Skip to main content

​
What is Dockhand?

Dockhand is a modern, efficient Docker management application that provides real-time container management, Compose stack orchestration, and multi-environment support. Built with a security-first approach, it delivers a lightweight, privacy-focused solution for managing Docker infrastructure.
Dockhand uses direct Docker API calls over Unix socket or HTTP/HTTPS with no external dependencies like dockerode, providing maximum efficiency and control.

​
Key Benefits

Real-Time Monitoring

Live container stats, log streaming, and event tracking with Server-Sent Events (SSE) for instant updates

Security-Hardened

Wolfi-based OS with explicitly declared packages, Argon2id password hashing, and HttpOnly cookies with CSRF protection

Lightweight & Fast

Built with Bun runtime and SvelteKit for optimal performance with minimal resource footprint

Multi-Environment

Manage local and remote Docker hosts with support for Unix sockets, direct connections, and Hawser remote agents

​
Core Features

​
Container Management

Comprehensive container lifecycle management with real-time updates:
  • Start, stop, restart containers with instant feedback
  • Interactive terminal access with xterm.js integration
  • Real-time log streaming with search and filtering
  • File browser for container filesystems with upload/download
  • Health monitoring with status tracking and alerts
  • Auto-update scheduling with Croner-based job scheduling
Access container terminals directly from the UI with full TTY support, including resizing and web links.

​
Compose Stack Orchestration

Visual Compose stack management with powerful deployment options: 
// Example: Deploy a stack programmatically
const result = await deployStack({
  name: 'myapp',
  compose: composeContent,
  envId: 1,
  envVars: { DB_PASSWORD: 'secret' }
});
Features include:
  • Visual YAML editor with CodeMirror syntax highlighting
  • Git integration with webhook support for auto-sync
  • Environment variable management with encryption
  • Stack status monitoring (running, partial, stopped)
  • Dependency visualization with Cytoscape.js graphs

​
Git Integration

Deploy and manage stacks from Git repositories:
  • Auto-sync from remote repositories on commit
  • Webhook support for GitHub/GitLab push events
  • SSH credentials with encrypted storage
  • Branch tracking with last commit monitoring
  • Sync status tracking (pending, syncing, synced, error)
Git credentials are encrypted using AES-256-GCM with unique nonces stored in the database.

​
Multi-Environment Support

Manage Docker across different hosts and environments: 
// Connection types supported
type ConnectionType = 
  | 'socket'           // Local Unix socket
  | 'direct'           // Direct TCP connection
  | 'hawser-standard'  // Hawser remote agent
  | 'hawser-edge';     // Hawser edge deployment
Environments support:
  • TLS/mTLS configuration with certificate management
  • Activity collection for audit logging
  • Metrics collection for resource monitoring
  • Environment labels for organization and filtering

​
Authentication & Authorization

Enterprise-ready authentication with multiple options:
  • Local users with Argon2id password hashing
  • SSO via OIDC (OAuth 2.0 / OpenID Connect)
  • LDAP integration for Active Directory
  • Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) for Enterprise edition
  • MFA support with OTPAuth and QR code generation
RBAC features are only available in the Enterprise edition. See the licensing page for details.

​
Use Cases

Streamline local Docker management with visual Compose editing, quick container access, and real-time logs. Perfect for developers who need to manage multiple containers during development.
Monitor production Docker hosts, schedule container updates, track resource usage, and manage stacks across multiple environments. Audit logging provides compliance and security tracking.
Deploy and manage self-hosted applications with Compose stacks, Git-based deployments, and automated updates. Lightweight footprint makes it ideal for home labs and small servers.
Multi-environment management with RBAC, LDAP/SSO integration, and comprehensive audit logging. Scale from edge devices to data centers with Hawser remote agents.

​
Technology Stack

Dockhand is built with modern, efficient technologies:
  • Frontend: SvelteKit 2 with Svelte 5, shadcn-svelte components, TailwindCSS
  • Backend: Bun runtime with SvelteKit API routes
  • Database: SQLite or PostgreSQL via Drizzle ORM
  • Docker API: Direct API calls using Node.js fetch (no dockerode)
  • Base OS: Custom Wolfi-based OS built with apko
The custom OS layer is built from scratch using Wolfi packages, with every package explicitly declared for maximum security and minimal attack surface.

​
Privacy & Security

Dockhand is designed with privacy and security as core principles:
  • No telemetry or external data collection
  • Local-first architecture with all data stored locally
  • Encrypted credentials using AES-256-GCM
  • Security-hardened OS with minimal package footprint
  • Cryptographically secure session tokens (32-byte random)
  • CSRF protection with SameSite=Strict cookies

​
Licensing

Dockhand is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1 (BSL 1.1):
  • Free for: Personal use, internal business use, non-profits, education, evaluation
  • Not allowed: Offering Dockhand as a commercial SaaS/hosted service
  • Converts to Apache 2.0: On January 1, 2029
For commercial SaaS use cases, please contact the Dockhand team for licensing options.

​
Getting Started

Ready to start using Dockhand? Check out the installation guide to deploy Dockhand on your infrastructure.

Quick Start

Deploy Dockhand in minutes with Docker Compose

Configuration

Configure environments, authentication, and integrations

Features

Explore all features in detail

Architecture

Learn about the technical architecture

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us