Complete Guide to Deploying Laravel & Node.js Applications on Coolify

Complete Guide to Deploying Laravel & Node.js Applications on Coolify

Deploying modern web applications like Laravel (PHP framework) and Node.js/Express has always been a challenge for developers who want speed, flexibility, and cost-efficiency. Traditional shared hosting often fails when projects grow, while managed hosting is expensive.

Here comes Coolify: an open-source, self-hosted PaaS (Platform as a Service) that makes deployment easy without deep DevOps skills. In this guide, we’ll explore how to deploy Laravel and Node.js applications on Coolify, integrate CI/CD pipelines, and optimize your setup for performance, security, and scalability.

Why Choose Coolify?

Coolify combines the simplicity of a hosting platform with the flexibility of Docker containers.

Key Benefits:

 Easy Deployment: Simple UI for deploying apps.

Container-based: Built on Docker for resource efficiency.

 Framework Support: Works smoothly with Laravel, Node.js, Express, Next.js, and more.

 CI/CD Integration: Connect GitHub/GitLab for automated deployments.

 Cost-Effective: Run apps on a cheap VPS ($5–$10/month).

 Customizable & Secure: Manage servers with full control.

Step 1: Setting Up Coolify

1. Rent a VPS (e.g., Hetzner, DigitalOcean, Vultr, Time4VPS).

2. Install Docker and Docker Compose.

3. Run Coolify setup script:

curl -fsSL https://cdn.coollabs.io/coolify/install.sh | bash

4. Access Coolify dashboard via your VPS IP address.

???? In less than 10 minutes, you’ll have your own PaaS running.

Step 2: Deploying a Laravel Application

Preparing Your Laravel App

Ensure .env file has correct DB & APP settings.

Use SQLite/MySQL/PostgreSQL depending on project.

Run php artisan config:cache to optimize configs.

Deployment Process on Coolify

1. Connect GitHub repo with Laravel code.

2. Select PHP + Composer + Nginx + MySQL stack.

3. Add build commands:

composer install --optimize-autoloader --no-dev
php artisan migrate --force
php artisan config:cache
php artisan route:cache

4. Add environment variables inside Coolify.

5. Deploy.

✅ Your Laravel app is now running inside containers with better performance than shared hosting.

Step 3: Deploying a Node.js (Express/Next.js) App

Preparing Your Node.js Project

Ensure package.json has correct start script:

"scripts": {
"start": "node server.js"
}

Deployment Process

1. Connect Git repo.

2. Choose Node.js runtime from Coolify.

3. Add build commands:

npm install --production
npm run build # for Next.js
npm start

4. Expose port (default: 3000).

5. Deploy.

???? Node.js + Express apps scale easily with Docker, and Coolify ensures container isolation.

---

Step 4: CI/CD Integration (GitHub & GitLab)

Coolify supports automatic deployments whenever you push code.

Connect GitHub/GitLab repo to Coolify.

Enable auto-deploy.

Every commit to main triggers a fresh build + deployment.

This ensures a smooth DevOps pipeline without extra tools.

Step 5: Scaling & Load Balancing

Coolify allows:

Horizontal scaling (multiple containers).

Load balancing via Traefik reverse proxy.

Easy upgrades to larger VPS when traffic grows.

Example: A Laravel + Node.js stack can handle thousands of requests/sec with minimal downtime.

Step 6: Security Best Practices

Always use HTTPS with Let’s Encrypt SSL (built-in with Coolify).

Use separate databases for staging & production.

Regularly update dependencies with composer update or npm audit fix.

Limit root access on your VPS.

Step 7: Monitoring & Logs

Coolify provides:

Real-time logs per container.

Metrics for CPU, RAM, disk usage.

Alerts for failed deployments.

This helps developers troubleshoot quickly and keep apps stable.

Pros and Cons of Coolify

✅ Pros

Faster deployments than manual Docker setups.

Cheaper than managed hosting.

Supports multiple frameworks (Laravel, Node.js, Next.js).

Integrated CI/CD and SSL.

❌ Cons

Requires VPS knowledge.

Still new compared to Heroku/Render.

Limited enterprise support.

Conclusion

Coolify makes it easy, affordable, and powerful to deploy Laravel and Node.js apps without needing full DevOps skills.

For Laravel developers: Faster performance, optimized queue management, and lower costs.

For Node.js developers: Seamless scaling, container isolation, and CI/CD automation.

For businesses: More control, flexibility, and budget-friendly hosting.

???? If you want the power of Docker without the complexity, Coolify is one of the best modern hosting solutions in 2025.

زرونا علي موقعنا 

https://coolify.egyvps.com/

او تواصل مع الرقم 01001197157