AUTOMATION-DEV

Should I self-host Vercel?

$20/mo · Pro per seat · alternative: Coolify

RATING

KINDA

OUTLOOK

NOT ASSIGNED

RATIONALE

Coolify (or Dokploy) turns any VPS into your own deploy platform: git-push previews, SSL, one dashboard. Vercel's free tier is generous though — this only pays once you're buying seats or bandwidth. Note: it installs via script, not a single compose file, so our weekly CI covers it differently.

WHAT YOU LOSE

Vercel's edge network and zero-thought scaling

Preview-deploy speed and DX polish

WHAT YOU'RE PAYING FOR

git-push deploys · preview environments · serverless/edge hosting · custom domains

Self-Hosting Facts

1 app per panel · Vercel

Assumes 1 seat on 1 always-on box you already run

Amount per month% of sub *

Subscription$20.00

VPS share4.0020%

Storage + backup0.000%

Your hours · 45 min @ $2015.0075%

Self-hosted all-in19.0095%

Effective markup1.1×

Setup · 15 min measured$5.00 once

Break-even5.0 months

VERDICT

KINDA

OUTLOOK

NOT ASSIGNED

What's your hour worth? $20/h

* Percent of the subscription price. Your time is priced at the slider's rate — $0/h ("my homelab time is free and I love it") is a legitimate position. Every number is derived from the record, never hand-written. Price source, checked 2026-08-06.

Runs comfortably on a real VPS (2 GB+).

ALTERNATIVES

Ranked alternatives

CoolifyA deploy button and a build pipeline for the server you already rent, with no seat price and no usage meter.

coollabsio/coolify · ★ 60,367 · 0d

Coolify running from the boot-verified compose file — Coolify, running from the compose file on this page — screenshot from our verified instance, not marketing material.

EVIDENCE

PROTOCOL

VERIFIED BY

zernonia

REVIEWED

10 AUG 2026

SETUP MEASURED

15 MIN

AI ASSISTANT

CLAUDE-CODE · STATED

FULL TIMED LOG

# Vercel — verdict log

- **Date:** 2026-08-10
- **Verdict:** KINDA — worth it if…
- **Protocol:** v1 (2GB reference env, Docker preinstalled, AI assistant: claude-code)

## Why no compose file

- This verdict is decided by economics/capability, not setup effort — the rubric doesn't require a timed install to conclude the subscription should stay (or that the replacement's cost lives elsewhere, e.g. GPUs, egress, or an installer script).

## The call

Coolify (or Dokploy) turns any VPS into your own deploy platform: git-push previews, SSL, one dashboard. Vercel's free tier is generous though — this only pays once you're buying seats or bandwidth. Note: it installs via script, not a single compose file, so our weekly CI covers it differently.

HISTORY

10 AUG 2026UNRATED → KINDAInitial verdict: Coolify (or Dokploy) turns any VPS into your own deploy platform: git-push previews, SSL, one dashboard.