---
title: "Coolify vs Dokploy in 2026: comparison and alternative"
url: https://while.sh/en/comparisons/coolify-vs-dokploy/
author: "Grégoire Mougeolle, co-founder of Nextmap"
updated: 2026-11-02
---

# Coolify vs Dokploy: which one to choose in 2026 for your servers?

Coolify and Dokploy turn your servers into an open-source PaaS, with an MCP server for your agent. What sets them apart is the license and how they grow across several machines. And if you'd rather not run any server, your AI agent deploys on while.

## The right choice depends on your app

- **Do you want fully open-source software, with no paid features at all?** Choose Coolify: everything is free there, on your own servers (source 1).
- **Do your apps need to be spread across several machines?** Choose Dokploy: it spreads them out by itself, with Docker Swarm (source 2).
- **Would you rather have no server to rent, update or watch?** Choose while: your AI agent deploys, your databases are backed up every day, and everything runs in France.

## The comparison

| Host | The license | Several servers | Your AI agent | The database |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coolify | Everything is open source and free (source 1) | As many servers as you want, connected over SSH (source 1) | A built-in MCP server, with limited-permission tokens (source 3) | On your server, with backups you set up yourself |
| Dokploy | The core is open source. SSO and advanced controls are paid (source 4) | Your apps spread across several machines (source 2) | An MCP server with 508 tools, connected with an API key (source 5) | On your server, copied to your S3 storage (source 6) |
| while | Nothing to install: it's a service | No server to run | An MCP server with OAuth: sensitive actions wait for your approval | PostgreSQL backed up every day, point-in-time recovery over 14 days (source 9) |

## Coolify, open source all the way

Coolify is open source and free, with no paid features, and deploys on any server connected over SSH, with more than 360 one-click services (source 1).

## Dokploy, designed for several machines

Dokploy spreads your apps across several machines with Docker Swarm (source 2), and exposes its whole API to your agent through its MCP server (source 5).

## while, the same comfort with no server to run

No server to rent, update or watch: your AI agent deploys over MCP, your databases are backed up every day, and a production backup is tested every day. Sensitive actions wait for your approval, and everything runs in France.

## Next steps

- [Compare Coolify and while](/en/comparisons/while-vs-coolify/)
- [Compare Dokploy and while](/en/comparisons/while-vs-dokploy/)
- [VPS or PaaS: should you rent a server?](/en/comparisons/vps-or-paas/)

## Sources

1. [Coolify, home page](https://coolify.io/), 2026-11-02
2. [Dokploy, deploying across several machines](https://docs.dokploy.com/docs/core/deployment-options), 2026-11-02
3. [Coolify, the MCP server](https://coolify.io/docs/mcp/overview), 2026-11-02
4. [Dokploy, the license change](https://dokploy.com/blog/we-are-updating-dokploys-open-source-license), 2026-11-02
5. [Dokploy, the MCP server](https://github.com/Dokploy/mcp), 2026-11-02
6. [Dokploy, database backups](https://docs.dokploy.com/docs/core/databases/backups), 2026-11-02
7. [Coolify, pricing and FAQ](https://coolify.io/pricing), 2026-11-02
8. [Dokploy, pricing](https://dokploy.com/pricing), 2026-11-02
9. [while, tested backups](https://while.sh/fr/docs/briques/sauvegardes/), 2026-11-03

## Questions

### Are Coolify and Dokploy free?

Yes, when self-hosted. Coolify Cloud costs $5 per month (source 7), and Dokploy Cloud $4.50 per month per server (source 8), plus your servers.

### Who backs up my databases?

With either one, you do: to your own S3 storage (source 6). On while, every database is backed up every day, with point-in-time recovery.

### Can my agent move from Coolify or Dokploy to while?

Yes. It takes over your code or your Dockerfile, copies the database and carries over your settings.