DockMate
A fast, lightweight terminal user interface for managing Docker and Podman containers and Compose projects.
What is DockMate?
DockMate is a modern, keyboard-driven terminal user interface (TUI) application for managing Docker and Podman containers and Compose projects. It provides real-time monitoring of resource usage and instant control over container lifecycles directly from the terminal, offering a simpler and faster alternative to more complex graphical tools.
Developers and system administrators who work with Docker or Podman containers and Compose projects from the command line and prefer a lightweight, keyboard-centric management tool. It is particularly suited for those who value speed and simplicity over feature-rich graphical dashboards.
Developers choose DockMate for its speed, simplicity, and native multi-runtime support. Its unique selling point is being a lightweight, 'htop for Docker'-style tool that requires zero configuration, offers instant performance with minimal dependencies, and provides built-in update functionality.
Overview
Dockmate: The open-source Docker TUI & Podman manager for terminal productivity. A fast, lightweight alternative to lazydocker built in Go.
Use Cases
Best For
- Monitoring real-time container statistics like CPU, memory, disk I/O, and network usage from the terminal.
- Managing the full lifecycle of Docker Compose and Podman Compose projects with keyboard shortcuts.
- Quickly starting, stopping, restarting, or removing individual containers with single keystrokes.
- Debugging containers by instantly viewing logs or spawning an interactive shell.
- Users who need native support for both Docker and Podman engines in a single tool.
- Developers seeking a fast, install-and-go terminal application with persistent, configurable settings.
Not Ideal For
- Teams needing comprehensive Docker image management and layer inspection
- Users who prefer mouse-driven interfaces or graphical dashboards for container oversight
- Environments relying heavily on Kubernetes orchestration beyond Compose projects
- Projects requiring immediate custom key-binding configurations
Pros & Cons
Pros
Provides live stats for CPU, memory, disk I/O, and network usage directly in the terminal, eliminating the need for separate monitoring tools.
Offers full keyboard-driven management of Docker Compose and Podman Compose projects, with dedicated keys for up, down, restart, and pause operations as shown in the controls table.
Seamlessly switches between Docker and Podman engines via settings or CLI, a key advantage over alternatives like LazyDocker that require workarounds for Podman.
Built with Go and the modern Bubble Tea TUI library for instant startup and minimal dependencies, contrasting with heavier tools like LazyDocker.
Saves settings like refresh rates, preferred shell, and column layouts to ~/.config/dockmate/config.yml, ensuring consistency across sessions without reconfiguration.
Cons
Lacks capabilities for image management, container search/filter, and network configuration—all acknowledged as future roadmap items rather than current features.
Managing Compose projects can require manual fixes like chown commands for directory permissions, as detailed in the troubleshooting section, adding overhead.
Exclusively relies on keyboard shortcuts with no mouse support, which may deter users accustomed to graphical tools or mouse-driven TUIs.
Platform is limited to Linux and macOS only, excluding Windows users entirely from using the tool.
Open Source Alternative To
DockMate is an open-source alternative to the following products:
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Projects
diveA tool for exploring each layer in a docker image
lazydockerThe lazier way to manage everything docker
skopeoWork with remote images registries - retrieving information, images, signing content
docklyImmersive terminal interface for managing docker containers and services
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