12 picks · data-backed ranking
Best open source apps written in PHP
The best self-hosted apps written in PHP are Coolify, Firefly III and Nextcloud. Coolify leads with 65,110 GitHub stars.
Candidates: the 200 apps whose main GitHub language is PHP.
Updated · data from GitHub, refreshed daily
Top picks
- Rank 1:
Coolify
coollabsio/coolify
Self-hostable Heroku, Netlify and Vercel alternative that deploys apps, databases and services to your servers.
Active · last commit Oct 28, 2026
Self-hosting PlatformsPHPDockerStands out for the most GitHub stars. Coolify has 65,110 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image, is written in PHP and had 5,095 commits in the last year; it replaces Heroku and Vercel.
- Rank 2:
Firefly III
firefly-iii/firefly-iii
Firefly III is a modern financial manager. It helps you to keep track of your money and make budget forecasts. It supports credit cards, has an advanced rule engine and can import data from many…
Active · last commit Oct 28, 2026
Finance & BudgetingPHPDockerStands out for the longest track record (since 2014). Firefly III has 25,020 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image, is written in PHP and had 2,944 commits in the last year; it replaces YNAB and Mint.
- Rank 3:
Nextcloud
nextcloud/server
Access and share your files, calendars, contacts, mail and more from any device, on your terms.
Active · last commit Oct 28, 2026
FeaturedFile Sync & StoragePHPStands out for the most commits in the last 12 months (8,046). Nextcloud has 37,321 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, is written in PHP and had 8,046 commits in the last year; it replaces Google Drive and Dropbox.
At a glance
Open source apps written in PHP compared
Ranked on GitHub stars, commits in the last year, Docker images, open-source licenses and recent commits. Projects with fewer than 12 commits in the last 12 months rank below every more active project.
| App | Stands out for | License | GitHub stars | Commits (12 mo) | Last commit | Docker image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coolify | the most GitHub stars | Apache-2.0 | 65,110 | 5,095 | Oct 28, 2026 | Yes |
| Firefly III | the longest track record (since 2014) | AGPL-3.0 | 25,020 | 2,944 | Oct 28, 2026 | Yes |
| Nextcloud | the most commits in the last 12 months (8,046) | AGPL-3.0 | 37,321 | 8,046 | Oct 28, 2026 | No |
| Krayin | a permissive MIT license | MIT | 24,071 | 535 | Oct 21, 2026 | Yes |
| Bagisto | – | MIT | 28,284 | 1,952 | Oct 28, 2026 | No |
| FreshRSS | – | AGPL-3.0 | 16,433 | 742 | Oct 26, 2026 | Yes |
| BookStack | – | MIT | 19,111 | 432 | Oct 28, 2026 | Yes |
| Matomo | – | GPL-3.0 | 21,984 | 1,034 | Oct 28, 2026 | No |
| WordPress | – | GPL-2.0 | 21,509 | 2,760 | Oct 28, 2026 | No |
| Leantime | – | AGPL-3.0 | 11,917 | 810 | Oct 27, 2026 | Yes |
Full ranking
All 12 picks, ranked
Ranked on GitHub stars, commits in the last year, Docker images, open-source licenses and recent commits. Projects with fewer than 12 commits in the last 12 months rank below every more active project.
- 1
Coolify
Self-hostable Heroku, Netlify and Vercel alternative that deploys apps, databases and services to your servers.
Self-hosting PlatformsDockerStands out for the most GitHub stars. Coolify has 65,110 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image, is written in PHP and had 5,095 commits in the last year; it replaces Heroku and Vercel.
- 2
Firefly III
Firefly III is a modern financial manager. It helps you to keep track of your money and make budget forecasts. It supports credit cards, has an advanced rule engine and can import data from many…
Finance & BudgetingDockerStands out for the longest track record (since 2014). Firefly III has 25,020 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image, is written in PHP and had 2,944 commits in the last year; it replaces YNAB and Mint.
- 3
NextcloudFeatured
Access and share your files, calendars, contacts, mail and more from any device, on your terms.
File Sync & StorageStands out for the most commits in the last 12 months (8,046). Nextcloud has 37,321 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, is written in PHP and had 8,046 commits in the last year; it replaces Google Drive and Dropbox.
- 4
Krayin
CRM solution for SMEs and Enterprises for complete customer lifecycle management.
CRMDockerStands out for a permissive MIT license. Krayin has 24,071 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image, is written in PHP and had 535 commits in the last year; it replaces Salesforce and HubSpot.
- 5
Bagisto
Leading Laravel open source e-commerce framework with multi-inventory sources, taxation, localization, dropshipping and more exciting features.
E-commerceBagisto has 28,284 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, is written in PHP and had 1,952 commits in the last year; it replaces Shopify.
- 6
FreshRSS
Self-hostable RSS feed aggregator.
Feed ReadersDockerFreshRSS has 16,433 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image, is written in PHP and had 742 commits in the last year; it replaces Feedly.
- 7
BookStack
Simple, self-hosted, easy-to-use platform for organising and storing information.
Wikis & Knowledge BasesDockerBookStack has 19,111 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image, is written in PHP and had 432 commits in the last year; it replaces Confluence.
- 8
Matomo
Web analytics that protects your data and your customers' privacy (alternative to Google Analytics).
AnalyticsMatomo has 21,984 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license, is written in PHP and had 1,034 commits in the last year; it replaces Google Analytics.
- 9
WordPress
World's most-used blogging and CMS engine.
CMSWordPress has 21,509 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-2.0 license, is written in PHP and had 2,760 commits in the last year; it replaces WordPress.com and Webflow.
- 10
Leantime
Lean project management system for small teams and startups helping to manage projects from ideation through delivery.
Project ManagementDockerLeantime has 11,917 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image, is written in PHP and had 810 commits in the last year; it replaces Jira and Asana.
- 11
koel
Personal music streaming server that works.
Music Streamingkoel has 17,318 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, is written in PHP and had 825 commits in the last year; it replaces Spotify and Last.fm.
- 12
QloApps
Customizable and intuitive web-based hotel reservation system and a booking engine.
Booking & SchedulingQloApps has 14,450 GitHub stars, uses the OSL-3.0 license, is written in PHP and had 1,487 commits in the last year.
Is Coolify free?
Yes. Coolify is open-source software released under the Apache-2.0 license, so you can self-host it at no cost. You only pay for the server it runs on, and some projects also offer an optional paid cloud plan.
Can I self-host these apps with Docker?
Yes, 6 of the 12 picks. Coolify, Firefly III and Krayin publish Docker images, so you can run them on a VPS or home server with Docker Compose. The others install from their own packages or source; follow each project's install guide.
Are all of these apps open source?
All 12 apps on this list are open source. You can self-host and modify each one under its license.
Which of these apps is the most actively developed?
Nextcloud, with 8,046 commits in the last 12 months and a latest release, v33.0.10, from October 2026. Activity is a good sign that bugs and security issues get fixed.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on GitHub stars, commits in the last year, Docker images, open-source licenses and recent commits. Projects with fewer than 12 commits in the last 12 months rank below every more active project.
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