Best 100+ Docker Containers for Home Server

Docker is an open-source platform that allows you to develop, ship, and run applications in containers. Containers are lightweight, standalone, and executable packages that include everything needed to run a piece of software, including the code, runtime, system tools, libraries, and settings.

As we move into 2026, Docker containers continue to evolve and provide even more powerful solutions for home servers. The ecosystem has grown significantly, with new applications offering enhanced features, better performance, and improved security. This comprehensive list covers both well-established containers and exciting new additions that are shaping the future of home server deployments.

Key benefits of Docker:

Consistency across different environments
Isolation of applications
Efficient resource utilization
Easy deployment and scaling

Using Docker containers for your home server offers several advantages:

Simplified management: Easily install, update, and remove applications without affecting the host system or other containers.
Resource efficiency: Containers share the host OS kernel, making them more lightweight than traditional virtual machines.
Improved security: Containers provide isolation, reducing the risk of one compromised application affecting others.
Portability: Easily move your applications between different systems or hardware.
Version control: Quickly roll back to previous versions if issues arise.

Setting Up Your Home Server

🛠️ Hardware Requirements

To run a Docker-based home server effectively, you’ll need proper hardware that can handle multiple containers simultaneously:

Component	Minimum	Recommended	High-Performance
CPU	Quad-core 2.0GHz	Quad-core 2.5GHz+	6+ cores, 3.0GHz+
RAM	8GB	16-32GB	64GB+ (especially for LLMs)
Storage	128GB SSD	512GB NVMe + HDD	1TB NVMe + multiple HDDs
Network	Gigabit Ethernet	2.5GbE	10GbE

Performance Considerations:

CPU: Media transcoding (Plex, Jellyfin) requires powerful CPUs or hardware acceleration
RAM: Each container typically uses 50MB-2GB depending on complexity
Storage: Fast SSDs for databases and OS, HDDs for media storage
Network: Gigabit minimum for smooth media streaming and file transfers

you can check Best Mini PC For Home Servers to choose one.

💿 Operating System & Network Considerations

Recommended Operating Systems:

OS	Difficulty	Performance	Docker Support	Best For
Ubuntu Server 🟢	Beginner	Excellent	Native	General use, beginners
Debian 🟡	Intermediate	Excellent	Native	Stability-focused setups
Proxmox VE 🔴	Advanced	Excellent	Via LXC/VM	Mixed virtualization needs
TrueNAS Scale 🟡	Intermediate	Excellent	Native (Apps)	NAS-focused, ZFS storage
Unraid 🟢	Beginner	Excellent	Native	Flexible storage, Docker-native
Windows 11 Pro 🟡	Intermediate	Good	WSL2/Hyper-V	Windows-familiar users
macOS 🟡	Intermediate	Good	Docker Desktop	Mac users, development

Network Setup Requirements:

Static IP Address: Essential for reliable container access
Port Management: Plan port allocation (80, 443, 8080, etc.)
DNS Configuration: Consider local DNS server (Pi-hole) for easy access
Firewall Configuration: Secure external access with proper rules
VPN Access: For secure remote administration

Security Considerations:

Use strong passwords and SSH keys
Disable root login and password authentication
Keep the host OS updated
Implement fail2ban for intrusion prevention
Regular security audits and container updates

In case you are interested to monitor server resources like CPU, memory, disk space you can check: How To Monitor Server and Docker Resources

🐳 Installing Docker

Quick Installation Steps:

Note: Docker Compose V2 is now the standard. The version: top-level element in docker-compose files is no longer required and is ignored by modern Docker Compose. You’ll see it in many examples for backward compatibility, but new projects can omit it.

Update System Packages
```
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
```

Install Docker & Docker Compose

curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh
sudo sh get-docker.sh
sudo apt install docker-compose-plugin -y

Configure Docker (Recommended)

# Add user to docker group
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

# Enable Docker service
sudo systemctl enable docker
sudo systemctl start docker

# Test installation
docker run hello-world

Essential Post-Installation Setup:

Docker Networks: Create custom networks for container isolation
Volume Management: Set up persistent storage locations
Resource Limits: Configure default container resource constraints
Logging: Set up centralized logging for all containers
Backup Strategy: Plan for container configuration and data backups

For detailed, up-to-date installation instructions, refer to the official Docker documentation.

Storage Recommendations:

Store Docker data on fast SSD (/var/lib/docker)
Use separate volumes for persistent data
Plan for growth - containers and images consume space quickly

If you are interested to see some free cool open source self hosted apps you can check toolhunt.net self hosted section.

🚀 Getting Started - Essential Containers

Before diving into the complete list, here are the 8 most essential containers that every home server should consider. These provide the foundation for a well-rounded setup:

Container	Category	Difficulty	Performance Impact	Why Essential
Jellyfin ⭐	Media	🟡 Intermediate	🔴 High	Free, open-source media streaming
qBittorrent ⭐	Downloads	🟢 Beginner	🟡 Medium	Feature-rich torrent client with web UI
Filebrowser ⭐	Files	🟢 Beginner	🟢 Low	Simple web-based file manager
Homepage ⭐	Dashboard	🟢 Beginner	🟢 Low	Modern dashboard with Docker integration
CrowdSec ⭐	Security	🟡 Intermediate	🟢 Low	Community-driven intrusion prevention
Pi-hole ⭐	Network	🟢 Beginner	🟢 Low	Network-wide ad blocking
Dockge ⭐	Management	🟢 Beginner	🟢 Low	Docker Compose stack manager
Beszel	Monitoring	🟢 Beginner	🟢 Low	Lightweight server monitoring

Quick Start Docker Compose

Here’s a starter docker-compose.yml with the essential services:

services:
  pihole:
    image: pihole/pihole
    container_name: pihole
    ports:
      - "53:53/tcp"
      - "53:53/udp"
      - "8080:80/tcp"
    environment:
      TZ: 'America/New_York'
      WEBPASSWORD: 'your_secure_password'
    volumes:
      - pihole_config:/etc/pihole
      - pihole_dnsmasq:/etc/dnsmasq.d
    restart: unless-stopped

  homepage:
    image: ghcr.io/gethomepage/homepage:latest
    container_name: homepage
    environment:
      - TZ=America/New_York
    volumes:
      - ./homepage-config:/app/config
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    restart: unless-stopped

  dockge:
    image: louislam/dockge:1
    container_name: dockge
    volumes:
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
      - ./dockge-data:/app/data
      - ./dockge-stacks:/opt/stacks
    ports:
      - "5001:5001"
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  pihole_config:
  pihole_dnsmasq:

🎯 Recommended Setup Order:

Dockge - Set up container management first
Pi-hole - Network-wide ad blocking
Homepage - Dashboard for all services
Filebrowser - Web-based file access
Jellyfin - Media streaming
qBittorrent - Download client
CrowdSec - Security layer
Beszel - Resource monitoring

📋 Container Categories

Jump to the category you’re interested in:

🎬 Media Management - Plex, Jellyfin, Emby, Sonarr, Radarr, Prowlarr, Bazarr, Overseerr, Jackett, Transmission, qBittorrent
📁 File Sharing & Sync - Nextcloud, Syncthing, Seafile, RustFS, ownCloud, Filebrowser, SFTPGo
🤖 AI Applications - Ollama with OpenWebUI, Flowise, Langflow, Langfuse, LiteLLM
🏠 Home Automation - n8n, Home Assistant, Node-RED
🌐 Network Management - Pi-hole, AdGuard Home, Tailscale, NetBird, Cloudflare Tunnel, Unbound, Traefik, Nginx Proxy Manager, Caddy, Portainer, Dockge
📊 Monitoring & Analytics - Netdata, Uptime Kuma, Beszel
🔐 Security & Privacy - Vaultwarden, OpenVPN, WireGuard, Fail2Ban, CrowdSec, Authentik, Authelia, SearXNG
📝 Productivity - Notifuse, Bookstack, Joplin, Kanboard, Wekan, Docmost, Stirling PDF, IT-Tools, Documenso
💻 Development - Jenkins, Gitea, Code-Server, Dokploy
🗄️ Database - MariaDB, PostgreSQL, Valkey
💾 Backup & Recovery - Duplicati, Kopia, Restic
💰 Personal Finance - Firefly III, GnuCash, HomeBank
📸 Photography & Images - PhotoPrism, Immich
📚 E-book Management - Calibre-web, Komga, Kavita
📊 Database Solutions (Airtable Alternatives) - Baserow, NocoDB, Teable
🎮 Game Servers - Minecraft Server, Valheim Server, Pterodactyl Panel
💬 Communication - Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, Jitsi Meet, Matrix Synapse
📄 Document Management - Paperless-ngx
🌐 Web Hosting - WordPress, Ghost
🏠 Personal Dashboard - Homepage, Heimdall, Organizr, Homer
📰 RSS Feeds - FreshRSS, Tiny Tiny RSS, Miniflux
🌤️ Weather Monitoring - Weewx, Meteobridge
⏰ Time Tracking - Kimai, TimeTagger
🔑 Password Management - Passbolt, Vaultwarden
📞 VoIP - Asterisk, FreePBX

🎬 Media Management Containers

Docker containers offer excellent solutions for managing and organizing your media library. Let’s explore some of the most popular options:

Plex ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🔴 High | Popularity: Very High

Plex is a comprehensive media server that organizes and streams your personal media collection.

Key features:

Automatic metadata fetching
Transcoding for various devices
User management and sharing

Docker image: linuxserver/plex

Jellyfin ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🔴 High | Popularity: Very High

Jellyfin is a free, open-source alternative to Plex with similar functionality.

Key features:

Completely free and open-source
No central servers or tracking
Supports live TV and DVR

Docker image: jellyfin/jellyfin

Emby

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🔴 High | Popularity: Medium

Emby is another media server option that offers a balance between features and pricing.

Key features:

Live TV and DVR support
Parental controls
Mobile sync (premium feature)

Docker image: emby/embyserver

Comparison Table

Feature	Plex	Jellyfin	Emby
Cost	Free (with premium option)	Free	Free (with premium option)
Open-source	No	Yes	Partially
Live TV	Yes (with Plex Pass)	Yes	Yes
Mobile sync	Yes (with Plex Pass)	No	Yes (with premium)

Sonarr ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: Very High

Sonarr is an automated TV show downloader and manager.

Key features:

Automated TV show searching and downloading
Calendar view of upcoming episodes
Integration with media servers and download clients

Docker image: linuxserver/sonarr

Radarr ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: Very High

Radarr is similar to Sonarr but focuses on movies instead of TV shows.

Key features:

Automated movie searching and downloading
Integration with media servers and download clients
Customizable quality profiles

Docker image: linuxserver/radarr

Prowlarr ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Very High

Prowlarr is the modern indexer manager for the *arr stack, designed to integrate seamlessly with Sonarr, Radarr, Lidarr, and Readarr.

Key features:

Native integration with all *arr applications
Automatic sync of indexers to connected apps
Built-in search functionality
Torrent and Usenet support
Active development and modern UI

Docker image: linuxserver/prowlarr

2026 Note: Prowlarr has largely replaced Jackett for *arr stack users due to its tighter integration and simpler configuration. New users should start with Prowlarr.

Bazarr ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Very High

Bazarr is a companion application to Sonarr and Radarr that manages and downloads subtitles.

Key features:

Automatic subtitle downloading
Integration with Sonarr and Radarr
Support for multiple subtitle providers
Subtitle synchronization and correction
Manual search and download

Docker image: linuxserver/bazarr

Overseerr ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Very High

Overseerr is a request management and media discovery tool for Plex ecosystems. For Jellyfin users, Jellyseerr is available as a fork.

Key features:

User-friendly media request interface
Integration with Plex, Sonarr, and Radarr
User management and permissions
Automatic request processing
Beautiful, modern UI

Docker image: linuxserver/overseerr or fallenbagel/jellyseerr

Jackett

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Medium

Jackett works as a proxy server between your media management apps and torrent trackers.

Key features:

Supports a wide range of torrent trackers
Provides a unified search interface
Integrates with Sonarr, Radarr, and Lidarr

Docker image: linuxserver/jackett

Note: While Jackett is still maintained, consider using Prowlarr for new setups as it offers better integration with the *arr ecosystem.

Transmission

Difficulty: 🟢 Beginner | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: Medium

Transmission is a lightweight and user-friendly BitTorrent client.

Key features:

Web interface for remote management
Scheduling and bandwidth controls
Support for magnet links

Docker image: linuxserver/transmission

qBittorrent ⭐

Difficulty: 🟢 Beginner | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: High

qBittorrent is another popular BitTorrent client with a feature-rich web interface.

Key features:

Built-in search engine
RSS feed support
IP filtering and encryption

Docker image: linuxserver/qbittorrent

These Docker containers can work together to create a powerful, automated media management system for your home server. By combining media servers like Plex or Jellyfin with automated downloaders like Sonarr, Radarr, and using Prowlarr as your indexer manager, you can create a seamless entertainment experience tailored to your preferences. Add Bazarr for automatic subtitles and Overseerr for media requests to complete your media stack.

Docker containers offer excellent solutions for file sharing and synchronization across devices. Let’s explore some of the most popular options:

Nextcloud ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: Very High

Nextcloud is a powerful, self-hosted file sync and share solution that provides a platform for collaboration and productivity.

Key features:

File synchronization across devices
Collaborative document editing
Calendar and contact management
Built-in chat and video calling

Docker image: nextcloud

Syncthing ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: High

Syncthing is a continuous file synchronization program that securely synchronizes files between two or more computers in real-time.

Key features:

Decentralized and peer-to-peer
End-to-end encryption
Cross-platform support
No central server required

Docker image: syncthing/syncthing

Seafile ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: High

Seafile is an open-source file sync and share solution with exceptional performance, especially for large file transfers.

Key features:

File versioning and snapshots
Selective sync
Two-factor authentication
Built-in wiki
High-performance sync engine (C-based daemons with chunking)

Docker image: seafileltd/seafile-mc

Performance Note: Seafile utilizes C-based daemons and a chunking mechanism to achieve sync speeds that often saturate Gigabit and 2.5GbE links, significantly outperforming Nextcloud for large file transfers. However, it stores files in a proprietary block format, meaning the data is not directly accessible on the disk without the Seafile server.

RustFS ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Growing

RustFS is a modern S3-compatible object storage solution written in Rust, serving as an excellent alternative to MinIO.

Key features:

S3-compatible API
High performance with low memory footprint
Written in Rust for safety and speed
Simple deployment
Suitable for backup destinations and application storage

Docker image: rustfs/rustfs

For a detailed guide on how to set up RustFS, check out this tutorial: How to Self-Host RustFS

ownCloud

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: Medium

ownCloud is another popular open-source file sync and share platform that offers a range of features for personal and business use.

Key features:

File sharing and synchronization
Collaborative editing
Mobile and desktop clients
Extensible through apps

Docker image: owncloud/server

Filebrowser ⭐

Difficulty: 🟢 Beginner | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: High

Filebrowser is a lightweight, web-based file manager that allows you to manage files and directories on your server through a clean, easy-to-use interface.

Key features:

Simple and intuitive web interface
File upload and download
User management with configurable permissions
Customizable look and feel

Docker image: filebrowser/filebrowser

For a detailed guide on how to deploy Filebrowser using Docker, check out this tutorial: How to Deploy Filebrowser with Docker

SFTPGo

Difficulty: 🔴 Advanced | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Medium

SFTPGo is a fully featured and highly configurable SFTP server with optional HTTP/S, FTP/S and WebDAV support.

Key features:

Virtual users and folders
Bandwidth throttling
Public key and password authentication
Web admin interface
REST API
Quota restrictions

Docker image: drakkan/sftpgo

Comparison Table

Feature	Nextcloud	Syncthing	Seafile	ownCloud	Filebrowser	SFTPGo	RustFS
File sync	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Collaboration tools	Yes	No	Limited	Yes	No	No	No
Self-hosted	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Mobile apps	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
End-to-end encryption	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
Open-source	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Web-based file manager	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
S3 Compatible	Yes*	No	No	Yes*	No	Yes	Yes
Large file performance	Medium	High	Very High	Medium	N/A	High	High

These file sharing and sync containers offer a range of options to suit different needs and preferences. By setting up one of these containers on your home server, you can create your own personal cloud storage system, ensuring that your files are always accessible and synchronized across all your devices while maintaining control over your data.

🤖 AI Applications Containers

Docker containers offer powerful solutions for running various AI applications on your home server. Let’s explore some of the most popular options:

Ollama with OpenWebUI ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🔴 High | Popularity: Very High

Ollama is an open-source project that allows you to run large language models locally. OpenWebUI provides a user-friendly interface for interacting with Ollama.

Key features:

Run various large language models locally
User-friendly web interface
Customizable prompts and settings
No need for API keys or internet connection for inference

Docker images:

ollama/ollama
ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main

For a detailed guide on how to install Ollama with OpenWebUI using Docker, check out this tutorial: How to Install Ollama with Docker

Flowise ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: High

Flowise is an open-source UI visual tool for building LLM apps, chatbots, and agents with a drag-and-drop interface.

Key features:

Visual workflow builder
Integration with various AI models and tools
Customizable components
API generation for created flows

Docker image: flowiseai/flowise

For a step-by-step installation guide, see: How to Install Flowise AI

Langflow

Difficulty: 🔴 Advanced | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: Medium

Langflow is an GUI for LangChain, designed to provide an easy way to experiment and prototype flows.

Key features:

Drag-and-drop interface for LangChain components
Code export functionality
Easy integration with various LLMs and tools
Customizable nodes and edges

Docker image: logspace/langflow

Learn how to set up Langflow with this guide: How to Install Langflow with Docker

Langfuse

Difficulty: 🔴 Advanced | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Medium

Langfuse is an open-source observability and analytics solution for LLM applications.

Key features:

Tracing and logging for LLM interactions
Performance monitoring and analytics
Integration with popular LLM frameworks
Customizable dashboards

Docker image: langfuse/langfuse

For installation instructions, check out: How to Install Langfuse with Docker

LiteLLM

Difficulty: 🔴 Advanced | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Medium

LiteLLM is a lightweight package to standardize inputs and outputs across LLM providers.

Key features:

Unified interface for multiple LLM providers
Caching and rate limiting
Logging and monitoring
Easy integration with various AI applications

Docker image: ghcr.io/berriai/litellm

For a guide on setting up LiteLLM, see: How to Install LiteLLM with Docker

Comparison Table

Feature	Ollama + OpenWebUI	Flowise	Langflow	Langfuse	LiteLLM
Primary Function	Local LLM Inference	LLM App Builder	LangChain GUI	LLM Observability	LLM Standardization
User Interface	Web-based	Web-based	Web-based	Web-based	API
Local Models	Yes	No	No	N/A	Depends on setup
Visualization	Basic chat	Flow diagram	Flow diagram	Analytics dashboards	N/A
Extensibility	Limited	High	High	High	High

These AI application containers can work together to create a powerful ecosystem for developing, running, and monitoring AI applications on your home server.

🏠 Home Automation Containers

Docker containers offer powerful solutions for home automation, allowing you to control and monitor various aspects of your smart home. Let’s explore some of the most popular options:

n8n ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Very High

n8n is a powerful workflow automation tool that serves as a modern alternative to Node-RED, with a more user-friendly visual interface.

Key features:

Visual workflow builder with 400+ integrations
Self-hosted with full data control
Native AI/LLM workflow capabilities
Code nodes for custom JavaScript/Python
Credential management and encryption
Active community and extensive documentation

Docker image: n8nio/n8n

For a detailed guide on how to set up n8n, check out this tutorial: How to Self-Host n8n for Workflow Automation

2026 Trend: n8n has become the preferred choice for workflow automation due to its modern UI and extensive integrations, while Node-RED remains popular for IoT-focused automation.

Home Assistant ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: Very High

Home Assistant is an open-source home automation platform that puts local control and privacy first.

Key features:

Supports over 1,000 integrations
Powerful automation engine
Local processing for faster response times
Customizable dashboard

Docker image: homeassistant/home-assistant

Node-RED ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: High

Node-RED is a flow-based programming tool for connecting hardware devices, APIs, and online services.

Key features:

Visual programming interface
Extensive library of nodes
Easy integration with IoT devices
Customizable dashboard

Docker image: nodered/node-red

Comparison Table

Feature	n8n	Home Assistant	Node-RED
Primary Function	Workflow Automation	Home Automation Platform	Flow-based Programming
User Interface	Web-based	Web-based	Web-based
Automation	Yes	Yes	Yes
Device Support	Via integrations	Extensive	Extensive
Customization	High	High	High
AI Integration	Native	Via add-ons	Via nodes

These home automation containers can work together to create a powerful and flexible smart home system. Use Home Assistant as your central home automation platform, implement Node-RED or n8n for complex automations and integrations.

🌐 Network Management Containers

Docker containers offer powerful solutions for managing and optimizing your home network. Let’s explore some of the most popular options:

Pi-hole ⭐

Difficulty: 🟢 Beginner | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Very High

Pi-hole is a network-wide ad blocker that acts as a DNS sinkhole to block unwanted content.

Key features:

Network-wide ad blocking
Customizable blocklists
Detailed statistics and reporting
DHCP server functionality

Docker image: pihole/pihole

AdGuard Home ⭐

Difficulty: 🟢 Beginner | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Very High

AdGuard Home is a network-wide software for blocking ads and tracking, serving as a modern alternative to Pi-hole.

Key features:

Network-wide ad and tracker blocking
DNS-over-HTTPS and DNS-over-TLS support
Parental controls and safe search enforcement
Single binary deployment (simpler than Pi-hole)
Built-in DHCP server
Modern, responsive web interface

Docker image: adguard/adguardhome

Pi-hole vs AdGuard Home: Both are excellent choices. AdGuard Home offers a simpler single-binary architecture and built-in encrypted DNS, while Pi-hole has a larger community and more extensive documentation. Many users prefer AdGuard Home for new setups in 2026.

Tailscale ⭐

Difficulty: 🟢 Beginner | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Very High

Tailscale is a zero-config VPN built on WireGuard that creates a secure mesh network between your devices.

Key features:

Zero-configuration setup
Works behind NAT without port forwarding
Built on WireGuard for speed and security
MagicDNS for easy device discovery
Access control lists (ACLs)
Free tier for personal use (up to 100 devices)

Docker image: tailscale/tailscale

2026 Standard: Tailscale has become the go-to solution for remote access, often replacing complex OpenVPN or manual WireGuard setups. For self-hosted control plane, consider Headscale.

NetBird

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Growing

NetBird is an emerging competitor to Tailscale, offering a kernel-level WireGuard implementation with a robust access control dashboard.

Key features:

Zero Trust network access
Device posture checks (e.g., “Is the antivirus running?”)
Self-hostable control plane
Kernel-level WireGuard for maximum performance
Fine-grained access policies

Docker image: netbirdio/netbird

2026 Outlook: NetBird is gaining traction for users who want self-hosted control with enterprise-grade Zero Trust policies.

Cloudflare Tunnel ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Very High

Cloudflare Tunnel (cloudflared) creates secure tunnels to expose your services without opening ports on your router.

Key features:

No port forwarding required
Automatic SSL/TLS
DDoS protection through Cloudflare
Access policies and authentication
Free tier available

Docker image: cloudflare/cloudflared

Security Tip: Cloudflare Tunnel is excellent for exposing specific services publicly without exposing your home IP or opening firewall ports.

Unbound

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Medium

Unbound is a validating, recursive, and caching DNS resolver.

Key features:

DNSSEC validation
Improved privacy and security
Caching for faster DNS resolution
Can work alongside Pi-hole for enhanced functionality

Docker image: mvance/unbound

Traefik ⭐

Difficulty: 🔴 Advanced | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: High

Traefik is a modern HTTP reverse proxy and load balancer that makes deploying microservices easy.

Key features:

Automatic SSL certificate generation with Let’s Encrypt
Dynamic configuration
Docker integration
Metrics and monitoring

Docker image: traefik

Nginx Proxy Manager ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Very High

Nginx Proxy Manager provides a user-friendly interface to manage Nginx proxy hosts with SSL termination.

Key features:

Easy-to-use web interface
Automatic SSL certificate management
Access lists and basic authentication
Docker container support

Docker image: jc21/nginx-proxy-manager

Caddy

Difficulty: 🟢 Beginner | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: High

Caddy is a powerful, enterprise-ready web server with automatic HTTPS, making it increasingly popular as a simpler alternative to Nginx Proxy Manager and Traefik.

Key features:

Automatic HTTPS out of the box (no configuration needed)
Simple Caddyfile configuration
HTTP/3 support
Reverse proxy with load balancing
Extensible with plugins

Docker image: caddy

Why Caddy? For users who find Traefik’s labels confusing or NPM’s interface limiting, Caddy offers the simplest path to automatic HTTPS with minimal configuration.

Portainer ⭐

Difficulty: 🟢 Beginner | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Very High

Portainer is a lightweight management UI for Docker environments.

Key features:

Web-based Docker management
Container and image management
User authentication and role-based access control
Monitoring and logging

Docker image: portainer/portainer-ce

Dockge ⭐

Difficulty: 🟢 Beginner | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: High

Dockge is a simple, lightweight, and powerful Docker compose stack manager and UI.

Key features:

User-friendly web interface for managing Docker compose stacks
Easy deployment and management of Docker containers
Built-in code editor for compose files
Support for environment variables and secrets

Docker image: louislam/dockge

For a detailed guide on how to install and set up Dockge, check out this tutorial: How to Install Dockge

Comparison Table

Feature	Pi-hole	AdGuard Home	Traefik	Nginx Proxy Manager	Caddy	Portainer	Tailscale
Primary Function	Ad Blocking	Ad Blocking	Reverse Proxy	Reverse Proxy	Reverse Proxy	Docker Management	VPN/Mesh
User Interface	Web-based	Web-based	Web-based	Web-based	Config file	Web-based	Web/CLI
SSL Management	No	No	Yes	Yes	Auto	No	Auto (internal)
Docker Integration	N/A	N/A	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ease of Use	High	Very High	Medium	High	Very High	High	Very High
Encrypted DNS	Via Unbound	Built-in	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	MagicDNS

These network management containers can work together to create a powerful and secure home network setup. Use Pi-hole or AdGuard Home for network-wide ad blocking, implement a reverse proxy for secure access to your services, and use Portainer or Dockge to manage your Docker containers easily.

📊 Monitoring and Analytics Containers

Monitoring and analytics are crucial for maintaining a healthy and efficient home server setup. Docker containers offer powerful solutions for tracking system performance, resource usage, and network activity.

Netdata ⭐

Difficulty: 🟢 Beginner | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: High

Netdata is a distributed, real-time performance and health monitoring system for systems, hardware, containers, and applications.

Key features:

Real-time, per-second metrics
Highly optimized data collection and visualization
Automatic configuration and zero maintenance
Extensible through plugins

Docker image: netdata/netdata

Uptime Kuma ⭐

Difficulty: 🟢 Beginner | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Very High

Uptime Kuma is a self-hosted monitoring tool that has become the industry standard for uptime monitoring in home labs.

Key features:

Beautiful, modern dashboard
Multiple monitor types (HTTP, TCP, Ping, DNS, Docker, etc.)
Notification integrations (Discord, Slack, Telegram, Email, etc.)
Status pages for public or private use
Multi-language support
Low resource usage

Docker image: louislam/uptime-kuma

For a detailed guide including Beszel and Uptime Kuma setup, check out: How To Monitor Server and Docker Resources

2026 Essential: Uptime Kuma is now considered essential infrastructure for any home server. It’s simple to set up and provides immediate value for monitoring all your services.

Beszel

Difficulty: 🟢 Beginner | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Medium

Beszel is a lightweight, modern monitoring solution designed for small to medium-sized deployments.

Key features:

Real-time server metrics monitoring
Notifications
Docker container statistics
Custom notification channels
Low resource footprint
Simple deployment process
Public key authentication
Multi-server support

Docker image: henrygd/beszel

For more details on server monitoring you can check: How To Monitor Server and Docker Resources:CPU,Memory…

Comparison Table

Feature	Netdata	Uptime Kuma	Beszel
Primary Function	Real-time Monitoring	Uptime Monitoring	Resource Monitoring
Data Sources	Self	Self	Agent-based
Visualization	Yes	Yes	Yes
Alerting	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ease of Setup	Very Easy	Very Easy	Very Easy
Status Pages	No	Yes	No

These monitoring containers work together to give you complete visibility into your home server’s performance and health.

🔐 Security and Privacy Containers

Ensuring the security and privacy of your home server is crucial. Docker containers offer several solutions to help protect your data and network.

Vaultwarden (Bitwarden) ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Very High

Vaultwarden (formerly Bitwarden RS) is a lightweight, self-hosted Bitwarden-compatible server written in Rust.

Key features:

Full compatibility with official Bitwarden clients
End-to-end encryption
Self-hosting for complete data control
Cross-platform support (desktop, mobile, browser extensions)
Secure password sharing and organization
Low resource requirements compared to official server

Docker image: vaultwarden/server

Note: For self-hosting, Vaultwarden is preferred over the official Bitwarden server due to its significantly lower resource requirements while maintaining full client compatibility.

OpenVPN

Difficulty: 🔴 Advanced | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: Medium

OpenVPN is a popular open-source VPN solution that allows you to create secure connections to your home network from remote locations.

Key features:

Strong encryption and authentication
Supports various authentication methods
Cross-platform compatibility
Extensible through plugins

Docker image: kylemanna/openvpn

WireGuard ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: High

WireGuard is a modern, fast, and secure VPN protocol that aims to be simpler and more efficient than traditional VPN solutions.

Key features:

Lightweight and high-performance
Strong, modern cryptography
Simple configuration
Cross-platform support

Docker image: linuxserver/wireguard

Fail2Ban ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: High

Fail2Ban is an intrusion prevention software framework that protects computer servers from brute-force attacks.

Key features:

Monitors log files for suspicious activity
Automatically blocks IP addresses of potential attackers
Customizable rules and actions
Supports various services (SSH, Apache, etc.)

Docker image: crazymax/fail2ban

CrowdSec ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Very High

CrowdSec is a modern, collaborative security engine that analyzes behaviors and responds to attacks, sharing threat intelligence across the community.

Key features:

Community-driven threat intelligence
Behavior-based detection (not just log parsing)
Bouncers for various services (Nginx, Traefik, iptables, etc.)
Central console for multi-server management
Lower false positive rate than Fail2Ban
Real-time threat sharing with global community

Docker image: crowdsecurity/crowdsec

Fail2Ban vs CrowdSec (2026): CrowdSec is modernizing the intrusion prevention space. While Fail2Ban works on isolated log analysis, CrowdSec shares threat intelligence across its community, meaning an attack on one server helps protect all others. For new setups, CrowdSec is increasingly recommended.

Authentik ⭐

Difficulty: 🔴 Advanced | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: Very High

Authentik is an open-source Identity Provider focused on flexibility and versatility, providing SSO capabilities for your home lab.

Key features:

Single Sign-On (SSO) for all services
SAML, OAuth2, OIDC, LDAP support
Multi-factor authentication (TOTP, WebAuthn, etc.)
User management and self-service
Application proxy for legacy apps
Beautiful, modern admin interface

Docker image: ghcr.io/goauthentik/server

Why SSO in 2026? As home labs grow beyond 10-15 services, managing separate credentials becomes unsustainable. Authentik or Authelia (lighter alternative) provides unified authentication across all your services.

Authelia

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: High

Authelia is a lightweight authentication and authorization server providing 2FA and SSO for your applications via a reverse proxy.

Key features:

Single Sign-On with session management
Two-factor authentication (TOTP, Duo, WebAuthn)
Access control policies
Works with Nginx, Traefik, Caddy, HAProxy
Lightweight single binary
Simple YAML configuration

Docker image: authelia/authelia

Authentik vs Authelia: Authelia is lighter and simpler, ideal for basic SSO needs. Authentik is more feature-rich with a visual flow designer and LDAP/SAML support, better for complex setups.

SearXNG ⭐

Difficulty: 🟢 Beginner | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: High

SearXNG is a free, open-source metasearch engine that aggregates results from multiple search engines without storing your search data or tracking you.

Key features:

Privacy-focused search without tracking
Aggregates results from 70+ search engines
No ads or user profiling
Customizable search categories and preferences
Self-hosted for complete privacy control

Docker image: searxng/searxng

For a detailed guide on how to install SearXNG using Docker, check out this tutorial: How to Self-Host SearXNG for Private Search

Comparison Table

Feature	Vaultwarden	WireGuard	Tailscale	Fail2Ban	CrowdSec	Authentik	SearXNG
Primary Function	Password Management	VPN	Mesh VPN	Intrusion Prevention	IPS + Threat Intel	SSO/IdP	Private Search
Encryption	Yes	Yes	Yes	N/A	N/A	Yes	No
Self-hosting	Yes	Yes	Partial	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ease of Setup	Easy	Medium	Very Easy	Medium	Easy	Advanced	Easy
Cross-platform	Yes	Yes	Yes	Linux-focused	Multi-platform	Yes	Yes
Community Intel	N/A	N/A	N/A	No	Yes	N/A	N/A

These security and privacy containers work together to create comprehensive protection for your home server.

📝 Productivity Containers

Docker containers offer a range of solutions to boost your productivity and organization.

Notifuse

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Growing

Notifuse is a self-hosted newsletter and email marketing platform, serving as an open-source alternative to Mailchimp or ConvertKit.

Key features:

Newsletter creation and management
Subscriber management
Email campaign analytics
Template builder
Self-hosted for data privacy

Docker image: Check official documentation

For a detailed guide on how to set up Notifuse, check out this tutorial: How to Self-Host Notifuse Newsletter

Bookstack ⭐

Difficulty: 🟢 Beginner | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: High

Bookstack is a free and open-source wiki system that provides a simple, self-hosted platform for organizing and storing information.

Key features:

User-friendly interface
Markdown support
File attachments
Full-text search

Docker image: linuxserver/bookstack

Joplin ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: High

Joplin is an open-source note-taking and to-do application with synchronization capabilities.

Key features:

End-to-end encryption
Markdown support
Web clipper for saving web pages
Cross-platform (desktop, mobile, terminal)

Docker image: joplin/server

Kanboard

Difficulty: 🟢 Beginner | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Medium

Kanboard is a free and open-source Kanban project management software.

Key features:

Visual task board
Drag and drop tasks
Multiple projects and users
Automatic actions and subtasks

Docker image: kanboard/kanboard

Wekan

Difficulty: 🟢 Beginner | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Medium

Wekan is an open-source kanban board that allows real-time collaboration.

Key features:

Customizable boards and lists
Card attachments and comments
User management and permissions
REST API for integrations

Docker image: wekanteam/wekan

Docmost

Difficulty: 🟢 Beginner | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Medium

Docmost is a self-hosted, open-source knowledge base and documentation platform that helps teams organize and share information efficiently.

Key features:

Markdown and WYSIWYG editor support
Version history and document comparison
Full-text search
User and group management
Custom branding options

Docker image: docmost/docmost

For a detailed guide on how to install Docmost using Docker, check out this tutorial: How to Install Docmost with Docker

Stirling PDF ⭐

Difficulty: 🟢 Beginner | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Very High

Stirling PDF is a locally hosted web application that allows you to perform various operations on PDF files, such as splitting, merging, converting, reorganizing, adding images, rotating, compressing, and more.

Key features:

Comprehensive PDF manipulation tools
No telemetry or data collection
Locally hosted for privacy
User-friendly web interface
Supports multiple file formats
OCR capabilities

Docker image: frooodle/s-pdf

For a detailed guide on how to install Stirling PDF using Docker, check out this tutorial: How to Self-Host Stirling PDF for PDF Manipulation

IT-Tools ⭐

Difficulty: 🟢 Beginner | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: High

IT-Tools is a collection of handy online tools for developers and IT professionals, all self-hosted.

Key features:

80+ useful tools in one interface
Encoders/decoders (Base64, URL, JWT, etc.)
Converters (YAML/JSON, Unix timestamp, etc.)
Generators (UUID, hash, password, etc.)
Network tools (IP info, MAC lookup, etc.)
No external dependencies, fully offline capable

Docker image: corentinth/it-tools

Documenso

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Growing

Documenso is an open-source DocuSign alternative for document signing workflows.

Key features:

Digital signature workflows
Document templates
Signing order and reminders
Audit trail and compliance
API for integrations
Self-hosted for data control

Docker image: documenso/documenso

2026 Outlook: While Paperless-ngx handles document archival and retrieval, Documenso fills the niche of active document signing workflows—previously requiring external services like DocuSign.

Comparison Table

Feature	Bookstack	Joplin	Kanboard	Wekan	Docmost	Stirling PDF
Primary Function	Wiki	Note-taking	Project Management	Kanban Board	Knowledge Base	PDF Manipulation
Collaboration	Yes	Limited	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Encryption	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
Mobile App	No	Yes	No	Yes (third-party)	No	No
Markdown Support	Yes	Yes	Limited	Yes	Yes	No
Version History	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No

💻 Development Containers

Docker containers offer excellent solutions for setting up development environments and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines.

Jenkins

Difficulty: 🔴 Advanced | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: High

Jenkins is a popular open-source automation server that enables developers to build, test, and deploy their software.

Key features:

Extensible through plugins
Distributed builds
Pipeline support
Easy configuration via web interface

Docker image: jenkins/jenkins

Gitea ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Very High

Gitea is a lightweight, self-hosted Git service written in Go, designed to be easy to install and use.

Key features:

Git repository hosting
Issue tracking and pull requests
Webhooks and API
Low resource requirements

Docker image: gitea/gitea

Code-Server ⭐

Difficulty: 🟢 Beginner | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: Very High

Code-Server runs VS Code in the browser, providing a full development environment accessible from any device.

Key features:

Full VS Code experience in browser
Extension support
Integrated terminal
Remote file editing
Persistent workspace
Mobile-friendly interface

Docker image: linuxserver/code-server or codercom/code-server

Essential for Home Servers: Code-Server is invaluable for editing configuration files, Docker Compose files, and scripts directly on your server without SSH.

Dokploy ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Growing

Dokploy is a self-hosted Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) that simplifies application deployment, serving as an open-source alternative to Vercel, Netlify, and Heroku.

Key features:

One-click deployments from Git repositories
Automatic SSL certificates
Database provisioning (PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis, etc.)
Docker and Docker Compose support
Real-time logs and monitoring
Multi-server support
Traefik integration for routing

Docker image: dokploy/dokploy

For a detailed guide on how to install Dokploy, check out this tutorial: How to Install Dokploy

2026 Trend: Dokploy is gaining popularity as a self-hosted deployment platform, allowing home server users to deploy applications with the same ease as cloud PaaS providers.

Comparison Table

Feature	Jenkins	Gitea	Code-Server	Dokploy
Primary Function	CI/CD	Git Hosting	Remote IDE	PaaS
Repository Hosting	No	Yes	No	No
Built-in CI/CD	Yes	Via Actions	No	Yes
Resource Usage	Medium	Low	Medium	Low
Extensibility	High	Medium	Very High	Medium
Browser-based	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Auto SSL	No	No	No	Yes

🗄️ Database Containers

Docker containers provide excellent solutions for running various database systems.

MariaDB ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: Very High

MariaDB is a community-developed fork of MySQL that aims to remain free and open-source software.

Key features:

Drop-in replacement for MySQL
Enhanced performance and features
Strong data consistency and integrity
Galera Cluster for multi-master replication

Docker image: mariadb

PostgreSQL ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: Very High

PostgreSQL is a powerful, open-source object-relational database system with a strong reputation for reliability and feature robustness.

Key features:

Advanced SQL support
ACID compliance
Extensible through custom functions and data types
Full-text search capabilities

Docker image: postgres

Valkey

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Growing

Valkey is a community-driven Redis fork created after Redis changed its licensing, maintaining full compatibility with Redis protocols.

Key features:

Drop-in Redis replacement
Open-source under BSD license
Full Redis protocol compatibility
Active community development
Backed by Linux Foundation

Docker image: valkey/valkey

2026 Note: Following Redis’s license change, Valkey emerged as the community-supported fork. For new projects, consider Valkey for future-proof open-source licensing.

Comparison Table

Feature	MariaDB	PostgreSQL	Valkey
Type	Relational	Relational	Key-value
SQL Support	Yes	Yes	Limited
ACID Compliance	Yes	Yes	No
Scalability	Good	Good	Excellent
License	GPL	PostgreSQL	BSD
Use Cases	General-purpose	Complex queries, OLTP	Caching (open-source)

💾 Backup and Recovery Containers

Protecting your data is crucial for any home server setup.

Duplicati ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: Very High

Duplicati is a free, open-source backup client that stores encrypted, incremental, compressed backups on cloud storage services and remote file servers.

Key features:

Strong encryption (AES-256)
Incremental backups
Supports various cloud storage providers
Web-based user interface

Docker image: linuxserver/duplicati

Kopia ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Growing

Kopia is a fast, secure backup tool with a GUI, emerging as a modern alternative to Restic and Borg.

Key features:

Deduplication, compression, and encryption
Built-in web UI and CLI
Faster restore speeds than competitors
Support for various storage backends (local, S3, B2, SFTP, etc.)

Docker image: kopia/kopia

Restic ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: High

Restic is a fast, secure, and efficient backup program that supports multiple storage backends.

Key features:

Deduplication and compression
Encryption by default
Fast incremental backups
Support for various storage backends

Docker image: restic/restic

Comparison Table

Feature	Duplicati	Restic	Kopia
Encryption	Yes	Yes	Yes
Deduplication	Yes	Yes	Yes
Web UI	Yes	No	Yes
Cloud Storage Support	Extensive	Good	Good
Ease of Use	High	Medium	High

💰 Personal Finance Containers

Firefly III ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: Very High

Firefly III is a free and open-source personal finance manager.

Key features:

Double-entry bookkeeping system
Budgeting and financial goal tracking
Bill management and recurring transactions
Detailed reports and charts

Docker image: fireflyiii/core

GnuCash

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Medium

GnuCash is a free, open-source accounting software designed for personal and small business use.

Docker image: jrwrigh/gnucash

HomeBank

Difficulty: 🟢 Beginner | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Medium

HomeBank is a free, easy-to-use personal accounting software.

Docker image: linuxserver/homebank

Comparison Table

Feature	Firefly III	GnuCash	HomeBank
Web-based	Yes	No	No
Double-entry	Yes	Yes	No
Multi-currency	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ease of Use	Medium	Medium	High

📸 Photography and Image Management Containers

PhotoPrism ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: Very High

PhotoPrism is an AI-powered photo management application that automatically organizes and indexes your photo library.

Key features:

AI-powered image classification and face recognition
Automatic tagging and geocoding
Full-text search
Web-based user interface with mobile support

Docker image: photoprism/photoprism

Immich ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: Very High

Immich is a high-performance self-hosted photo and video backup solution.

Key features:

Real-time backup from mobile devices
Face recognition and detection
Location-based organization
Support for RAW photos
Built-in map view

Docker image: ghcr.io/immich-app/immich-server

Comparison Table

Feature	PhotoPrism	Immich
AI-powered organization	Yes	Yes
Face recognition	Yes	Yes
Mobile support	Yes	Yes
Real-time backup	No	Yes

📚 E-book Management Containers

Calibre-web ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Very High

Calibre-web is a web app providing a clean interface for browsing, reading and downloading e-books using an existing Calibre database.

Docker image: linuxserver/calibre-web

Komga ⭐

Difficulty: 🟢 Beginner | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Very High

Komga is a modern, free and open-source media server for comics, manga, and e-books.

Docker image: gotson/komga

Kavita ⭐

Difficulty: 🟢 Beginner | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Very High

Kavita is a fast, feature-rich, cross-platform reading server focused on manga, comics, and books.

Docker image: kizaing/kavita

Comparison Table

Feature	Calibre-web	Komga	Kavita
Web interface	Yes	Yes	Yes
OPDS support	Yes	Yes	Yes
Comic/Manga support	Limited	Excellent	Excellent
E-book support	Yes	Yes	Yes

📊 Self-Hosted Database Solutions (Airtable Alternatives)

Baserow ⭐

Difficulty: 🟢 Beginner | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: Very High

Baserow is an open-source no-code database tool that provides a user-friendly interface for creating and managing relational databases.

Docker image: baserow/baserow

NocoDB ⭐

Difficulty: 🟢 Beginner | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: Very High

NocoDB transforms any MySQL, PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, SQLite, or MariaDB into a smart spreadsheet.

Docker image: nocodb/nocodb

Teable

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: Medium

Teable is a super fast, real-time, professional, developer-friendly database tool.

Docker image: teableio/teable

Comparison Table

Feature	Baserow	NocoDB	Teable
Interface	Modern, intuitive	Spreadsheet-like	Modern
API Support	REST	REST, GraphQL	REST
Real-time	Yes	Limited	Yes

For more detailed information, check out: Best Open Source Self-hosted Airtable Alternatives

🎮 Game Server Containers

Minecraft Server ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: Very High

Minecraft server allows players to build, explore, and survive together.

Docker image: itzg/minecraft-server

Valheim Server ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: High

Valheim is a survival and exploration game set in a procedurally-generated world inspired by Norse mythology.

Docker image: lloesche/valheim-server

Pterodactyl Panel ⭐

Difficulty: 🔴 Advanced | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: Very High

Pterodactyl is an open-source game server management panel that allows you to manage multiple game servers through a web interface.

Key features:

Manage multiple game servers from one dashboard
Support for 50+ games out of the box
User management with fine-grained permissions
Docker-based isolation for each server

Docker image: ghcr.io/pterodactyl/panel

Comparison Table

Feature	Minecraft	Valheim	Pterodactyl
Player Limit	Configurable	Up to 10	N/A (Panel)
Mod Support	Yes	Limited	Per-game
Resource Usage	Moderate	Moderate	Low (Panel)
Multi-server	Manual	Manual	Yes (50+ games)

💬 Communication Containers

Mattermost ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: Very High

Mattermost is an open-source, self-hostable alternative to Slack.

Docker image: mattermost/mattermost-team-edition

Rocket.Chat

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: Medium

Rocket.Chat is a free and open-source team communication platform.

Docker image: rocket.chat

Jitsi Meet ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🔴 High | Popularity: High

Jitsi Meet is a fully encrypted, open-source video conferencing solution.

Docker image: jitsi/web

Matrix Synapse

Difficulty: 🔴 Advanced | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: Medium

Matrix Synapse is the reference homeserver for the Matrix decentralized communication protocol.

Docker image: matrixdotorg/synapse

Comparison Table

Feature	Mattermost	Rocket.Chat	Jitsi Meet	Matrix Synapse
Primary Focus	Team Chat	Team Chat	Video Conferencing	Decentralized Communication
Video Calls	Via plugins	Built-in	Built-in	Via clients
E2E Encryption	Enterprise only	Optional	Yes	Yes
Federation	No	No	No	Yes

📄 Document Management Containers

Paperless-ngx ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: Very High

Paperless-ngx is the community-maintained fork of Paperless-ng, actively developed and the recommended choice for document management.

Key features:

OCR for scanned documents
Automatic tagging and classification with ML
Full-text search
Mobile-friendly web interface
Email consumption for automatic document import

Docker image: ghcr.io/paperless-ngx/paperless-ngx

🌐 Web Hosting Containers

WordPress ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: Very High

WordPress is the world’s most popular content management system.

Docker image: wordpress

Ghost ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: High

Ghost is a modern, open-source publishing platform designed for creating professional publications and newsletters.

Docker image: ghost

Comparison Table

Feature	WordPress	Ghost
Ease of Use	High	High
Customizability	High	Medium
Performance	Good	Excellent
Plugin Ecosystem	Extensive	Limited
Best For	General-purpose	Blogging, Publications

🏠 Personal Dashboard Containers

Homepage ⭐

Difficulty: 🟢 Beginner | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Very High

Homepage is a modern, highly customizable dashboard with deep integration with Docker and popular services.

Key features:

Docker integration with automatic service discovery via labels
Native widgets for 100+ services
Real-time service status and statistics
YAML-based configuration

Docker image: ghcr.io/gethomepage/homepage

Heimdall ⭐

Difficulty: 🟢 Beginner | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: High

Heimdall is a sleek, customizable application dashboard.

Docker image: linuxserver/heimdall

Organizr

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Medium

Organizr is a PHP-based dashboard with a focus on media server management.

Docker image: organizr/organizr

Homer ⭐

Difficulty: 🟢 Beginner | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: High

Homer is a simple, lightweight, and highly customizable static dashboard.

Docker image: b4bz/homer

Comparison Table

Feature	Homepage	Heimdall	Organizr	Homer
Interface	Modern, widget-based	Modern, tile-based	Tabbed	Static, customizable
Docker Integration	Excellent (labels)	No	No	No
Service Widgets	100+ native	Limited	Yes	No
Real-time Stats	Yes	No	Limited	No

📰 RSS Feed Containers

FreshRSS ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Very High

FreshRSS is a free, self-hostable RSS feed aggregator.

Docker image: linuxserver/freshrss

Tiny Tiny RSS

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Medium

Tiny Tiny RSS is a free and open-source web-based news feed reader.

Docker image: linuxserver/tt-rss

Miniflux ⭐

Difficulty: 🟢 Beginner | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: High

Miniflux is a minimalist and opinionated feed reader.

Docker image: miniflux/miniflux

Comparison Table

Feature	FreshRSS	Tiny Tiny RSS	Miniflux
Interface	Clean, customizable	Customizable	Minimalist
Extensions/Plugins	Yes	Yes	No
Performance	Good	Good	Excellent

🌤️ Weather Monitoring Containers

Weewx

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Medium

Weewx is free, open-source weather station software.

Docker image: felddy/weewx

Meteobridge

Difficulty: 🔴 Advanced | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Low

Meteobridge is a commercial weather station data logger.

Docker image: acperez/meteobridge-docker (unofficial)

⏰ Time Tracking Containers

Kimai ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: High

Kimai is a free, open-source time-tracking application.

Docker image: kimai/kimai2

TimeTagger

Difficulty: 🟢 Beginner | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Medium

TimeTagger is a simple, open-source time tracking application.

Docker image: almarklein/timetagger

🔑 Password Management Containers

Passbolt

Difficulty: 🔴 Advanced | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: Medium

Passbolt is an open-source password manager designed for team collaboration.

Docker image: passbolt/passbolt

Vaultwarden (Bitwarden RS) ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟢 Low | Popularity: Very High

Vaultwarden is an unofficial Bitwarden server implementation written in Rust.

Docker image: vaultwarden/server

📞 VoIP Containers

Asterisk

Difficulty: 🔴 Advanced | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: Medium

Asterisk is a powerful, open-source framework for building VoIP systems.

Docker image: andrius/asterisk

FreePBX ⭐

Difficulty: 🟡 Intermediate | Performance Impact: 🟡 Medium | Popularity: High

FreePBX is a web-based open-source GUI that controls and manages Asterisk.

Docker image: tiredofit/freepbx

Best Practices for Managing Docker Containers

Container organization

Use meaningful container names and labels for easy identification
Group related containers using Docker Compose
Implement a consistent naming convention for volumes and networks
Use Docker networks to isolate container groups

Resource allocation

Set memory limits for each container to prevent memory exhaustion
Use CPU quotas to prevent a single container from monopolizing CPU resources
Monitor resource usage and adjust limits as needed

Security considerations

Keep Docker and container images up to date
Use official images from trusted sources
Implement the principle of least privilege (run containers as non-root users when possible)
Use secrets management for sensitive data (e.g., Docker secrets or environment variables)
Regularly scan your containers for vulnerabilities

Updating and maintenance

Set up automated updates for your containers (e.g., using Watchtower)
Implement a backup strategy for your container data and configurations
Regularly prune unused images, containers, and volumes to free up disk space
Monitor container logs for errors and issues

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Network connectivity problems

Check container network settings and verify port mappings
Inspect Docker networks: docker network ls
Use docker exec -it <container_name> ping <destination> to test connectivity
Check host firewall settings

Container conflicts

Check for port conflicts with docker ps
Ensure container names are unique
Address volume mount conflicts in your Docker Compose file
Use docker network prune to remove unused networks

Resource constraints

Monitor resource usage with docker stats
Adjust memory and CPU limits in your Docker Compose file
Check for memory leaks over time
Consider upgrading hardware if resource constraints persist

Conclusions

Recap of the best Docker containers for home servers

Essential Setup (8 containers):

Jellyfin, qBittorrent, Filebrowser, Homepage, CrowdSec, Pi-hole, Dockge, Beszel

Infrastructure & Management:

Dashboard: Homepage, Heimdall
Container Management: Dockge, Portainer
Reverse Proxy: Caddy, Nginx Proxy Manager, Traefik

Media Stack:

Media Server: Jellyfin or Plex
Automation: Sonarr, Radarr, Prowlarr, Bazarr
Requests: Overseerr/Jellyseerr

Security & Networking:

DNS/Ad Blocking: AdGuard Home or Pi-hole
VPN/Remote Access: Tailscale, WireGuard
Password Manager: Vaultwarden
SSO: Authentik or Authelia
IPS: CrowdSec

Productivity & Development:

File Sync: Nextcloud, Seafile, Syncthing
Documents: Paperless-ngx, Stirling PDF
Notes/Wiki: Bookstack, Docmost
IDE: Code-Server
Automation: n8n

Monitoring:

Uptime: Uptime Kuma
Resources: Beszel, Netdata

Key trends shaping home servers in 2026

AI Integration: Local LLMs via Ollama, workflow automation with AI capabilities in n8n
Zero Trust Security: CrowdSec, Authentik, and Tailscale
Simplified Remote Access: Tailscale and Cloudflare Tunnels replacing complex VPN setups
Container Orchestration Maturity: Dockge and improved Docker Compose
Open Source Forks: Valkey (Redis fork) and Paperless-ngx

Final thoughts and recommendations

Start with the essentials: Dockge, Homepage, Uptime Kuma, and Vaultwarden
Prioritize security: Implement Tailscale or Cloudflare Tunnel for remote access, CrowdSec for intrusion prevention
Invest in proper backups: Use Restic or Kopia with the 3-2-1 backup rule
Document everything: Use Bookstack or Docmost to document your setup
Join the community: Check toolhunt.net for discovering new self-hosted applications
Monitor resource usage: Use Beszel or Netdata to understand your actual resource needs
Embrace automation: Tools like n8n can connect your services and reduce manual maintenance

By leveraging Docker containers, you can create a powerful, flexible, and customized home server environment that caters to your specific needs while providing valuable learning opportunities in containerization, networking, and system administration.

Table of Contents

Setting Up Your Home Server

🛠️ Hardware Requirements

💿 Operating System & Network Considerations

🐳 Installing Docker

🚀 Getting Started - Essential Containers

Quick Start Docker Compose

📋 Container Categories

🎬 Media Management Containers

Plex ⭐

Jellyfin ⭐

Emby

Comparison Table

Sonarr ⭐

Radarr ⭐

Prowlarr ⭐

Bazarr ⭐

Overseerr ⭐

Jackett

Transmission

qBittorrent ⭐

📁 File Sharing and Sync Containers

Nextcloud ⭐

Syncthing ⭐

Seafile ⭐

RustFS ⭐

ownCloud

Filebrowser ⭐

SFTPGo

Comparison Table

🤖 AI Applications Containers

Ollama with OpenWebUI ⭐

Flowise ⭐

Langflow

Langfuse

LiteLLM

Comparison Table

🏠 Home Automation Containers

n8n ⭐

Home Assistant ⭐

Node-RED ⭐

Comparison Table

🌐 Network Management Containers

Pi-hole ⭐

AdGuard Home ⭐

Tailscale ⭐

NetBird

Cloudflare Tunnel ⭐

Unbound

Traefik ⭐

Nginx Proxy Manager ⭐

Caddy

Portainer ⭐

Dockge ⭐

Comparison Table

📊 Monitoring and Analytics Containers

Netdata ⭐

Uptime Kuma ⭐

Beszel

Comparison Table

🔐 Security and Privacy Containers

Vaultwarden (Bitwarden) ⭐

OpenVPN

WireGuard ⭐

Fail2Ban ⭐

CrowdSec ⭐

Authentik ⭐

Authelia

SearXNG ⭐

Comparison Table

📝 Productivity Containers

Notifuse

Bookstack ⭐

Joplin ⭐

Kanboard

Wekan

Docmost

Stirling PDF ⭐

IT-Tools ⭐

Documenso