AppCrane vs Coolify
Looking for a self-hosted Coolify alternative? Both AppCrane and Coolify run your apps in Docker on a server you own, with no cloud vendor in the middle. Coolify is the mature, community-favorite generalist — open source (Apache-2.0), 65k+ GitHub stars, 360+ one-click services, and an optional paid Coolify Cloud that runs the control plane for you. Both now ship an MCP server that can deploy. AppCrane takes a different angle: it's agent-first and built for enterprise governance, so SAML and SCIM sign-in, per-app access grants and a secret hard-wall sit next to the agent's deploy tools.
| AppCrane | Coolify | |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting model | Self-hosted, 1 box | Self-hosted, or Cloud control plane |
| Data ownership | Yours entirely | Yours entirely |
| Built-in MCP that can deploy | ✓ 74 tools | ✓ deploy, roll back, manage |
| Enterprise SSO (SAML/OIDC/SCIM) | ✓ | ~ OIDC + OAuth |
| Audit log that tells agent from person | ✓ | ✓ UI, API, MCP source |
| Secret hard-wall (operator can't read) | ✓ | Not documented |
| Docker container isolation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sandbox + production envs | ✓ | ~ |
| One-click service templates | ~ | ✓ |
| Whole-system + scheduled S3 backup | ✓ | ~ |
| Open source / license | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Pricing model | Flat — your server | Free self-hosted; Cloud from $5/mo |
| No vendor lock-in | ✓ | ✓ |
Pick Coolify if…
Coolify genuinely wins in a few places, and it's a great tool. Choose it when those strengths matter most to you.
You want the big catalog and community
- 360+ one-click services — databases, queues, dashboards, wikis, out of the box.
- 65k+ GitHub stars and years of production maturity behind it.
- A large, active community for answers and battle-tested recipes.
- Coolify Cloud, from $5/month, if you would rather not run the control plane yourself; your apps still run on your servers.
- A polished human-first UI is exactly what your team wants to click through.
Pick AppCrane if…
AppCrane is the self-hosted Coolify alternative for teams where an AI agent does the driving and where governance is non-negotiable.
Agent-first, not agent-bolted-on
An AI agent drives 74 appcrane_* MCP tools via npx appcrane-mcp — create apps, deploy sandbox to prod, read logs, manage secrets. Coolify's built-in MCP server can also deploy, roll back and manage resources (v4.5.0), scoped by token permissions; its docs list no tools for granting a person access to an app.
Enterprise governance built in
SAML/OIDC/SCIM SSO, four-role RBAC, and per-user token-bound audit ship in the box. Coolify documents OIDC and OAuth sign-in, three team roles and a team audit log that records UI, API and MCP activity; its docs do not describe SAML or SCIM.
A real secret hard-wall
The platform operator physically can't read an app's secrets or model API keys — a boundary that matters when one box hosts many teams' apps and compliance is in scope. Coolify can lock variables so its UI and API stop showing them, and can read values from Doppler, Infisical or Vault, but its docs describe Coolify as a privileged control plane and do not describe a boundary that keeps an instance admin out.
FAQ
Is AppCrane a good self-hosted Coolify alternative?
Yes. Both are self-hosted and Docker-based on a server you own. AppCrane differs by being agent-first over MCP and by shipping enterprise SSO (SAML/OIDC/SCIM), four-role RBAC, per-user audit, and a secret hard-wall — where Coolify documents OIDC and OAuth sign-in and a team audit log that records UI, API and MCP activity, but not SAML or SCIM.
Where does Coolify beat AppCrane?
Community and catalog. Coolify has 65k+ GitHub stars, 360+ one-click service templates, more years of maturity, and a managed Coolify Cloud option. If you want a large catalog of one-click services with a polished human-first UI, Coolify is the stronger pick.
Does Coolify have an MCP server or agent control?
Yes. Since v4.5.0 (October 2026) Coolify's built-in MCP server can deploy, cancel, roll back, start and stop resources and create or change applications, databases and services, with each tool gated by the API token's permissions. AppCrane's 74 appcrane_* tools include deploy, promote, rollback, secrets and access grants, each call recorded against the user whose token it carries.
Can the AppCrane operator read my app secrets?
No. AppCrane enforces a secret hard-wall — the platform operator can't read an app's secrets or model API keys. Coolify can lock variables and read values from external secret managers, but its docs do not describe an equivalent operator-side boundary.
Try the self-hosted Coolify alternative
One command on your own Ubuntu server. Your infra, your data, your keys.
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gitayg/appCrane/main/install.sh | sudo bash
View AppCrane on GitHub ↗
Coolify rows checked against Coolify's own docs, pricing page and GitHub releases (through v4.5.3) in October 2026; "Not documented" means the capability does not appear in their docs, not proof it is absent. Every product evolves, so verify specifics against each vendor's current docs. "~" marks features that exist but require add-ons, extra configuration, or aren't part of the core product.