Watchtower vs Dockge: Different Docker Tools
⚠️ Watchtower is deprecated. The
containrrr/watchtowerrepository is archived and no longer maintained. Consider DIUN or What’s Up Docker as actively maintained alternatives. This comparison remains available for reference.
Quick Verdict
These are complementary tools. Dockge is a Docker Compose management UI for deploying and managing stacks. Watchtower is a background service that automatically updates running containers. You can use Dockge for management and add Watchtower for automated updates — but be aware that Watchtower’s auto-updates can conflict with Dockge’s version-pinned compose files.
Overview
Dockge is a web-based Docker Compose manager with a YAML editor, stack lifecycle controls, and container log viewing. Created by the Uptime Kuma developer. Current version: 1.5.0 (last release March 2025).
Watchtower is a background service that monitors running containers, pulls new image versions, and recreates containers automatically. Current version: v1.7.1 (last release November 2023, maintenance mode).
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Dockge v1.5 | Watchtower v1.7.1 |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Compose stack management | Auto-update containers |
| Interface | Web UI | Background daemon |
| Compose file editor | Yes | No |
| Stack start/stop/restart | Yes | No |
| Container logs | Yes | Own logs only |
| Auto-pull new images | No | Yes |
| Auto-recreate containers | No | Yes |
| Update notifications | No | Yes (email, Slack, etc.) |
| Old image cleanup | No | Yes |
| Per-container control | Via compose files | Via Docker labels |
| Scheduling | N/A | Cron expression |
| RAM usage | ~50-80 MB | ~15-20 MB |
The Version Pinning Conflict
There’s a practical tension between Dockge and Watchtower. Dockge encourages managing explicit Docker Compose files with pinned image versions (e.g., image: jellyfin/jellyfin:10.11.6). Watchtower pulls the latest image and recreates the container — but the compose file still says the old version. This creates a mismatch: the running container uses a newer image than what’s specified in the compose file.
If you use both: Consider either:
- Using Watchtower only for containers with
:latesttags (not version-pinned) - Using Watchtower’s
--monitor-onlymode to notify without applying updates, then updating the compose file in Dockge manually - Using Diun instead of Watchtower (notify-only approach avoids the conflict entirely)
Use Cases
Use Dockge For…
- Managing Docker Compose stacks through a web UI
- Editing compose files without SSH
- Starting, stopping, and rebuilding stacks
- Viewing container logs
Use Watchtower For…
- Automatically keeping containers up to date
- Getting notifications when containers are updated
- Cleaning up old Docker images
- Hands-off maintenance of self-hosted services
Use Both When…
- You want Dockge for management and Watchtower for update notifications (use
--monitor-onlymode to avoid the version pinning conflict).
Final Verdict
Dockge for management, Diun over Watchtower for update awareness. The combination of Dockge for stack management plus Diun for update notifications is a better pairing than Dockge + Watchtower, because Diun’s notify-only approach avoids the version pinning conflict entirely.
If you specifically want automatic updates (accepting the version mismatch risk), Dockge + Watchtower works — just be aware that Watchtower will update containers beyond what’s specified in your compose files.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Dockge have built-in update checking?
No. Dockge manages stacks but doesn’t monitor registries for new versions. Pair it with Diun for update notifications.
Can Watchtower update Dockge-managed containers?
Yes, but the compose file in Dockge won’t reflect the new version. The container runs the updated image while the compose file shows the old version. This can cause confusion if you later redeploy from the compose file.
Should I use Watchtower with pinned image versions?
Generally no. Watchtower works best with :latest tags. If you pin versions in compose files (good practice), use Diun for notifications and update the version in the compose file manually.
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