# coolify vs Pterodactyl

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | coolify | Pterodactyl |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 89/100 ✓ | 75/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 14 in Platform as a Service | #4 of 62 in Game Servers |
| GitHub stars | 65 229 ✓ | 9 438 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +2 984 ✓ | +183 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 45 ✓ | 11 |
| Latest release | v4.5.3 · 28 Oct 2026 ✓ | v1.15.2 · 21 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Other |
| Main language | PHP | PHP |

## Which one should you pick?

coolify scores 89/100 against 75/100 for Pterodactyl, so it is the safer default.

coolify ships more often: 45 stable releases in the past year, against 11 for Pterodactyl.

If you want the quickest setup, coolify is easier to run; Pterodactyl needs more configuration.

coolify is growing faster right now (+2 984 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [coolify](https://selfhost.directory/project/coolify) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/coolify.md)
- [Pterodactyl](https://selfhost.directory/project/pterodactyl) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/pterodactyl.md)

## Related comparisons

- [Appwrite vs coolify](https://selfhost.directory/compare/appwrite-vs-coolify)
- [coolify vs dokploy](https://selfhost.directory/compare/coolify-vs-dokploy)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/coolify-vs-pterodactyl