control.

Benefits:

• Cheaper - Just pay for VPS, no per-project fees
• Privacy - Data stays on your server
• Full control - Configure however you want
• Unlimited projects - Deploy as many as your server can handle

1. Dokploy - The Modern Choice

Dokploy is the newest platform, launched in April 2024. Built with TypeScript and Next.js, JavaScript/TypeScript developers will feel right at home.

Tech Stack

• Backend: Node.js + Next.js + tRPC
• Database: PostgreSQL + Redis
• Reverse Proxy: Traefik (auto-configured)
• UI: React + Radix UI + Tailwind CSS

Standout Features

1. Docker Swarm Support - Scale across multiple nodes
2. Preview Deployments - Auto-deploy from GitHub PRs (Vercel-like)
3. AI Integration - Support for Anthropic, OpenAI, Ollama, etc.
4. Template Marketplace - One-click deploy various apps
5. Built-in Monitoring - Real-time CPU, memory, network stats
6. 2FA Authentication - Extra security layer

Installation

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

Super simple, one command and you’re running.

Build Methods

• Dockerfile
• Nixpacks
• Heroku Buildpacks
• Paketo Buildpacks
• Static sites

Pros

• ✅ Modern, polished UI
• ✅ Docker Swarm for multi-node scaling
• ✅ Preview deployments (killer feature!)
• ✅ Built-in AI integration
• ✅ Great documentation
• ✅ Cloud version available (app.dokploy.com)

Cons

• ❌ Still new, not as battle-tested as Coolify
• ❌ Fewer templates (~20 vs 280+)
• ❌ Some features have license restrictions for resale

Best For

• Developers wanting modern features
• Teams needing preview deployments
• Those scaling with Docker Swarm
• AI tool users

2. Coolify - The Mature Choice

Coolify is the most mature option among the three. With 48k+ stars, it’s the go-to choice for self-hosted PaaS.

Tech Stack

• Backend: PHP 8.4 + Laravel 12
• Database: PostgreSQL + Redis
• Reverse Proxy: Caddy (auto-HTTPS)
• UI: Laravel Livewire + Alpine.js

Standout Features

1. 280+ One-Click Templates - Plausible, Ghost, n8n, and many more
2. Multi-Server Support - Manage multiple servers from one dashboard
3. Extensive OAuth - Google, Discord, Azure, Authentik, etc.
4. Teams & Projects - Built-in organization features
5. Comprehensive API - REST API with OpenAPI docs
6. Health Checks - Automatic monitoring

Installation

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

Supports various distros: Debian, Ubuntu, RHEL, Arch, Alpine.

Pros

• ✅ Most stable and battle-tested
• ✅ Largest template library (280+)
• ✅ Most comprehensive documentation
• ✅ Largest community
• ✅ Commercial support available
• ✅ Laravel ecosystem benefits

Cons

• ❌ Higher resource usage (PHP + Laravel stack)
• ❌ No Docker Swarm support
• ❌ No preview deployments
• ❌ No 2FA

Best For

• Those needing a stable, proven platform
• Users wanting lots of template options
• Teams requiring comprehensive documentation
• Laravel ecosystem familiarity

3. Komodo - The Lightweight Choice

Komodo takes a different approach - built with Rust for maximum performance and minimal resource usage.

Tech Stack

• Backend: Rust + Axum
• Database: MongoDB/FerretDB
• Architecture: Core + Periphery (distributed agents)
• UI: React 19 + Radix UI

Unique Architecture

Komodo uses a Core + Periphery model:

• Core - Main server that manages everything
• Periphery - Lightweight agents installed on each managed server

This allows Komodo to manage many servers with minimal overhead.

Standout Features

1. TypeScript Actions - Custom automation with TypeScript
2. Procedures - Multi-step workflows
3. Terminal Access - SSH directly from UI
4. Generic Provider Support - Any Git provider, any Docker registry
5. Granular RBAC - Detailed role-based access control
6. OpenTelemetry - Built-in distributed tracing

Installation

Core Server:

git clone https://github.com/moghtech/komodo
cd komodo
docker-compose up

Periphery Agent (on each server):

curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/moghtech/komodo/main/scripts/setup-periphery.py | python3

Pros

• ✅ Lowest resource usage (Rust = blazing fast!)
• ✅ Distributed architecture
• ✅ TypeScript automation (Actions & Procedures)
• ✅ No vendor lock-in philosophy
• ✅ All features free forever
• ✅ Terminal access to servers

Cons

• ❌ More complex setup (Core + Periphery)
• ❌ No one-click templates
• ❌ Manual database management
• ❌ Reverse proxy requires manual setup

Best For

• Resource-conscious deployments
• DevOps wanting TypeScript automation
• Self-hosting purists (no vendor lock-in)
• Managing multiple servers

Detailed Feature Comparison

Deployment & Orchestration

Feature	Dokploy	Coolify	Komodo
Docker Compose	✅	✅	✅
Docker Swarm	✅	❌	🔄 Planned
Kubernetes	❌	❌	🔄 Planned
Multi-Server	✅	✅	✅ (via Periphery)
Preview Deployments	✅	❌	❌

Database Support

Feature	Dokploy	Coolify	Komodo
PostgreSQL	✅	✅	Manual
MySQL/MariaDB	✅	✅	Manual
MongoDB	✅	✅	Manual
Redis	✅	✅	Manual
Auto Backup	✅	✅	Manual

Security

Feature	Dokploy	Coolify	Komodo
2FA	✅	❌	❌
OAuth/SSO	✅	✅ (7 providers)	✅ (OIDC)
RBAC	Basic	Basic	✅ Granular
Auto SSL	✅	✅	Manual

Monitoring & Notifications

Feature	Dokploy	Coolify	Komodo
Resource Monitoring	✅	✅	✅
Slack	✅	❌	❌
Discord	✅	❌	✅
Telegram	✅	❌	❌
Email	✅	✅	❌
Webhooks	✅	✅	✅

Resource Usage Comparison

This matters a lot if you’re running on a limited VPS:

Platform	RAM Usage	CPU Usage	Startup Time
Dokploy	500MB - 1GB	Medium	~30s
Coolify	600MB - 1.2GB	Medium	~60s
Komodo Core	100-200MB	Low	<10s
Komodo Periphery	20-50MB	Very Low	<5s

Komodo clearly wins here thanks to Rust.

Recommendations by Use Case

”I want the easiest and most stable option”

→ Coolify

Comprehensive documentation, large community, and 280+ templates. Just install and start deploying various apps immediately.

”I want modern features like Vercel”

→ Dokploy

Preview deployments, AI integration, and Docker Swarm support. Perfect for those wanting a Vercel-like experience but self-hosted.

”I want the lightest and most flexible option”

→ Komodo

Minimal resource usage, TypeScript automation, and distributed architecture. Perfect for managing multiple servers or running on limited VPS resources.

”I’m a beginner just learning”

→ Coolify or Dokploy

Both have one-click install and user-friendly UIs. Avoid Komodo initially as the setup is more complex.

”I need to scale to multiple servers”

→ Dokploy (Swarm) or Komodo (Periphery)

Coolify supports multi-server but lacks orchestration. Dokploy has Docker Swarm, Komodo has distributed agents.

Conclusion

All three platforms are excellent for self-hosted PaaS, but each has different strengths:

• Dokploy - Modern, feature-rich, Docker Swarm
• Coolify - Mature, stable, most templates
• Komodo - Lightweight, flexible, automation-focused

Your choice depends on your needs. If you’re just starting out, I recommend Coolify for its maturity and comprehensive documentation. If you want modern features like preview deployments, try Dokploy. And if you prioritize efficiency and flexibility, Komodo is the answer.

Happy deploying! 🚀

Resources

• Dokploy GitHub
• Dokploy Docs
• Coolify GitHub
• Coolify Docs
• Komodo GitHub
• Komodo Docs