Start with Coolify Cloud
Using Coolify Cloud means the Coolify team runs the Coolify instance, while you run workloads on servers you control.
If you are still deciding between Cloud and self-hosted, read Choose your path first.
Before you begin
Check these requirements first so Cloud onboarding can validate your server without SSH, firewall, or plan-limit issues.
| Section | Check |
|---|---|
| 1. How Cloud works | See where the Cloud instance runs and how it connects to your servers. |
| 2. Shared responsibility model | Confirm who is responsible for the control plane, servers, workloads, and backups. |
| 3. Your own server is required | Confirm you have server infrastructure for workloads. |
| 4. Server resources for your projects | Confirm your servers have enough CPU, memory, and storage for your workloads. |
| 5. Subscription and server limits | Confirm your plan supports the number of servers you want to connect. |
| 6. Server access requirements | Confirm SSH access, Docker support, and firewall rules are ready. |
1. How Cloud works
In Coolify Cloud, the Coolify instance, dashboard, control plane, and related services run on infrastructure managed by the Coolify team.
You do not get direct access to that managed infrastructure.
Coolify Cloud infrastructure runs on Hetzner infrastructure in Falkenstein, Germany. It connects to your servers over SSH from the documented IPv4 addresses and IPv6 addresses.
2. Shared responsibility model
Coolify Cloud manages the Coolify control plane. You manage the servers and workloads you connect to it.
| Area | Managed by Cloud | Managed by you | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coolify control plane hosting | Yes | No | Provided at app.coolify.io |
| Control plane updates and maintenance | Yes | No | Handled by the Coolify team |
| Control plane backups | Yes | No | Covers Cloud instance data |
| Server OS updates and hardening | No | Yes | Applies to every server you connect |
| Application and database runtime/data | No | Yes | Runs on your infrastructure |
| Application backups and restore | No | Yes | Configure backups for your workloads |
3. Your own server is required
Coolify Cloud does not provide workload servers. You must bring your own server infrastructure for apps, databases, and services.
Your server can be:
4. Server resources for your projects
The resources you need depend on your projects. If you host multiple services or larger applications, choose a server with higher CPU, memory, and storage.
5. Subscription and server limits
Coolify Cloud is a pay-as-you-go service.
Pricing starts at $5/month and scales with the number of servers you want to connect ($3/month per additional server).
Your subscription is based on connected server count, so choose the number of servers you need and complete payment before adding more servers.
6. Server access requirements
For connecting servers to Coolify Cloud, make sure:
SSH access
Configure OpenSSH so Coolify can connect to your server.
- Confirm SSH works from your machine
- Use root or a sudo-capable user
Firewall ports
Open the required ports on firewall.
- Allow SSH access
- Open Coolify and application ports
Get started with Coolify Cloud
1. Create your Cloud account
Visit app.coolify.io/register and create your account using your email address.
This email is tied to your Cloud account. If you need account or payment help later, contact the Coolify team using the same email address.
2. Choose your subscription plan
Choose the number of servers you want to connect and complete payment.
After this step, Cloud onboarding starts automatically.
3. Add an SSH private key
This is the first onboarding step in Coolify Cloud.
You can use an existing SSH key or create a new one from Cloud onboarding.
Choose Existing key, then paste the private SSH key that Cloud should use to connect to your server.
Make sure the matching public key already exists in ~/.ssh/authorized_keys on the server user you plan to select in the next step.
4. Add your server
Now add the server you want to deploy to:
- give your server a name
- enter your server public IP address
- select SSH port
- select server user account
Then click Validate Server & Install Docker Engine.
Coolify Cloud will validate the SSH connection and install the required components on your server.
After validation succeeds, you will see the server status update in onboarding.
5. Deploy your first application
Once your server is validated, deploy your first resource by following one of these guides: