Coolify vs Deno Deploy for Solo Developers

Quick Comparison

Coolify Overview

Coolify is your own personal Heroku running on a VPS you control. Install it on any server (typically a cheap Hetzner or DigitalOcean box), and you get a web dashboard for deploying applications, databases, and services. Connect a Git repository, Coolify handles the build, Docker containerization, reverse proxy, SSL certificates, and deployment. All managed through a browser.

The real power is the service ecosystem. Coolify can deploy over 100 services with one click: PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis, MongoDB, Minio, Plausible, Grafana, and many more. Each service gets its own subdomain and SSL. For solo developers juggling multiple projects and supporting services, Coolify turns chaos into a manageable dashboard.

Since Coolify runs on your own server, you have full control. No vendor lock-in, no usage limits, no surprise bills. Your VPS has 4GB RAM? That's your limit. Need more? Upgrade the VPS or add another server to your Coolify cluster.

Deno Deploy Overview

Deno Deploy is a serverless platform that runs JavaScript and TypeScript on V8 isolates distributed across 35+ global edge locations. Push your code to GitHub, Deno Deploy builds and distributes it worldwide in seconds. No servers, no containers, no infrastructure. Your code runs close to your users, wherever they are.

The runtime is the Deno JavaScript engine. TypeScript works natively, no compilation step needed. Built-in Deno KV provides a globally replicated key-value database without any setup. The free tier gives you 100,000 requests per day and 100 GiB bandwidth per month.

Cold starts are nearly non-existent thanks to V8 isolate architecture. Each function boots in milliseconds, not seconds. For APIs and lightweight web applications, the performance is impressive.

Key Differences

Infrastructure model. Coolify runs on a VPS you own and manage. You're responsible for the server's health, but you have unlimited control. Deno Deploy runs on Cloudflare-like global infrastructure. You manage nothing but your code, but you're constrained by the platform's runtime limits.

Language and runtime support. Coolify runs anything Docker can containerize: Python, Ruby, Go, Rust, Java, PHP, Node.js, Deno, you name it. Deno Deploy only runs JavaScript and TypeScript in the Deno runtime. If your backend is Django or Rails, Deno Deploy simply can't run it.

Database options. Coolify deploys PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis, and MongoDB alongside your application on the same server. Direct, fast connections with no latency. Deno Deploy offers Deno KV (a key-value store) and connects to external databases. If you need relational data, you'll need a separate managed database, which adds latency and cost.

Background processing. Coolify can run worker processes, cron jobs, and long-running background tasks as Docker containers. Deno Deploy functions have execution time limits and aren't suited for long-running processes. Image processing, video encoding, email queues, these belong on Coolify, not Deno Deploy.

Cost comparison. A Hetzner VPS with Coolify costs EUR 3.79/month and runs unlimited applications and services. Deno Deploy's free tier is generous for light usage, but the Pro plan ($20/month) kicks in for production use. For a solo developer running multiple services, Coolify on a cheap VPS is significantly cheaper.

Global distribution. Deno Deploy wins here decisively. Your code runs in 35+ locations, meaning sub-50ms response times globally. Coolify runs on one server in one location. For global users, Deno Deploy's edge network delivers noticeably better latency.

When to Choose Coolify

• You need to run databases alongside your application
• Your tech stack includes Python, Ruby, Go, or anything non-JavaScript
• You want to self-host multiple applications and services on one server
• You need background workers, cron jobs, or long-running processes
• You want maximum control over your infrastructure at minimum cost

When to Choose Deno Deploy

• You're building TypeScript APIs or edge functions
• Global latency matters and your users are distributed worldwide
• You want zero infrastructure management
• Deno KV is sufficient for your data needs (no relational DB required)
• Your application is request-driven without long-running background tasks

The Verdict

For most solo developers building full-stack web applications, Coolify is the more versatile and cost-effective choice. It runs any tech stack, hosts databases alongside your app, supports background processing, and costs less than $5/month on a budget VPS. It's the Swiss Army knife of self-hosted platforms.

Deno Deploy is the better choice for a narrower set of use cases: TypeScript-first APIs, edge-rendered sites, and lightweight serverless functions. If your entire application fits within the Deno runtime and doesn't need a traditional database or background workers, Deno Deploy delivers a frictionless experience with global performance.

The two platforms serve fundamentally different architectures. If your project is a full-stack SaaS with a database and background processing, go Coolify. If it's an API layer or an edge-first web app in TypeScript, go Deno Deploy. Trying to force the wrong workload onto either platform will cause more headaches than it solves.