StackPilot App vs Coolify
Two good ways to run apps on servers you own: native stacks from a desktop app, or Docker containers from a self-hosted web panel.
Neither tool is a hosting provider. With both, you bring your own servers and pay your provider directly. StackPilot App is a desktop app that sets up Nginx, PHP-FPM, Node and your databases natively on an Ubuntu or Debian VPS over SSH. Coolify is a free, open-source web dashboard that runs on a server and deploys your apps as Docker containers.
Not affiliated with Coolify. Details as of November 2026, checked against Coolify's official site, docs and GitHub. Coolify pricing.
You want free and open source, you are happy with Docker and containers, you deploy docker-compose apps or one-click services, or several people need to share one browser-based panel.
You want PHP and Node running natively (Nginx + PHP-FPM, PM2) without Docker, a desktop app with SSH keys in your OS keychain, no dashboard to host and keep patched, Laravel-style presets, and a one-time licence.
Coolify is a control plane you host on a server (or rent as Coolify Cloud) that deploys containers. StackPilot App runs on your computer and configures the server itself, so there is no extra panel or database to host.
Is StackPilot App a good Coolify alternative?
Yes, if you want native PHP and Node stacks without Docker, managed from your own machine.
StackPilot App installs Nginx, PHP-FPM, PM2, Supervisor and your database directly on the server, ships Laravel-style presets with queue workers and the scheduler wired up, keeps SSH keys in your OS keychain, and is a one-time licence. Coolify is free and open source, and it is the better choice if you want Docker, docker-compose apps, a large catalogue of one-click services, or a browser panel that several people can share. If cost is the only question, Coolify wins: self-hosting it is free.
StackPilot App vs Coolify, side by side
| StackPilot App | Coolify | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Desktop appmacOS is GA · Windows in public beta | Self-hosted web dashboardOr Coolify Cloud, a hosted dashboard |
| Hosting provider? | No. You bring your own servers | No. You bring your own servers, Cloud included |
| Where the control plane runs | On your computerNo panel, database or queue to host | On a server: Coolify plus its own Postgres and RedisDocs minimum: 2 CPU, 2 GB RAM, 10 GB disk |
| How your apps run | Natively: Nginx, PHP-FPM, PM2, Supervisor | As Docker containers behind a proxy |
| What it installs on servers | Standard Ubuntu/Debian packagesOptional StackPilot Agent daemon for push to deploy and server-side alerts | Docker Engine, Docker Compose and a proxy container |
| Where SSH keys live | Your OS keychain, on your machine | In the Coolify instance, which SSHes into each server |
| Reach it from any browser | NoNo, it is a desktop app | YesYes |
| Open source | NoNo, commercial licence | YesYes, Apache-2.0 |
| Price | One-time licence, from the Solo tierSome features are paid add-ons on smaller plans | Free self-hostedCloud: $5/month for 2 servers, +$3 per extra server |
| Stacks | 17 presets: Laravel, Symfony, Statamic, WordPress, Node, Next.js, Nuxt, Vue, React, Svelte, Angular, AdonisJS, static and more | Anything that builds into a containerNixpacks, Railpack (beta), Dockerfile, Docker Compose, static |
| Laravel specifics | YesPreset wires up queue workers, scheduler, Horizon, migrations and .env | PartlyThrough generic build packs or your own Dockerfile |
| docker-compose apps and one-click services | NoNot supported | YesYes, 360+ one-click services |
| Deploys and rollback | YesZero-downtime atomic releases, one-click rollback | YesRollback to retained images |
| Pull request previews | NoNoStaging environments instead | YesYes |
| One-click cloud servers | AWS, DigitalOcean, VultrAdd-on on Solo, Pro and Power · any Ubuntu/Debian VPS over SSH | Connects any Linux server over SSHCoolify itself installs on many distributions, from Debian and Ubuntu to the RHEL family and Alpine |
| Backups | YesEncrypted database, app files and .env to S3-compatible storageAdd-on on Solo, Pro and Power · one-click database restore | YesScheduled database backups to S3-compatible storage |
| Notifications | YesSlack, Discord, Telegram, webhookAdd-on on Solo, Pro and Power | YesEmail, Slack, Mattermost, Discord, Telegram, Pushover, webhook |
| Several people, one panel | NoPer-machine, single operatorCollaboration is on the roadmap | YesTeams with roles and permissions |
Pricing: free and open source vs a one-time licence
Coolify costs nothing to self-host, and that is a real advantage. You still pay for the server Coolify runs on, unless you run it on the same box as your apps, and its docs suggest a separate server for production. StackPilot App costs money once and needs no extra server.
StackPilot App: pay once
- Solo · 2 servers$129 once
- Pro · 5 servers$249 once
- Power · 10 servers$599 once
Larger fleets go up to 50 servers per licence. Lifetime feature updates within your major version, plus 2 years of security patches.
One-time add-ons on Solo, Pro and Power
- StackPilot Agent (push to deploy) · included from Growth$129
- External database · included from Scale$65
- Cloud providers (create servers in-app) · included in Ultimate$159 to $199
- Backups · included from Growth$65
- Notifications · included from Scale$65
- AI Access (MCP) · included in Ultimate$175
Optional, bought once. Ultimate includes every add-on. Unlimited sites, staging environments and the SQL editor are on every plan.
Coolify: free or Cloud
- Self-hosted · all features, you host itFree
- Cloud · hosted dashboard, 2 servers$5/mo
- Each extra server · on Cloud+$3/mo
Cloud is billed monthly, or yearly at 20% less. With both options you bring and pay for your own servers.
On price alone, Coolify is hard to beat. Choose StackPilot App when the things you pay for matter to you: no Docker layer on your servers, no dashboard to host, patch and secure, credentials that stay on your machine, and Laravel and Node presets that set up the server the way you would by hand.
Who should choose Coolify
- You want free, open-source software you can read and modify
- You already work with Docker, Dockerfiles and docker-compose
- You want one-click services (databases, analytics, self-hosted tools) from a large catalogue
- Several people need to log in to the same panel from any browser
- You want pull request preview deployments
- You want to run on a Linux distribution other than Ubuntu or Debian
Who should choose StackPilot App
- You want Nginx, PHP-FPM and PM2 running directly on the server, with no Docker layer to debug
- You do not want to host, patch and secure a separate deployment dashboard
- You want SSH keys kept in your OS keychain on your own machine
- You deploy Laravel and want queue workers, the scheduler and Horizon set up by the preset
- You would rather buy a licence once than run another service
- You are a solo developer or freelancer managing a known set of VPS servers
Moving a site from Coolify to StackPilot App
There is no automatic import, because Coolify runs apps in containers and StackPilot App runs them natively. The move is a redeploy, and you can keep Coolify running until the new server is live.
- 1Create or connect a fresh Ubuntu or Debian server in StackPilot App. Do not reuse the Coolify server: its proxy already uses ports 80 and 443.
- 2Deploy the same Git repository with the matching preset, and copy your environment variables into the in-app .env editor.
- 3Dump the database from the Coolify database container and load it on the new server from the in-app terminal.
- 4Test on the new server, point your DNS at it, then retire the app in Coolify once traffic has moved.
Frequently asked
Why pay for StackPilot App when Coolify is free?
If Docker suits you and you are happy to host the Coolify dashboard, you may not need to. StackPilot App is worth paying for when you want PHP and Node running natively on the server without containers, nothing extra to host and keep patched, SSH keys in your OS keychain rather than on a server, and presets that set up Laravel, Node and WordPress the way you would by hand.
Is StackPilot App a hosting provider?
No. StackPilot App is a desktop app that sets up and manages servers you own. You bring a VPS (AWS, DigitalOcean and Vultr can be created from the app; any Ubuntu or Debian server works over SSH) and pay your provider directly. Coolify is not a host either: even Coolify Cloud asks you to bring your own servers.
Does StackPilot App use Docker?
No. It installs Nginx, PHP-FPM, Node with PM2, Supervisor, Redis and MySQL, MariaDB or PostgreSQL directly on the server. If you specifically want containers or docker-compose, Coolify is the better fit.
Can I migrate from Coolify to StackPilot App?
Yes, as a redeploy rather than an import. Set up a fresh server in StackPilot App, deploy the same Git repository with the matching preset, move your environment variables and a database dump across, then switch DNS. There is no tool that reads a Coolify configuration directly.
Can I run StackPilot App and Coolify on the same server?
We do not recommend it. Coolify installs Docker and a proxy that takes ports 80 and 443, while StackPilot App configures Nginx on those same ports. Use a separate server for each.
Does anything run on my server with StackPilot App?
Only the software your apps need, such as Nginx, PHP-FPM and your database. The optional StackPilot Agent is a small daemon that adds push to deploy, plus server-side scheduled backups and alerts that keep working while your computer is off. There is no dashboard or control-plane database on the server.
Which features are paid add-ons?
On Solo, Pro and Power, backups, notifications, the StackPilot Agent (push to deploy), one-click cloud servers, AI Access (MCP) and external databases are optional one-time add-ons. Higher fleet tiers include some of them and Ultimate includes all of them. Current prices are on the pricing page.
Can I try StackPilot App first?
Yes. Every new account gets 14 days on the Pro tier, with five servers, no card and nothing charged when it ends.
See it on your own servers
Try it on your own server with 14 days of Pro, no card needed. StackPilot App connects to any Ubuntu or Debian VPS over SSH from your machine, and your credentials stay on your computer.