Dokploy vs Coolify: Why Dokploy wins in production

Modern web application developers often turn to Platform as a Service (PaaS) tools like Vercel, Netlify, Neon, and Supabase for convenient cloud hosting, but these options come with trade-offs such as unpredictable pricing and limited control over infrastructure. The text describes a personal experience with a side project where vendor-imposed constraints led to difficulties in managing a backend server and a Content Management System (CMS), highlighting common issues like vendor lock-in and high cloud expenses. It mentions an example of a company saving millions by transitioning from cloud to on-prem hardware. Self-hosted PaaS tools like Coolify and Dokploy are presented as alternatives, offering more control and predictable costs by running on a user's own virtual private server (VPS) or local network. The text provides a detailed comparison between Dokploy and Coolify, covering aspects such as setup, application deployment, database management, monitoring, and licensing. Dokploy is noted for its adherence to the Docker workflow, while Coolify is praised for its guided workflows and CI/CD features. Ultimately, Dokploy is recommended for those seeking simplicity and control, while Coolify is favored for its comprehensive platform features and guardrails.