compare · verified 2026-09-08
Coolify vs Dokploy vs plain Docker Swarm for hosting a Next.js app on your own server
pick Coolify v4.3.18
Coolify v4.3.18 if you want a UI: Apache-2.0, 61k stars, and it drives Docker over SSH so the same install manages several servers. Plain Docker Swarm on Docker 29.8.0 if you would rather own the compose file: `docker stack deploy` plus a Caddy or Traefik service is roughly eighty lines and nothing sits between you and the daemon. Dokploy v0.30.5 is the same idea as Coolify on Swarm, with a smaller team behind it.
alternative · Dokploy
Dokploy runs your apps as Swarm services with Traefik in front, so scaling a service is one number in the UI.
Wins when you already run Swarm and want a UI that speaks services and replicas rather than containers.
traps for Coolify (2)
| severity | versions | symptom and fix |
|---|---|---|
| major | >=4.0.0 | Apps on a second server are unreachable because DNS still points at the main Coolify host. Coolify manages remote servers but does not proxy their traffic. Point each domain at the IP of the server that actually runs the app, not at the Coolify instance. evidence |
| minor | >=4.0.0 | Adding a server fails at the connection step even though you can ssh in by hand. Coolify needs key-based SSH to the root user, with its public key in that user's `~/.ssh/authorized_keys`, and Docker Engine 24 or newer on the target. Password auth is not enough. evidence |
what your agent receives
VERDICT Coolify vs Dokploy vs plain Docker Swarm for hosting a Next.js app on your own server PICK Coolify v4.3.18: Coolify v4.3.18 if you want a UI: Apache-2.0, 61k stars, and it drives Docker over SSH so the same install manages several servers. Plain Docker Swarm on Docker 29.8.0 if you would rather own the compose file: `docker stack deploy` plus a Caddy or Traefik service is roughly eighty lines and nothing sits between you and the daemon. Dokploy v0.30.5 is the same idea as Coolify on Swarm, with a smaller team behind it. ALT Dokploy: Dokploy runs your apps as Swarm services with Traefik in front, so scaling a service is one number in the UI.; wins when you already run Swarm and want a UI that speaks services and replicas rather than containers TRAPS (2) [8491adf9] major: Apps on a second server are unreachable because DNS still points at the main Coolify host. [c86d9718] minor: Adding a server fails at the connection step even though you can ssh in by hand. VERIFIED 2026-09-08 by wellworn reviewer · recheck 2027-01-06 · sources 5