Top Portainer Alternatives for Docker in 2025

Need a Portainer replacement? Maybe you're tired of its heavy resource use, don't like the community edition limits, or want special features for your containers. Good news! You've got several great options that do the same job or even better.

I tested the top Docker management UIs and ranked them based on real performance, ease of use, and features.

Portainer features

Portainer lets you manage Docker through a web interface where you can see all your containers, images, networks, and volumes.

You get user permissions control, ready-made container templates, and stack management. Many developers love how it lets them run containerized apps without typing complex commands.

Top 5 self-hosted alternatives to Portainer in 2025

Here's a quick look at what each tool can do:

1. Dockge

Dockge has quickly become the top Portainer alternative, especially if you work with Docker Compose a lot. It gives you a fast, lightweight interface that makes stack management super easy.

🌟 Key features

• Made specifically for Docker Compose stack management
• Live log viewer that lets you search through container logs
• Visual display of container status and health
• Built-in YAML editor that highlights syntax
• One-click buttons for deploying and updating stacks

➕ Pros

• Uses very little memory and CPU
• Simple drag-and-drop for setting up container connections
• Makes creating stacks easier with helpful templates
• Runs quickly even on basic hardware
• Handles environment variables really well

➖ Cons

• Not as complete as Portainer for managing all aspects of containers
• Can't manage Kubernetes
• Doesn't have many built-in templates yet
• Newer tool with fewer people to ask for help

2. Yacht

Yacht gives you a modern, clean alternative to Portainer that focuses on simplicity. It's grown up a lot with new features while staying lightweight and easy to use.

🌟 Key features

• Clean, mobile-friendly web interface
• Ready-to-use application templates you can deploy with one click
• Full container and image management
• Built-in terminal to access your containers
• Detailed stats on resource usage

➕ Pros

• Super clean and easy-to-understand user interface
• Uses less memory and CPU than Portainer
• Template system lets you deploy apps quickly
• Built-in terminal for typing commands inside containers
• Gets regular updates from active developers

➖ Cons

• Limited user permission controls
• Can't manage multiple servers as easily
• Fewer advanced features for business users
• Smaller selection of plugins and add-ons

3. Kompose UI

Kompose UI has grown from a simple tool into a full container management platform. It's especially good if you need to switch between Docker Compose and Kubernetes.

🌟 Key features

• Easily converts between Docker Compose and Kubernetes
• Visual editor for setting up application deployments
• Manages multiple clusters
• Works with CI/CD pipelines
• Checks your configurations for mistakes

➕ Pros

• Perfect if your team uses both Docker and Kubernetes
• Great visualization tools to see container relationships
• Built-in checks prevent common setup errors
• Works well from single servers to multiple clusters
• Strong API for connecting with other tools

➖ Cons

• Takes longer to learn than simpler alternatives
• Needs more CPU and memory for all features
• Some features require extra setup
• Interface can feel busy with too many options

4. Lazydocker

Lazydocker takes a completely different approach with a terminal-based UI for Docker. While it's not web-based like the others, its speed and keyboard shortcuts have made it a favorite for many developers in 2025.

🌟 Key features

• Terminal interface that works with keyboard and mouse
• Shows resource usage in real-time
• Detailed log viewing with search features
• Lets you perform actions on multiple containers at once
• Custom keyboard shortcuts you can set up yourself

➕ Pros

• Uses extremely little memory and CPU
• Works over SSH connections to remote servers
• Fast workflow using keyboard shortcuts
• Perfect for servers without graphical interfaces
• Needs nothing beyond Docker itself to run

➖ Cons

• Terminal interface might scare off some users
• Only works with single Docker servers
• No user management or permission controls
• Missing some visual features from web-based tools

5. Watchtower UI

Watchtower UI combines the popular Watchtower container update tool with a management interface. It's great at keeping your container deployments updated and secure.

🌟 Key features

• Updates containers automatically with visual controls
• Lets you roll back to previous versions if needed
• Scheduling for when updates happen
• Scans for security problems
• Shows detailed update history and logs

➕ Pros

• Excellent for keeping containers updated without manual work
• Lets you see what changed in updates
• Lets you schedule updates during off-hours
• Finds security vulnerabilities automatically
• You can set different update rules for each container

➖ Cons

• More focused on updates than general management
• Not as complete as full container platforms
• Needs extra setup for complex environments

Centralize your Docker logs with Better Stack

Log management becomes a serious challenge as your containerized applications grow and span multiple environments. Logs end up scattered across tools and hosts, making it harder to debug issues quickly.

Better Stack centralizes your container logs into one fast and searchable platform, helping you troubleshoot problems in seconds instead of hours.

🌟 Key Better Stack features for Docker logs

• Fast log search powered by ClickHouse database
• Automatic parsing of Docker logs into structured JSON format
• Real-time querying of up to 1 billion log lines per second
• Collaborative troubleshooting with shared dashboards
• Pre-built Docker dashboard templates

Final thoughts

The best Portainer alternative for you depends on your workflow and priorities.

If you mostly use Docker Compose and want a simple, lightweight experience, Dockge is a great choice. It focuses on stack management with a clean interface and minimal resource usage.

If you work with both Docker and Kubernetes, Kompose UI offers the smoothest transition between the two. Its built-in conversion tools and multi-environment support make it ideal for hybrid setups.

For those who prefer the terminal and need maximum speed, Lazydocker is hard to beat. It delivers a fast, responsive interface that works anywhere you have SSH access, making it perfect for managing remote servers

Article by

Stanley Ulili

Stanley Ulili is a technical educator at Better Stack based in Malawi. He specializes in backend development and has freelanced for platforms like DigitalOcean, LogRocket, and AppSignal. Stanley is passionate about making complex topics accessible to developers.

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