The managed Coolify alternative
Coolify is excellent open-source software you run yourself. HostStack is the same git-push experience, fully managed — so you are not the one patching the server, verifying backups, or on call at 3am.
By Michael Michelsen, Founder of HostStack · Updated September 2026
Coolify prices checked 29 September 2026 against its public pricing pages.
The short answer
Coolify and HostStack give you the same thing to work with, a git-push, Docker-based deploy, and differ in who runs it. Coolify is open-source software you install on your own server and operate: the OS patches, the control-plane upgrades, the backup restores and the 3am pages are yours. HostStack is that job, done for you.
Coolify’s software is free; the server and your time are not. HostStack folds the server, patching, backups and optional 3-node Postgres HA into per-resource prices from €1/mo. If owning the hardware is why you chose Coolify, HostStack can also run your workloads on a machine you enrol yourself, though the control plane stays ours.
Coolify remains the better choice for homelabs, for on-premises or air-gapped requirements, or when full control of the platform is the point.
Where HostStack differs from Coolify
- Fully managed: HostStack provisions and operates the infrastructure. With Coolify you install it on your own VPS and own the OS patching, upgrades, and uptime yourself
- Managed databases with automated backups, off-site S3 copies, and an optional 3-node Patroni HA cluster. On Coolify the database is a container on your server; Coolify can schedule dumps to S3, but restore testing, upgrades and HA are yours
- Automatic security and platform patching. Self-hosting Coolify means you patch the host OS and the Coolify control plane on your own schedule
- No single-server point of failure: a self-hosted Coolify on one VPS takes everything down if that box dies — multi-server is a manual setup
- Zero-downtime blue/green deploys, preview environments per PR, and email support with a public status page
- EU data residency on European infrastructure under a Danish company, with a DPA at signup — with Coolify, residency and compliance are whatever your chosen host provides
Features: HostStack vs Coolify
| Feature | HostStack | Coolify |
|---|---|---|
| Git-push deploy | ||
| Docker runtime | ||
| Managed (no server to maintain) | You run & patch the host | |
| Managed databases (backups + HA) | Container on your server; scheduled S3 dumps | |
| Automatic security patching | You patch OS + Coolify | |
| Built-in HA / failover | Patroni 3-node (beta) | Single server; multi-server manual |
| One-click services | Curated managed set | 280+ |
| Self-host on your own hardware | Your machine, our control plane (€3/env/mo) | |
| No vendor lock-in | Standard Docker + pg_dump export | Configs live on your server |
| Preview environments per PR | ||
| Support | Email + status page | Community / paid cloud |
| EU data residency | Helsinki, FI (managed) | Wherever you host it |
Pricing: HostStack vs Coolify
| Tier | HostStack | Coolify |
|---|---|---|
| Software licence | No licence — pay per resource | Free (open source) |
| What you actually pay | From €1/mo all-in, fully managed | Your own server + your setup & maintenance time |
| Cheapest always-on service | €1/mo Pico (128 MB), managed | Bounded by your VPS — you size and run it |
| Managed Postgres | €4/mo Micro — backups + off-site copies included | Free container; scheduled dumps, you own restores, upgrades, HA |
| High availability | Patroni 3-node included on Standard/Pro (beta) | DIY multi-server cluster |
| Hosted option | Fully managed by default | Coolify Cloud: $5/mo control plane, your own servers |
When NOT to choose HostStack
Coolify is the better fit in some cases. Here's when we'd tell you so.
You want full control and zero vendor lock-in, with every configuration living on hardware you own. Coolify is built exactly for that.
You're running a homelab or hobby project where your own time is free and a $5/mo VPS is the whole budget. Self-hosting Coolify is hard to beat on raw cost there.
You must keep workloads on-premises, air-gapped, or on a specific sovereign host. A self-hosted control plane fits that; a managed platform does not.
You have the ops capacity and genuinely enjoy running your own platform. Coolify is mature, open-source, and the leader in that space — there is nothing wrong with that choice.
Migrate from Coolify
Open a HostStack account
Sign up at hoststack.dev with an email — no card during migration. Create a project in our EU region.
Connect your repo
Connect the same GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, or Codeberg repo you deploy from Coolify. Framework auto-detection (or your existing Dockerfile) carries the build over.
Import your environment
Save the environment variables you set in Coolify as a .env file and load them with hoststack env import svc_… .env --apply. Import merges: variables already on the service stay, and imported ones default to runtime-only secrets (add --target both --no-secret for build-time values). Or paste them into Import .env on the service's Variables tab.
Move your database
Provision a managed PostgreSQL on HostStack and stream a pg_dump from the Postgres container you run on Coolify directly into it. From here on, backups and HA are handled for you.
Cut over DNS and retire the server
Point DNS at HostStack, wait for TLS to provision, then decommission the VPS that ran Coolify — and stop patching it.
Reference for the move: environment variables (including hoststack env import for a .env export), managed databases, the CLI and, to script the whole thing, the TypeScript SDK.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between HostStack and Coolify?
Coolify is an open-source, self-hostable PaaS — you install it on your own server (a VPS or bare metal) and operate it yourself. HostStack is a fully-managed PaaS — the same git-push deploy experience, but HostStack provisions the infrastructure, patches the host and platform, secures it, runs managed databases with backups and HA, and stays on call. With Coolify you are the platform team; with HostStack that work is done for you.
Is Coolify really free?
The software is free and open-source (you can run it on your own hardware forever). But "free software" is not "free to run": you still pay for the server it runs on, and you invest your own time to install it, keep the host OS and Coolify patched, configure and verify backups, secure it, and handle failover when the single server goes down. Coolify Cloud ($5/month for 2 servers, +$3/month per extra server) hosts the Coolify control plane for you, but not your workloads — you still bring and patch your own servers. HostStack bundles the server, patching, backups, and HA into the per-resource price from €1/month.
When should I self-host with Coolify instead of using HostStack?
Coolify is the better choice when you specifically want full control and no vendor lock-in (all configuration lives on your own server), when you are running a homelab or hobby project where your own time is effectively free, when you must keep workloads on-premises or air-gapped, or when you have the ops capacity and want to run the control plane yourself. Coolify is genuinely excellent at this — it is the leading open-source self-hosted PaaS, with 60,000+ GitHub stars and 280+ one-click services. One thing worth knowing before you decide on hardware grounds alone: HostStack does let you enrol your own desktop, home server or VPS and pin your team's dev boxes, services and managed databases to it, reached through our edge — no compute charge, €3/month per environment for the control plane and relay, first one free. What stays ours is the control plane itself, which is the part Coolify hands you.
Can I migrate from Coolify to HostStack?
Yes, and it is straightforward because both use a git-push, Docker-based model. Connect the same GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, or Codeberg repo, import your environment variables, stream a pg_dump from the Postgres container you run on Coolify into a managed HostStack database, and cut over DNS. You stop being responsible for patching and backups the moment you switch.
Keep exploring
Ready to switch?
Start for free. No credit card required. Migrate in minutes.