No SSH, no CLI parsing
A node agent dials out to the control plane over mutual TLS and uses the Docker Engine API. Nothing shells out to the docker CLI, and managed servers need no inbound port.
Coolify alternative
A lighter way to self-host what you deploy with Coolify
Levelrail is an open source deployment platform for your own servers. Its agent talks to Docker's Engine API directly instead of SSHing in and shelling out, so the platform stays out of your apps' way.
curl -fsSL https://levelrail.com/install.sh | sudo sh
Why people look for a Coolify alternative
Built-in metrics and logs
Node-local metrics at 15 second resolution and full-text log search ship in the core. Deploy markers sit on the charts, so which deploy caused a spike is a visual answer.
Rollback that survives cleanup
Previous images stay pinned so garbage collection can never remove your rollback target. Traffic only cuts over once the new container passes a real readiness probe.
Bring your apps with you
The importer reads your existing instance through its own HTTP API and never changes anything there. Run it with --dry-run first to see exactly what would be created.
Coolify and Levelrail, side by side
Architecture and design choices, not a ranking. Coolify is a mature project with a wide template catalog.
CoolifyLevelrail
Server managementSSH from the control plane to each serverAgent dials out over gRPC with mTLS, talks to the Docker Engine API
OrchestrationDocker and Docker Compose per resourceLevel-triggered reconciler: desired state in the database, converged continuously
IngressTraefik (Caddy also offered)Caddy embedded in the control plane
Runs asA web application with its own databaseOne control plane binary, SQLite in WAL mode, one agent binary per extra node
LicenseOpen sourceApache 2.0, one edition, no paid tier
Move over in four steps
- 1
Install on a Linux box
One script checks the host, installs Docker if missing, and starts the control plane as a systemd service.
- 2
Dry-run the importer
Point it at your Coolify URL with --dry-run. You get a report of what would be created. Nothing changes on either side.
- 3
Import and deploy
Import all apps and databases or a subset with --only, then deploy and watch the readiness probe gate the cutover.
- 4
Cut DNS when you are ready
Keep Coolify running until the new setup has earned your trust, then switch your domains.
Frequently asked questions
Is Levelrail a drop-in replacement for Coolify?
It covers the same job, deploying apps and databases to your own servers from a git push, but it is a different design, not a fork. A read-only importer brings apps and databases across, and the migration guide lists what maps and what does not.
Does Levelrail have Coolify's one-click service catalog?
Levelrail ships a catalog of 311 one-click templates, a sample of which is deployed by its end-to-end tests. Check that the services you need are covered, in either catalog, before moving.
Can I run Levelrail on more than one server?
Yes. Extra servers join with a one-time token and run a small agent that dials out to the control plane, so managed servers never open an inbound port. Enrollment, cordon and drain are verified against real Docker daemons.
What does it cost?
Nothing. Levelrail is Apache 2.0 with one edition: SSO, audit logging, IAM and scheduled backups all ship in the same free binary.
Is it production ready?
Levelrail is in active pre-release development, and single node is the best tested path. Run it next to your current setup first, which the importer's read-only design makes safe.
Try it next to your current setup
Import read-only, compare for a week, and keep what works. Open source, so you can read every line.