How do you deploy your code with Kestrel though? If you already have Windows Server licensed, then you get IIS and msdeploy without any additional tooling or vendor needed.
I've built pipelines where the deployed code is responsible for cloning, building & redeploying itself based upon commands sent via an administration interface. The .NET SDK is relatively lightweight and can be included as a management component in a broader B2B/SaaS product.
Probably a cleaner way, but it’s just a exe, so replace it like a exe?
Kestrel is fast, though.