How to Self-Host Dockge with Docker Compose

What is Dockge?

Dockge (pronounced “dockey”) is a stack-focused Docker Compose manager from the creator of Uptime Kuma. Unlike Portainer, Dockge is laser-focused on managing Docker Compose stacks. It stores your compose files as standard docker-compose.yml files on disk — not in a database. This means your stack definitions are always accessible, portable, and version-controllable.

Prerequisites

• Docker and Docker Compose installed (Docker Compose basics)
• Any server

Docker Compose Configuration

# docker-compose.yml for Dockge
# Tested with Dockge 1.4+

services:
  dockge:
    container_name: dockge
    image: louislam/dockge:1
    ports:
      - "5001:5001"
    volumes:
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
      - ./data:/app/data
      # Where your compose stacks will be stored
      - /opt/stacks:/opt/stacks
    environment:
      - DOCKGE_STACKS_DIR=/opt/stacks
    restart: unless-stopped

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Create necessary directories:

   mkdir -p ~/dockge /opt/stacks
   cd ~/dockge

2. Create the docker-compose.yml with the config above.

3. Start the container:

   docker compose up -d

4. Access the web UI at http://your-server-ip:5001

5. Create your account on first visit.

6. Create your first stack: Click “Compose,” paste a docker-compose.yml, name it, and click “Deploy.”

Configuration Tips

• Stack directory: All stacks are stored as real docker-compose.yml files in /opt/stacks/. You can edit them directly on disk and they’ll appear in Dockge.
• Interactive terminal: Dockge shows real-time logs and provides a terminal for each stack.
• Update containers: Dockge can pull new images and recreate containers with one click.
• Convert existing stacks: Move existing docker-compose.yml files into /opt/stacks/[stack-name]/ and they’ll appear in the Dockge UI.
• Agents: Connect Dockge to multiple servers by deploying Dockge agents on remote machines.

Backup & Migration

• Backup: Back up /opt/stacks/ (your compose files) and ./data (Dockge settings). Since stacks are standard compose files, you can run them with docker compose directly — no lock-in.

Alternatives

Portainer is more full-featured with container-level management, image management, and templates. See Portainer vs Dockge or the full Best Docker Management Tools roundup.

Verdict

Dockge is the ideal Docker Compose manager. It respects the compose file format, stores stacks on disk where they belong, and adds a beautiful UI on top. If you manage your services with Docker Compose (and you should), Dockge makes it visual without adding complexity.