Coolify one year on: can it still stand up against hand-managed VPS?

A year after our initial testing, the question from hosting resellers and those managing a handful of VPS for third parties remains the same: does Coolify save real time or just shift the problem? To answer, we've reviewed Coolify's official documentation, the changelog of versions released in 2026, and installation guides from those who've deployed it on Ubuntu 24.04, comparing what the tool claims to automate with what actually needs manual configuration on the server.

Minimum requirements: the official figures and the "production" ones

Coolify's official documentation is clear: Coolify needs 2 CPU cores, 2 GB RAM, and 10 GB disk space to run. The same page does add a caveat for those trying to economise: Coolify can run on smaller servers (for example 1 core, 512 MB RAM, 4 GB disc), but it's not recommended; if cost is an issue, start with 1 core and 1 GB RAM and scale with load.

Those who actually install it, however, recommend wider margins. A practical Ubuntu guide notes that you need a Linux server with at least 2 cores, 2 GB RAM and 30 GB disc space, though 4 GB RAM is the realistic minimum for multiple apps together, and another installation guide arrives at the same figure: 2 cores, 2 GB RAM and 30 GB free disc space. A provisioning model for servers dedicated to Coolify is even more explicit: don't buy a server that merely meets minimum requirements (2 vCPU, 2 GB RAM, 30 GB disc), because these represent the software's survival threshold and don't account for operating system overhead or production loads, risking slowdowns and crashes under traffic. The gap between 10 GB declared and 30 GB recommended in practice is the first figure to note before sizing a VPS.

Installation: one command, then it's up to you

Installation remains a one-liner, with the option to pin a specific version: curl -fsSL https://cdn.coollabs.io/coolify/install.sh | sudo bash -s 4.4.6 to install a specific version. The automated script doesn't cover everything, though: it officially supports Ubuntu 20.04, 22.04 and 24.04 LTS; those on a more recent release must switch to manual installation. You'll also need to open the firewall manually: inbound ports 22, 80, 443, 8000, 6001 and 6002 are required.

What it actually automates

Once running, Coolify manages the deploy cycle from Git, provisions common databases and HTTPS certificates via Traefik or Caddy. On the backup front, progress came in two stages: in July 2026, version 4.2.0 introduced scheduled backups for persistent volumes and application storage, with retention policies and manual execution, and in August, 4.3.0 added volume and directory backups to local or S3-compatible storage, with retention controls, on-demand backups and history.

What remains manual

VPS provider selection, actual sizing (see above), firewall port opening, timely creation of an admin account on first startup (otherwise whoever reaches the registration page first becomes the server admin) and a backup of the installation key file: all of this remains the administrator's responsibility.

2026 versions and security

Version	Date	Updates
v4.0.0	27 April 2026	first stable after two years of beta
v4.1.0	18 May 2026	Railpack build (beta), structured audit log
v4.2.0	21 July 2026	scheduled backups on persistent volumes
v4.3.0	12 August 2026	new UI, S3 backups, SSO
v4.4.0	6 October 2026	traffic analytics, OIDC login
v4.4.6	9 October 2026	self-hosted startup fix (PHP image)

On the security front, the 11 critical CVEs disclosed in January 2026 were fixed in beta.451 and later releases: any current version is patched. An independent bulletin also reports a cluster of vulnerabilities in summer 2026: CVE-2026-42143, command injection via persistent volume names, and CVE-2026-34035, RCE to the host via log-drain secret injection, plus a third flaw in September, CVE-2026-84694, command injection via environment variables in v4.2.0. Those managing Coolify for third parties should therefore plan frequent updates, not just install once and forget about it.

Practical comparison

Task	Coolify	Hand-managed VPS
Deploy from Git	automatic (push to deploy)	custom scripts or CI/CD
SSL certificates	automatic via Traefik/Caddy	certbot to configure and renew
Volume backups	schedulable from UI from 2026	cron jobs and scripts to maintain
Updates	frequent releases, monitor for CVE	administrator's responsibility
Cost	self-hosted free; Cloud at $5/month per 2 servers	VPS cost only

For those managing two or three clients on a single VPS, Coolify removes repetitive work on deploys, certificates and backups. It doesn't remove the responsibility to follow security advisories and size the server beyond the stated minimum: on that point, official documentation and practical guides agree poorly, and it's better to trust the latter.

Documentation reviewed: coolify.io/docs/get-started/installation and coolify.io/changelog, October 2026.