Arcane — Modern Self-Hosted Docker Management Platform

Introduction

Arcane is an open-source, self-hosted Docker management platform that provides a modern web interface for managing containers, images, volumes, networks, and Docker Compose stacks. It targets homelab operators and developers who want a visually appealing, responsive alternative to the Docker CLI or aging management UIs, without the complexity of full orchestration platforms.

What Arcane Does

• Provides a web dashboard for viewing and managing running containers, stopped containers, and resource usage
• Supports creating, starting, stopping, restarting, and removing containers with a point-and-click interface
• Manages Docker Compose stacks with an integrated editor for compose files
• Displays real-time container logs and resource metrics (CPU, memory, network I/O)
• Handles image pulls, builds, and cleanup of dangling images and unused volumes

Architecture Overview

Arcane is built with Go on the back-end and SvelteKit with TypeScript on the front-end. The Go server communicates with the Docker Engine API via the mounted Docker socket, translating REST requests from the browser into Docker API calls. Real-time updates for container status and metrics are streamed via WebSocket connections. The front-end is a responsive single-page application that renders a modern, component-based dashboard.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Mount the Docker socket (/var/run/docker.sock) to give Arcane access to the Docker Engine
• Run on a single port (default 8888) with no external database or cache required
• Optionally connect to remote Docker hosts via TCP with TLS client certificates
• Place behind a reverse proxy with authentication for secure external access
• Restrict Docker socket access with a socket proxy like Tecnativa for added security

Key Features

• Clean, modern UI built with SvelteKit that feels responsive and visually polished
• Docker Compose stack management with an integrated YAML editor
• Real-time container log streaming and resource monitoring in the browser
• Bulk operations for stopping, removing, or restarting multiple containers at once
• Image and volume housekeeping tools for reclaiming disk space

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Portainer — the most established Docker UI with Kubernetes support; Arcane offers a fresher design and simpler scope focused on Docker
• Dockge — Compose-stack-oriented manager by the Uptime Kuma author; Arcane covers both individual containers and Compose stacks
• Yacht — lightweight Docker management; Arcane provides a more modern UI and active development
• Lazydocker — terminal UI for Docker; Arcane is a web-based alternative accessible from any browser
• Docker Desktop — official desktop GUI; Arcane is a self-hosted server dashboard for remote Docker hosts

FAQ

Q: Is it safe to mount the Docker socket? A: Mounting the Docker socket grants full control over the Docker daemon. For added security, use a Docker socket proxy that filters API calls to read-only or whitelisted operations.

Q: Can I manage remote Docker hosts? A: Yes. Arcane supports connecting to remote Docker Engine APIs over TCP with TLS authentication, in addition to the local socket.

Q: Does Arcane support Docker Swarm or Kubernetes? A: Arcane focuses on standalone Docker and Docker Compose. For Swarm or Kubernetes management, tools like Portainer or Lens are better suited.

Q: What are the resource requirements? A: Arcane is lightweight. The Go binary and SvelteKit front-end consume minimal CPU and RAM, making it suitable for running on low-power homelab hardware.

Sources

• https://github.com/getarcaneapp/arcane
• https://arcane.dev