Portainer vs Lazydocker: Which Docker UI?
Quick Verdict
These are different tools for different workflows. Portainer is a full-featured web UI for managing Docker remotely from a browser. Lazydocker is a lightweight terminal UI for quick container monitoring over SSH. Use Portainer if you want a web dashboard, multi-host management, or team access control. Use Lazydocker if you live in the terminal and want instant Docker visibility without opening a browser. Many self-hosters run both — they complement each other perfectly.
Overview
Portainer CE (v2.33.7) is the most widely deployed Docker management UI. It is a Go application serving a web-based dashboard that covers the full Docker API surface: containers, images, volumes, networks, Compose stacks, Swarm services, and Kubernetes workloads. It includes user management, app templates, webhook-based redeployment, and agent-based multi-host management. Portainer runs as a Docker container with the socket mounted, exposing its HTTPS web UI on port 9443. It has been actively developed since 2016 and is backed by a commercial company (Portainer.io).
Lazydocker (v0.24.4) is a terminal UI (TUI) for Docker written in Go by Jesse Duffield, the developer behind lazygit. It provides a keyboard-driven dashboard in your terminal that shows containers, images, volumes, logs, and resource stats at a glance. Lazydocker is a standalone binary — not a long-running service. You SSH into your server, type lazydocker, get your overview, take action, and exit. No web UI, no ports exposed, no Docker socket accessible over the network.
The fundamental difference: Portainer is a running service you access from a browser. Lazydocker is a CLI tool you invoke when you need it.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Portainer CE (v2.33.7) | Lazydocker (v0.24.4) |
|---|---|---|
| Interface type | Web UI (browser) | Terminal UI (TUI) |
| Remote access | Browser — access from any device on the network | SSH only — requires terminal access to the server |
| Multi-host management | Yes, via Agent or Edge Agent | Via Docker contexts only (one host at a time) |
| Container management (start/stop/restart/remove) | Yes, full lifecycle | Yes, keyboard shortcuts |
| Image management (pull/remove/prune) | Yes | Remove and prune only — cannot pull new images |
| Volume management | Yes (create, remove, browse) | View and remove |
| Network management | Yes (create, remove, connect/disconnect) | View only |
| Stack/Compose deployment | Yes — web editor, upload, or Git repo | No — monitors existing containers, does not deploy |
| User management / RBAC | Admin, standard users, teams | None — single-user tool |
| Resource monitoring | Container stats in the dashboard | Live CPU/memory graphs per container |
| Log viewing | Web-based log viewer with search | Terminal-based log viewer with follow mode |
| App templates / marketplace | Yes — built-in one-click templates | No |
| Resource overhead | ~100 MB RAM (always running) | ~10-20 MB RAM (only while open) |
Installation Complexity
Portainer deploys as a Docker container:
services:
portainer:
image: portainer/portainer-ce:2.33.7
container_name: portainer
restart: unless-stopped
ports:
- "9443:9443"
volumes:
- /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
- portainer_data:/data
volumes:
portainer_data:Start it and navigate to https://your-server:9443. Create your admin account immediately — Portainer locks the instance if you wait too long.
Lazydocker is a single binary download:
curl -fsSL https://github.com/jesseduffield/lazydocker/releases/download/v0.24.4/lazydocker_0.24.4_Linux_x86_64.tar.gz | tar xz -C /usr/local/bin lazydockerThat is the entire installation. Run lazydocker from any terminal session. No Docker Compose file, no configuration, no ports to open, no volumes to mount.
Lazydocker can also run as a container (lazyteam/lazydocker:v0.24.4), but that defeats its main advantage — instant access from any SSH session without starting a service first.
Winner: Lazydocker. A single curl | tar command versus a Compose file, container startup, and web UI initialization. Portainer’s installation is straightforward, but Lazydocker’s is trivial.
Performance and Resource Usage
| Metric | Portainer CE | Lazydocker |
|---|---|---|
| Idle RAM | ~100 MB | 0 MB (not running until invoked) |
| Active RAM | ~100-200 MB | ~10-20 MB |
| Disk footprint | ~200 MB (image + database) | ~15 MB (binary) |
| Always running | Yes — container runs 24/7 | No — starts and stops on demand |
| Network exposure | Port 9443 (HTTPS) exposed | None — runs in the terminal |
| Docker socket exposure | Mounted inside a networked container | Accessed locally via the binary |
The resource comparison is stark. Portainer runs continuously as a Docker container, consuming ~100 MB of RAM even when nobody is looking at the dashboard. Lazydocker consumes zero resources when you are not using it and ~15 MB while active. On a Raspberry Pi 4 with 2 GB RAM, Portainer’s 100 MB overhead is 5% of your total memory. Lazydocker’s footprint is negligible.
The security posture is also different. Portainer exposes the Docker socket through a web-accessible container — if someone gains access to Portainer, they have root-equivalent control over your Docker host. Lazydocker accesses the Docker socket as a local process, only reachable via SSH. There is no network attack surface.
Winner: Lazydocker. Zero idle overhead, minimal active footprint, no network exposure.
Community and Support
| Metric | Portainer CE | Lazydocker |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ~32,000 | ~39,000 |
| First release | 2016 | 2019 |
| Release cadence | Monthly | Infrequent (stable, feature-complete) |
| License | Zlib (CE), proprietary (Business Edition) | MIT |
| Documentation | Comprehensive official docs site | GitHub README |
| Creator | Portainer.io (commercial company) | Jesse Duffield (also lazygit) |
| Funding | Venture-backed company | Community open-source |
Portainer has the enterprise ecosystem advantage. Ten years of development, a commercial company behind it, extensive documentation, community forums, and enterprise support options. If you hit a problem, someone has written about it.
Lazydocker has higher GitHub stars but a smaller ecosystem. The project is mature and stable — Jesse Duffield’s focus has shifted to lazygit, and Lazydocker releases are infrequent because the tool is essentially feature-complete. Documentation is limited to the GitHub README, which is sufficient since the tool is simple enough to learn in five minutes.
Winner: Portainer. Better documentation, active commercial development, larger support ecosystem. Lazydocker’s simplicity means you rarely need support, though.
Use Cases
Choose Portainer If…
- You want a web dashboard accessible from any device on your network
- You manage Docker across multiple remote hosts (Agent/Edge Agent)
- You need user accounts and access control for a team or shared homelab
- You want to deploy Compose stacks, manage images, and create networks from a GUI
- You want built-in app templates for quick service deployments
- You need webhook-based automated redeployment from CI/CD
- You want a persistent monitoring dashboard that is always available
- You manage Docker Swarm or Kubernetes workloads
Choose Lazydocker If…
- You live in the terminal and prefer keyboard-driven workflows
- You SSH into your servers and want instant Docker visibility
- You prioritize minimal resource usage (Raspberry Pi, low-end VPS)
- You are security-conscious and do not want the Docker socket exposed to a web-accessible service
- You want a quick monitoring tool, not a full management platform
- You manage a single server and do not need multi-host orchestration
- You want zero maintenance — a binary with no updates, no database, no persistent state
- You already use lazygit and want a consistent terminal workflow
Final Verdict
Portainer and Lazydocker are not competitors — they are complementary tools that serve different interaction models.
Portainer is the right choice when you need a persistent web dashboard. Multi-host management, user access control, Compose stack deployment, image management, app templates — Portainer covers the full Docker management surface. If you have a homelab with multiple servers or share Docker access with other people, Portainer is the standard tool.
Lazydocker is the right choice when you want quick, lightweight Docker visibility from the terminal. SSH into a server, type lazydocker, see everything at a glance, take action, exit. No browser, no ports, no overhead. It is the fastest way to check container status, tail logs, and restart a misbehaving service.
The practical recommendation: install both. Run Portainer as your always-on dashboard for web-based management and deploy Lazydocker as a binary on every server for quick SSH-based monitoring. The combined resource cost is minimal (~100 MB for Portainer plus ~15 MB binary on disk for Lazydocker), and you get the best of both worlds — a web UI when you want convenience and a terminal UI when you want speed.
If you can only pick one: choose Portainer if you value remote browser access and multi-host management. Choose Lazydocker if you value terminal speed and minimal resource usage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run Portainer and Lazydocker on the same server?
Yes. They do not conflict. Portainer runs as a Docker container on port 9443. Lazydocker is a local binary. Both read from the Docker socket independently. Lazydocker will show Portainer as one of the running containers.
Does Lazydocker expose any ports?
No. Lazydocker runs entirely in your terminal session. It accesses the Docker socket as a local process, the same way docker ps does. There is no web server, no listening port, and no network attack surface.
Can Lazydocker deploy new containers or Compose stacks?
No. Lazydocker manages existing containers — start, stop, restart, remove, view logs, inspect. For deploying new services, use Portainer, Dockge, or docker compose directly.
Is Lazydocker safe to use on production servers?
Yes. It is a read-only viewer by default — destructive actions (remove, prune) require confirmation. Since it runs as a local binary with no network exposure, it adds no attack surface. The same Docker socket permissions that let you run docker commands let you run Lazydocker.
Does Portainer have a terminal mode?
No. Portainer is web-only. You can open a container console through the Portainer web UI, but Portainer itself has no terminal interface. If you want a TUI, use Lazydocker or ctop.
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