Docker Multi-Host Management Tools — Comparison

Researched: 2026-07-09 Context: IT Pro Partner multi-server Docker Compose environment (Core, ai.itpropartner.com, docker, unms, etc.). Need single-pane visibility across hosts, REST API for Hermes scripting, and self-hosted.

Top 3 Recommendation

🏆 1st: Komodo — API-first multi-host Docker management

Architecture: Core (web UI + API) + Periphery (agent on each host)
Why: Best API story — REST + WebSocket + CLI + Rust/npm client libraries. Perfect for Hermes scripting. GPL-3.0, truly free, unlimited servers. Built-in backup/restore, webhooks, GitOps.
Trade-off: Needs MongoDB (or FerretDB/Postgres). Heavier setup than alternatives.
Setup: Docker Compose (Core + Mongo) + Python install script for Periphery agents
Docs: https://komo.do/docs/intro
GitHub: https://github.com/moghtech/komodo

🥈 2nd: Arcane — Modern, BSD-3-Clause, no-MongoDB option

Architecture: Manager (Go backend + SvelteKit UI) + Agent (Direct or Edge mode)
Why: 100% free BSD-3-Clause. Beautiful UI. OpenAPI 3.1 REST API. Edge mode handles NAT/firewall'd hosts (agents dial out). Built-in vulnerability scanning. iOS mobile app.
Trade-off: Newer project (6.3k stars), smaller community than Portainer.
Setup: Single Docker container for Manager, one per Agent
Docs: https://getarcane.app/docs/setup/installation
GitHub: https://github.com/getarcaneapp/arcane

🥉 3rd: Portainer — Most mature, best documented

Architecture: Portainer Server + lightweight Go Agent on each host
Why: Industry standard. Extensive docs. Free BE tier covers 3 nodes with full features. Comprehensive REST API. Agent auto-updates, mTLS.
Trade-off: Beyond 3 nodes costs money. Heavier/fuller-featured than needed for Compose-only.
Setup: docker run agent command on each host, add via UI
Docs: https://docs.portainer.io/
GitHub: https://github.com/portainer/portainer

All Evaluated Tools

Tool	Multi-Host	REST API	Free	Web GUI	License	Stars	Setup
Portainer	✅ Agent	✅ Full API	3 nodes free	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Proprietary/MIT	~30k	Easy
Arcane	✅ Agent (Direct+Edge)	✅ OpenAPI 3.1	✅ 100% FOSS	⭐⭐⭐⭐	BSD-3-Clause	6.3k	Easy
Komodo 🏆	✅ Periphery Agent	✅ REST + WS + 3 libs	✅ 100% FOSS	⭐⭐⭐⭐	GPL-3.0	~3k	Medium
Dockge	✅ Agents (v1.4+)	❌ No API	✅ 100% FOSS	⭐⭐⭐⭐	MIT	23.7k	Easy
Dockhand	✅ Agent/TLS/Hawser	⏳ Roadmap (distant)	✅ Homelab free	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	BSL 1.1	5.1k	Easy
Lazydocker	❌ Single host	❌ No API	✅ 100% FOSS	❌ TUI only	MIT	38.7k	Very Easy

Why the Others Don't Fit

Dockge: No API, no webhooks, compose-only. Great for single-user compose management but can't be scripted by Hermes.
Dockhand: No API (roadmap item, "distant future"). BSL license (not truly open source). Paid for commercial use. Beautiful UI but unusable for automation.
Lazydocker: Single host only. Terminal-only. Good for quick SSH checks, not a management platform.

Quick Deploy Commands

Komodo (Correct v2 Env Vars — See references/komodo-deployment.md)

CRITICAL: Komodo v2 uses KOMODO_DATABASE_ADDRESS (not MONGO_CONNECTION_STRING), KOMODO_PORT (not KOMODO_SERVER_PORT). Using wrong env vars causes startup failure with "Failed to initialize database" errors.

# Core (management server) — full reference in references/komodo-deployment.md
services:
  mongo:
    image: mongo
    restart: unless-stopped
    command: --quiet --wiredTigerCacheSizeGB 0.25
    volumes:
      - ./data/mongo-data:/data/db
  core:
    image: ghcr.io/moghtech/komodo-core:2
    init: true
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - 9120:9120
    depends_on:
      - mongo
    volumes:
      - ./backups:/backups
      - ./keys:/config/keys
    environment:
      - KOMODO_DATABASE_ADDRESS=mongo:27017
      - KOMODO_PORT=9120
      - KOMODO_HOST=https://komodo.itpropartner.com
      - KOMODO_TITLE=Komodo
      - KOMODO_LOCAL_AUTH=true
      - KOMODO_INIT_ADMIN_USERNAME=admin
      - KOMODO_INIT_ADMIN_PASSWORD=changeme
      - KOMODO_FIRST_SERVER_NAME=core
      - KOMODO_PERIPHERY_PUBLIC_KEY=file:/config/keys/periphery.pub
      - KOMODO_DISABLE_CONFIRM_DIALOG=false
      - KOMODO_DISABLE_INIT_RESOURCES=false
      - KOMODO_JWT_SECRET=change-me
      - KOMODO_JWT_TTL=1-day
      - KOMODO_MONITORING_INTERVAL=15-sec
      - KOMODO_RESOURCE_POLL_INTERVAL=1-hr

# Periphery (each managed host)
curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/moghtech/komodo/main/scripts/setup-periphery.py \
  | python3 - \
  --core-address="https://komodo.itpropartner.com" \
  --connect-as="$(hostname)" \
  --onboarding-key="O-..."

Arcane

# Manager
docker run -d --name arcane -p 3552:3552 \
  -v arcane_data:/data \
  ghcr.io/getarcaneapp/manager:latest

# Agent (each remote host)
docker run -d --name arcane-agent -p 3553:3553 \
  -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \
  -e AGENT_MODE=true \
  -e AGENT_TOKEN=<token> \
  -e MANAGER_API_URL=http://manager:3552 \
  ghcr.io/getarcaneapp/agent:latest

Portainer

# Agent on each remote host
docker run -d -p 9001:9001 --name portainer_agent --restart=always \
  -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \
  -v /var/lib/docker/volumes:/var/lib/docker/volumes \
  portainer/agent:latest

Key Links

Tool	Website	Docs	GitHub
Portainer	https://www.portainer.io/	https://docs.portainer.io/	https://github.com/portainer/portainer
Arcane	https://getarcane.app/	https://getarcane.app/docs/setup/installation	https://github.com/getarcaneapp/arcane
Komodo	https://komo.do/	https://komo.do/docs/intro	https://github.com/moghtech/komodo
Dockge	https://github.com/louislam/dockge	README only	https://github.com/louislam/dockge
Dockhand	https://dockhand.pro/	https://dockhand.pro/manual/	https://github.com/Finsys/dockhand
Lazydocker	https://lazydocker.com/	README only	https://github.com/jesseduffield/lazydocker

Multi-Host Agent Architecture Patterns

All multi-host tools use the same pattern: a central management server + lightweight agents on each Docker host.

Pattern	Used By	How It Works
Agent polls out	Arcane Edge, Dockhand Hawser	Agent behind NAT dials out to manager. No inbound port needed.
Agent listens	Portainer Agent, Arcane Direct	Manager connects to agent on a TCP port. Requires inbound access.
Systemd agent	Komodo Periphery	Agent runs as systemd service (or Docker). Bi-directional WebSocket to Core.

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