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Comparison

Laravel Forge vs Coolify

Laravel Forge and Coolify both land on Depends.

Coolify

coolify.io

Depends
Confidence: Medium

Buy it if you're a developer comfortable running and patching your own server . it's a free, open-source Heroku replacement with 280+ one-click services.

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Laravel Forge versus Coolify
CompareLaravel ForgeCoolify
VerdictDependsDepends
Best forFreelancers shipping client PHP appsDevelopers self-hosting side projects
Who it's not forNon-developers . this is a server tool, not a site builderCompliance-regulated companies . CVE history too risky
PrivacyNo public Forge breaches found; the Laravel ecosystem had a May 2026 supply-chain attack and active framework CVEs.⁵High-churn CVE history: 11 critical flaws disclosed in 2026, including RCE and auth bypass . safe only with prompt patching and hardening.15
Support qualityNo support evidence in reviewed sourcesSponsor-funded open source; no SLA evidence
Public sentimentUsers rate Laravel very highly, but these sources review the framework far more than Forge itself.⁷Self-hosters praise the one-click install and value, but reviews warn it breaks and demands real server-admin skill, and some comparers prefer Dokploy.
Biggest gotchaMay 2026 supply-chain attack on laravel-lang packages . vet composer dependencies⁵Unpatched instances faced full server takeover; Belgium's CCB urged immediate patching

Pick Laravel Forge when

  • Freelancers shipping client PHP apps
  • Small teams with no DevOps hire
  • Laravel devs on raw VPS

When Laravel Forge is not a fit

  • Non-developers . this is a server tool, not a site builder
  • Shops not deploying PHP or Laravel
  • Teams already on Kubernetes with platform staff
  • Anyone wanting usage-based pricing . try Laravel Cloud instead

Pick Coolify when

  • Developers self-hosting side projects
  • Indie SaaS teams cutting Heroku/Vercel bills
  • Docker-comfortable homelab operators
  • Agencies managing client apps on own VPS

When Coolify is not a fit

  • Compliance-regulated companies . CVE history too risky
  • Teams with zero Linux/server-admin skills
  • Buyers wanting managed security and SLAs
  • Anyone who won't patch within days of a critical CVE

Sources

  1. Laravel Forge . product pageforge.laravel.com
    official
  2. Forge . flat-rate pricinglaravel.com
    official
  3. Laravel Cloud pricinglaravel.com
    official
  4. Forge product security pageforge.laravel.com
    security
  5. Supply-chain attack targets laravel-lang packagesaikido.dev
    security
  6. CRLF injection in default email rulegithub.com
    security
  7. Community thoughts on Laravelreddit.com
    review
  8. Laravel Trustpilot reviewstrustpilot.com
    review
  9. Laravel raises $57M Series A from Accellaravel-news.com
    news
  10. Accel's investment in Laravelaccel.com
    news
  11. Coolify official sitecoolify.io
    official
  12. Coolify Cloud docscoolify.io
    official
  13. All Services directorycoolify.io
    official
  14. Coolify Pricing 2026: Free Self-Hosted, Cloud $5/motemps.sh
    review
  15. Coolify Discloses 11 Critical Flaws Enabling Full Server Takeoverthehackernews.com
    security
  16. CVE-2025-64424: Coolify Command Injection RCEsentinelone.com
    security