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Alex Spinov
Alex Spinov

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Coolify Has a Free API: The Open-Source Heroku Alternative You Self-Host on a $5 VPS

#coolify #api #devops #selfhosted

Heroku killed its free tier. Vercel limits serverless. Railway caps usage. What if you could deploy anything — apps, databases, services — on your own $5/month VPS with Heroku-like simplicity? That is Coolify.

What Is Coolify?

Coolify is an open-source, self-hostable platform-as-a-service. It turns any VPS into a deployment platform with git push deploys, automatic SSL, database provisioning, and monitoring. Think Heroku, but you own the server and pay only for VPS hosting.

The Free Platform

Coolify is completely free and open source:

  • Git push deploys: Connect GitHub/GitLab, push to deploy
  • Automatic SSL: Let's Encrypt certificates managed automatically
  • Databases: One-click PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis
  • Docker support: Deploy any Dockerfile or docker-compose
  • Buildpacks: Auto-detect Node.js, Python, Go, Ruby, PHP
  • REST API: Full API for automation
  • Monitoring: Built-in resource monitoring
  • Multi-server: Deploy across multiple VPS from one dashboard

Quick Start

Install on any VPS:

curl -fsSL https://cdn.coollabs.io/coolify/install.sh | bash
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That is it. Open http://your-server-ip:8000 and set up your account.

Deploy from Git:

# 1. Connect your GitHub repo in the dashboard
# 2. Push code
git push origin main
# 3. Coolify auto-builds and deploys
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Deploy databases:

# Via the API
curl -X POST https://coolify.yourserver.com/api/v1/databases \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -d '{
    "type": "postgresql",
    "name": "my-app-db",
    "version": "16"
  }'
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Deploy a Docker Compose project:

# docker-compose.yml in your repo
services:
  app:
    build: .
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    environment:
      - DATABASE_URL=postgresql://user:pass@db:5432/myapp
    depends_on:
      - db
  db:
    image: postgres:16
    volumes:
      - pgdata:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    environment:
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=pass
volumes:
  pgdata:
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Use the API for automation:

# List applications
curl https://coolify.yourserver.com/api/v1/applications \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"

# Restart an app
curl -X POST https://coolify.yourserver.com/api/v1/applications/APP_ID/restart \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"

# Deploy latest
curl -X POST https://coolify.yourserver.com/api/v1/applications/APP_ID/deploy \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"
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Why Developers Choose Coolify

A solo developer was paying $50/month across Heroku ($7 for the app), PlanetScale ($29 for the database), and Redis Cloud ($15). After moving everything to Coolify on a $12/month Hetzner VPS, they got more resources (4GB RAM, 2 vCPU, 40GB SSD) for 75% less money. The migration took an afternoon.

Who Is This For?

  • Solo developers tired of paying for multiple cloud services
  • Small teams wanting Heroku DX without Heroku pricing
  • Self-hosting enthusiasts who want a polished deployment platform
  • Startups bootstrapping on a budget

Start Self-Hosting

Coolify gives you a modern PaaS on any VPS. One install script, then push to deploy. Your server, your data, your rules.

Need help with deployment infrastructure or self-hosting? I build custom DevOps solutions — reach out to discuss your project.

Found this useful? I publish daily deep-dives into developer tools and APIs. Follow for more.

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