hermes-skills/skills/devops/docker-service-deployment/references/docker-management-research.md

Generated Jul 9, 2026 by research subagent. Full document at /root/.hermes/references/docker-management-research.md.

Tools compared

Tool	Multi-Host	REST API	Free	Web GUI
Komodo	✅ Periphery Agent	✅ REST + WS + 3 clients	✅ 100% FOSS	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Arcane	✅ Agent (Direct+Edge)	✅ OpenAPI 3.1	✅ 100% FOSS	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Portainer	✅ Agent	✅ Full API	3 nodes free	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dockge	✅ Agents (v1.4+)	❌ No API	✅ FOSS	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dockhand	✅ Agent/TLS	⏳ Roadmap	✅ Homelab free	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lazydocker	❌ Single host	❌	✅ FOSS	❌ TUI only

Recommendation

1. Komodo — best API story, GPL-3.0, unlimited servers, built-in backup/restore CLI
2. Arcane — BSD-3-Clause, beautiful UI, no MongoDB, Edge mode for NAT'd hosts
3. Portainer — most mature, best documented, 3-node free tier

Ruled out: Dockge (no API), Dockhand (BSL license, API is future), Lazydocker (single host).