Coolify

Andras Bacsai launched Coolify from Hungary in 2021 as an open-source alternative to Heroku, Vercel, and Netlify that you run on your own server. The pitch was compelling: all the convenience of a managed platform (one-click deploys, SSL certificates, database provisioning, environment variables) but on infrastructure you control and pay for directly. Coolify's open-source version was completely free. Revenue came from Coolify Cloud — a managed version for developers who wanted the Coolify experience without managing the server themselves. Andras built Coolify while streaming on YouTube and documenting the journey publicly on Twitter, building a large following of developers interested in self-hosting. The GitHub repo crossed 30,000 stars. Coolify Cloud generated $5k+/month from individual developers and startups who wanted cheap, flexible deployment without vendor lock-in. Andras became one of the most well-known solo developers in the self-hosting community — a hero story of open-source sustainability through a small commercial layer.