Bottom line: Coolify is light enough that a 2 GB VPS runs it well for a handful of apps. It's a genuinely great fit if you want Heroku-like deploys (Git push → live) without paying per-app pricing. You provide the VPS, Coolify handles the rest.
Spec guidance: Coolify itself is a small control plane. The RAM you really need depends on how many apps you deploy and what they are. 2 GB for a personal setup; go to 4 GB if you're running several services.
Why people run Coolify on a VPS
- Git-based deploys: connect a repo, push, and it builds and deploys — no Docker files hand-rolled per app.
- Database, reverse proxy, SSL handled — Caddy does TLS automatically.
- You keep the box: all data on your VPS, no per-app or per-dyno pricing.
The install
Coolify installs from a single command on a fresh Ubuntu VPS with Docker:
curl -sSL https://coolify.io/install | bashThat sets up Docker, pulls Coolify, and starts the panel. You then point your DNS at the VPS, add a domain in the panel, and Coolify provisions HTTPS.
What it compares to
| Option | Cost | Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| PaaS (Heroku, Render, Railway) | Pay per app/dyno | No infra work, but adds up fast |
| Coolify on your own VPS | VPS + $0 | You maintain the box |
| Manual Docker on VPS | VPS | You write compose files yourself |
New to Docker entirely? Start with our Docker starter stack, then lock it down with the security checklist.