Dockge — Fancy Self-Hosted Docker Compose Manager

Introduction

Dockge is a Docker Compose stack manager built by the creator of Uptime Kuma. It focuses on managing compose.yaml files directly — no abstraction layers, no vendor lock-in. You write real Compose files through a reactive web editor and Dockge handles the rest.

What Dockge Does

• Manages Docker Compose stacks through a reactive, real-time web interface
• Creates, edits, starts, stops, restarts, and removes compose.yaml stacks visually
• Streams container logs and terminal output in real-time via WebSocket
• Converts docker run commands into docker-compose.yaml format automatically
• Manages multiple stacks with individual status monitoring and controls

Architecture Overview

Dockge is a Node.js application using Socket.IO for real-time communication between the browser and server. It works directly with docker-compose.yaml files stored on disk rather than maintaining its own database of container state. The frontend is built with Vue.js and updates reactively as container states change. Each stack is a standard Compose project in a directory.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Deploy with a single docker-compose.yaml file in minutes
• Mount /var/run/docker.sock and a stacks directory for persistent storage
• Configure port, stacks directory path, and agent connections via environment variables
• Supports multi-host management through Dockge agents on remote servers
• Works alongside existing Docker Compose stacks without migration

Key Features

• Interactive compose.yaml editor with real-time syntax validation
• Docker run to Compose converter for quick stack creation from CLI commands
• Real-time container logs and terminal streaming without page refresh
• Multi-agent architecture for managing Docker stacks across multiple servers
• No database — stacks are plain compose.yaml files you can version control

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Portainer — Full container management platform with Kubernetes support, but heavier and more complex
• Yacht — Simple Docker container manager, but lacks native Compose file editing and multi-host support
• Lazydocker — Terminal UI for Docker management, great for CLI users but no web interface
• CasaOS — Personal cloud with app store focus, but abstracts away Compose files rather than exposing them
• Docker Desktop — Official GUI for local development, but not designed for server management

FAQ

Q: Does Dockge replace Portainer? A: Dockge focuses specifically on Docker Compose stack management with a lighter footprint. Portainer offers broader container and Kubernetes management for enterprise needs.

Q: Can I manage existing Compose stacks? A: Yes. Place existing compose.yaml directories in the stacks folder and Dockge will detect and manage them without modification.

Q: Does Dockge support Docker Swarm or Kubernetes? A: No. Dockge is designed exclusively for Docker Compose workflows. Use Portainer or Rancher for orchestration platforms.

Q: How does multi-host management work? A: Install a Dockge agent on each remote server and connect them to your main Dockge instance. You can then manage all hosts from a single dashboard.

Sources

• https://github.com/louislam/dockge
• https://dockge.kuma.pet