LaunchPad vs Coolify
Both run your apps on servers you own. Coolify is open-source PaaS software you install and operate; LaunchPad is a managed control plane that provisions Hetzner, deploys with Kamal, and looks after your database — priced honestly in Rand.
Side by side
| Capability | Coolify | LaunchPad |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Open-source software you self-host and operate | Managed control plane — you connect servers, LaunchPad runs the tooling |
| Pricing | Free & open-source; you pay only for your servers (paid cloud add-on available) | Free tier; Solo R149 and Team R249/mo ex VAT — early access, paid billing not yet enabled |
| Server provisioning | You install Coolify on a server you set up | Provisions Hetzner Cloud servers and hardens them (Docker, UFW, fail2ban, swap), or connects an existing server over SSH |
| Deploys | Nixpacks/buildpacks or Dockerfile, per app | Kamal zero-downtime deploys for any Dockerized app, live log streaming, health-check-gated cutover with automatic rollback |
| PostgreSQL backups | Configurable per database; you own the wiring | Scheduled pg_dump to Backblaze B2, encrypted client-side, drill-verified restores, and WAL-based point-in-time recovery (Beta; validate with a drill) |
| Who maintains the platform | You — upgrades, security patches, and uptime of Coolify itself | LaunchPad runs the control plane; you keep your own servers |
| Service catalogue | Large one-click catalogue of databases and services | Focused on the Rails + PostgreSQL path; extra services run as resources on your servers |
| Maturity | Popular, fast-moving open-source project | Early access — free while paid billing is switched off |
Coolify capabilities described from its public documentation, checked June 2026 — check coolify.io for the current picture. LaunchPad prices exclude 15% South African VAT; Hetzner and Backblaze bill you directly with no markup.
When to pick which
Pick Coolify if…
- You want fully open-source software with no vendor in the loop.
- You're happy to operate, upgrade, and back up the platform yourself.
- You want a broad one-click catalogue of services.
Pick LaunchPad if…
- You'd rather not run the deploy tooling — Hetzner provisioning and hardening are built in.
- Database safety matters: encrypted off-site backups and restore drills are first-class, with WAL-based point-in-time recovery in Beta (validate with a drill before relying on it — it shows as "Verified" in-product once a drill passes for that database; it drops back to unverified if a later drill fails, and is flagged stale for a re-run once the proof ages).
- You bill and budget in South African Rand.
Try LaunchPad free
Connect a Hetzner account, ship with Kamal, and let LaunchPad look after your database. See the deploy guide for the full walkthrough, or compare LaunchPad vs Heroku.
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