Coolify vs Railway
Coolify vs Railway compared for European indie developers and small startups. Pricing, EU jurisdiction, GDPR posture — and why Runsite (an EU-registered PaaS in Frankfurt) is worth a look.
// coolify problems → runsite solutions
Sound Familiar?
Every Coolify frustration, solved.
Coolify problem
"I spend hours maintaining the server"
Coolify runs on your VPS. You're responsible for OS updates, security patches, backups, and uptime.
Runsite solution
Fully managed infrastructure
99.9% uptime SLA. Auto-updates. Automated backups. Focus on building, not maintaining.
Coolify problem
"Setup took an hour"
Provision a VPS, install Docker, install Coolify, configure DNS, set up SSL — before deploying anything.
Runsite solution
Deploy in 2 minutes
Connect GitHub. Pick a region. Deploy. SSL and DNS handled automatically.
Coolify problem
"My Coolify server went down at 3am"
Self-hosted means self-monitored. Server crashes, disk full, or OOM — it's your problem.
Runsite solution
24/7 monitoring + auto-recovery
We monitor, restart, and scale your apps. You sleep through the night.
// comparison
Runsite vs Coolify
Side-by-side. No marketing fluff — just facts.
| Feature | Runsite | Coolify |
|---|---|---|
| Server Management | ✓ Fully managed | ✗ Self-hosted, you manage |
| Setup Time | ✓ 2 minutes | 30-60 min (VPS + install) |
| Uptime & Maintenance | ✓ 99.9% SLA, auto-updates | You handle updates & backups |
| GDPR Compliance | ✓ EU entity | Depends on your VPS provider |
| Cost (small apps) | €5/mo | VPS $5-10/mo + time |
| Cost (large scale) | Usage-based pricing | ✓ Cheaper at scale |
| Open Source | Closed source | ✓ Fully open source |
// the other side
What about Railway?
Railway is developer-friendly but US-based. Runsite offers the same DX with EU data centers and GDPR compliance.
// railway problems → runsite solutions
Sound Familiar?
Every Railway frustration, solved.
Railway problem
"Railway only has US servers"
All Railway deployments run in US-West-1. European users experience higher latency.
Runsite solution
EU-only Frankfurt region
Deploy to Frankfurt (eu-central) with EU data residency. Sub-20ms latency for European users.
Railway problem
"$5 free trial runs out fast"
Railway's trial credit depletes quickly. After that, you're on usage-based billing with no free option.
Runsite solution
Permanent free tier
No trial. No credit card. Build and deploy side projects forever at zero cost.
Railway problem
"No built-in object storage"
Railway offers persistent volumes but no S3-compatible object storage. You need external providers.
Runsite solution
S3-compatible storage included
Store files, assets, and backups with built-in S3-compatible object storage. No third-party setup needed.
// comparison
Runsite vs Railway
Side-by-side. No marketing fluff — just facts.
| Feature | Runsite | Railway |
|---|---|---|
| EU Data Centers | ✓ Frankfurt (eu-central) | ✗ US-West only |
| GDPR Compliance | ✓ EU entity, full compliance | ✗ US company |
| Free Tier | ✓ Permanent | ✓ $5 trial credit |
| Web Service Pricing | €5/mo | ~$5/mo (usage-based) |
| Managed PostgreSQL | ✓ From €5/mo | ✓ Usage-based |
| Deploy from Git | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spending Limits | ✓ Hard cap + alerts | ✓ Usage limits |
| Object Storage | ✓ S3-compatible | ✗ Via volumes only |
// why consider runsite
Beyond Coolify and Railway
EU PaaS for indie developers and small European startups. One region: Frankfurt.
EU-First Infrastructure
While Coolify and Railway default to US markets, Runsite is built exclusively for European developers. Frankfurt (eu-central) region, EU entity, EU jurisdiction — no transatlantic transfers.
Real GDPR Compliance
EU-registered entity. Your data is governed by European law. No US jurisdiction, no CLOUD Act.
Predictable Pricing
No per-invocation charges, no surprise bills. Fixed plans with hard spending caps and Telegram alerts.
Common Questions
FAQ
Which is better for EU hosting, Coolify or Railway?
Neither Coolify nor Railway is EU-native. Both are US-headquartered and route the majority of traffic through US data centers. For genuine EU data residency, an EU-registered platform like Runsite is the safer choice — a Frankfurt (eu-central) region under EU jurisdiction, no transatlantic transfers, no CLOUD Act exposure.
Which has the better free tier, Coolify or Railway?
Free tiers on both Coolify and Railway change frequently and often include compute or bandwidth caps that expire after a trial period. If a permanent free tier matters, evaluate the current terms on each provider before committing.
Is Coolify or Railway GDPR-compliant?
Both can be configured to support GDPR-compliant workloads via Data Processing Agreements (DPAs), but as US entities they remain subject to the CLOUD Act. For workloads where US jurisdiction is a hard blocker, an EU-headquartered provider is required.
What is the cheapest way to deploy a side project — Coolify or Railway?
Pricing on both Coolify and Railway can scale unpredictably with traffic or build minutes. Hard spending caps are not available on either platform. Predictable monthly pricing with usage caps is a differentiator to look for elsewhere.
// explore alternatives
Try the European Alternative
Skip the Coolify vs Railway debate. Deploy on Runsite.
Start Free on Runsite →