Why Self-Host Coolify on a VPS?
Managed PaaS platforms are convenient, but their billing climbs quickly and your data lives with a third party. Coolify flips this model: you install a complete PaaS on your VPS and pay only for the server. You deploy via git push or through a GitHub/GitLab integration; Coolify detects the stack (Nixpacks, Dockerfile, Docker Compose), builds the image, manages SSL certificates, environment variables, automatic deployments on push, and even managed databases. A single Coolify instance can drive several remote servers.
What Coolify Puts at Your Disposal
- Automatic deployment on
git pushfrom GitHub, GitLab, or Gitea (built-in webhooks) - Automatic stack detection via Nixpacks, or building from a Dockerfile / Docker Compose
- Let's Encrypt SSL certificates generated and renewed with no configuration
- One-click databases: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, with scheduled backups
- Centralized management of environment variables, secrets, and preview deployments
- Control of several remote servers from a single Coolify instance
Prerequisites
Coolify orchestrates Docker and may host your applications and databases on the same VPS: plan for at least 2 vCPU and 2 GB of RAM, but 4 GB is recommended as soon as you run several services on it. Installation is done on a freshly provisioned system (Ubuntu/Debian); Coolify installs Docker itself. You need a domain (or subdomain) for the interface, and ports 80, 443, and 8000 (initial installation panel) open.
Install and Deploy with Coolify
Provision a Clean VPS
Order an Ubuntu 22.04 LTS VPS dedicated to Coolify. Update the system and enable the UFW firewall, allowing SSH (22), HTTP (80), and HTTPS (443). Avoid installing Docker manually beforehand: the installation script takes care of it.
Run the Installation Script
Run the official script: curl -fsSL https://cdn.coollabs.io/coolify/install.sh | bash. It installs Docker, deploys the Coolify stack, and starts the dashboard. When it finishes, go to http://votre-ip:8000 to create the initial administrator account.
Configure the Panel Domain
In the Coolify settings, enter the instance domain (coolify.yourdomain.com) after pointing its A record to the VPS. Coolify automatically generates the panel's SSL certificate and switches access to HTTPS.
Connect a Git Source
Add a GitHub/GitLab integration (App or deploy key). Coolify can then clone your private repositories and create webhooks to deploy automatically on every push to the chosen branch.
Create and Deploy an Application
Create a new resource and select the repository and branch. Coolify detects the stack via Nixpacks or uses your Dockerfile. Specify the application's domain, add the environment variables, then launch the deployment: build, container, and SSL certificate are handled automatically.
Add a Database
Provision a PostgreSQL or Redis instance in one click from the interface. Coolify provides the connection string to inject as an environment variable in your application, and offers scheduled backups to S3-compatible storage.
Regularly back up Coolify's own directory (/data/coolify) in addition to your databases: it contains the configuration of all your resources. And to spread the load, don't hesitate to connect additional remote servers in Coolify: you keep a single control panel while deploying heavy applications on separate VPS instances.
The Official Documentation
For advanced configuration and tool-specific options, refer to the official Coolify documentation. This guide covers going live on a VPS; the vendor's documentation remains the reference for fine-tuning, major updates, and specific use cases.
