Is Coolify or Railway better for beginners?

Both tools are accessible. Coolify and Railway are similar in approachability — try both and see which workflow clicks.

Which is cheaper, Coolify or Railway?

Coolify (Open Source / Cloud $5/mo) is the more affordable option. Railway (Trial $5 credit / Hobby $5/mo) costs more but may offer additional features.

Can I use Coolify and Railway together?

Coolify and Railway serve similar roles, so most teams pick one. However, some developers prototype in one and build production code in the other.

Is Coolify open source?

Yes, Coolify is open source. Railway is proprietary.

Coolify vs Railway

Coolify and Railway are both hosting/deployment tools. Coolify: Open-source self-hostable alternative to Heroku Netlify and Vercel for your own servers Railway: Container-based PaaS with one-click databases private networking and usage pricing

Coolify

Open-source self-hostable alternative to Heroku Netlify and Vercel for your own servers

Category: Hosting/Deployment
Subcategory: Self-Hosted PaaS
Pricing: Open Source / Cloud $5/mo
Tier: open-source

hosting/deploymentself-hosted paasopen-source

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Railway

Container-based PaaS with one-click databases private networking and usage pricing

Category: Hosting/Deployment
Subcategory: Full-Stack PaaS
Pricing: Trial $5 credit / Hobby $5/mo
Tier: paid

hosting/deploymentfull-stack paas

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Key differences

Dimension	Coolify	Railway
Pricing Model	Open Source / Cloud $5/mo (open-source)	Trial $5 credit / Hobby $5/mo (paid)
Platform	Self-Hosted PaaS	Full-Stack PaaS
Open Source	Yes	No
Capabilities	self-hosted paas, open-source	full-stack paas

Choose Coolify if...

Coolify is free to get started
You need full control over the source code

Choose Railway if...

You need the premium features Railway offers

Community pros and cons

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Frequently asked questions

Is Coolify or Railway better for beginners?: Both tools are accessible. Coolify and Railway are similar in approachability — try both and see which workflow clicks.
Which is cheaper, Coolify or Railway?: Coolify (Open Source / Cloud $5/mo) is the more affordable option. Railway (Trial $5 credit / Hobby $5/mo) costs more but may offer additional features.
Can I use Coolify and Railway together?: Coolify and Railway serve similar roles, so most teams pick one. However, some developers prototype in one and build production code in the other.
Is Coolify open source?: Yes, Coolify is open source. Railway is proprietary.