Development & infrastructureLouis Lam and open-source contributorsOpen source
Dockge
Decision matrix
Dockge app decision matrix
Overview
Dockge is a free, open-source (MIT) web interface for creating, editing, starting and stopping Docker Compose stacks on a server, from the same maintainer as Uptime Kuma. Pick it when you're already self-hosting several Compose-based services and want a screen instead of SSH-and-edit for routine changes.
Other good fits
A small homelab or single-server setup where a lightweight, focused tool beats a full container orchestration platform.
+ Pros
Read pros
Dockge is a web interface for Docker Compose: create, edit, start, stop and restart Compose-based stacks from a browser instead of editing YAML over SSH each time. It's free, open source under the MIT licence, and built by the same maintainer as Uptime Kuma, with a similar lightweight, focused design.
Pick it when…
You're already running several self-hosted services through Docker Compose and want a faster way to manage them than SSH and a text editor.
You want a lightweight, single-purpose tool rather than a full container orchestration platform with a steeper learning curve.
You're comfortable with Docker Compose concepts already; Dockge manages them, it doesn't teach them.
− Cons
Read cons
Dockge manages Docker Compose stacks on a single server; it isn't a multi-server orchestration platform, so a fleet of servers needs a different tool or a manual approach per host. It's a management layer over Compose files, not a replacement for understanding what those files do, so troubleshooting a broken stack still means reading Compose and container logs, not just clicking around the UI.
Pick something else when…
You need to deploy and manage services across multiple servers.Dokploy is built for that broader deployment job.
You want uptime monitoring, not stack management.Uptime Kuma, from the same maintainer, covers that instead.
You're not using Docker Compose at all.Podman or plain Docker commands may fit a simpler setup better.
Avoid if
You need multi-server orchestration or a full deployment platform; Dockge is a single-server stack manager, not a fleet tool.
Workflow
Install Dockge on a server with Docker 20+ or Podman → point it at your stacks directory (/opt/stacks by default) → create or import a Compose stack through the web UI → start, stop, edit and view logs from the browser → keep the underlying Compose files as the source of truth, since Dockge is a screen over them, not a replacement for them.
Cost
Dockge is free, open-source software; you pay only for the server it runs on, the same server likely already hosting the stacks it manages. There's no subscription or credit system. The ongoing work is the same as any self-hosted tool: keeping Dockge itself updated, and backing up your stacks directory since that's where the actual Compose files live.
Restrictions
Dockge requires Docker 20+ or Podman and a supported Linux distribution (Ubuntu, Debian Bullseye+, Raspbian Bullseye+, CentOS, Fedora, Arch Linux) on armv7, arm64 or amd64. It manages Compose stacks specifically; it isn't a Kubernetes or multi-host orchestration tool.
First project
Documentation-based suggestion — not run here.
Move one existing, low-stakes self-hosted service (not a production system) into a stack Dockge manages, then practise editing its Compose file through the UI, stopping it, and starting it again. Confirm the change persisted correctly by checking the underlying file, not just the UI's reported state.
Done when you've made one real edit through Dockge, restarted the stack, and confirmed the change took effect and the file on disk matches what you expected.
Links & evidence
Documentation-based · not hands-on · Sep 23, 2026
Rests on Dockge's GitHub repository, read on 2026-09-23. No Dockge instance was installed or run for this review.
Dockge GitHub repository · Sep 23, 2026 — MIT license, free and open source, Docker/Podman and Linux distribution requirements, default port and stacks directory.
Uptime Kuma GitHub repository · Sep 23, 2026 — Same maintainer's companion tool, referenced as an alternative for uptime monitoring.
Dokploy pricing · Sep 23, 2026 — Comparison alternative for broader multi-app deployment beyond Compose stack management.
Further review notes & alternatives
Alternatives and trade-offs
Dokploy wins when you need broader deployment features (multiple apps, databases, domains) beyond just Compose stack management.
Uptime Kuma wins when the job is monitoring uptime, not managing Compose stacks; it's a companion tool, not a substitute.
Plain docker compose commands over SSH win when you're managing very few stacks and don't want another service running.
Manage Docker Compose stack files through a self-hosted web interface.
Choose it when Compose operations need a lightweight browser-based control surface.
Its console is disabled by default in version 1.5.0.
Louis Lam and open-source contributors · free · self-host
Container image: louislam/dockge
docker compose
stack manager
web terminal
self-hosted
container ui
open-source
View sourced imageOfficial Dockge repository screenshot showing Docker Compose stack management. Original example stack names and terminal logs are retained.
Dockge — louislam/dockge README
Owner-approved use of public official interface screenshots, as recorded in public-visuals-batch-1.json, 13 September 2026. Copyright retained by Louis Lam and Dockge contributors; attribution retained. Editorial product illustration; no open licence asserted.