Watchtower vs Portainer: Different Docker Tools

⚠️ Watchtower is deprecated. The containrrr/watchtower repository is archived and no longer maintained.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 aren’t competing tools — they solve different problems. Portainer is a Docker management UI (create, manage, monitor containers). Watchtower is a container auto-updater (automatically pulls new images and recreates containers). Most self-hosters run both.

Overview

Portainer CE is a web-based Docker management platform. It provides a GUI for managing containers, images, volumes, networks, and stacks. It replaces the Docker CLI for day-to-day management tasks.

Watchtower is a single-purpose tool that monitors running containers and automatically updates them when new Docker images are available. It runs in the background, checks for updates on a schedule, and recreates containers with the new image.

Feature Comparison

Feature	Portainer	Watchtower
Primary purpose	Container management UI	Container auto-updates
Web interface	Full management panel	None (CLI/logs only)
Container creation	Yes	No
Container monitoring	Yes (stats, logs)	No
Image updates	Manual (pull + recreate)	Automatic
Update scheduling	N/A	Cron schedule or interval
Notification support	N/A	Email, Slack, Discord, etc.
Multi-host	Yes (agents)	Per-host only
Compose/stack management	Yes	No
User management/RBAC	Yes	N/A
Docker image	portainer/portainer-ce:2.33.7	containrrr/watchtower:1.7.1
RAM usage	~80-120 MB	~15-30 MB
Docker socket required	Yes	Yes

When to Use Each

Use Portainer When…

• You want a web UI to manage Docker containers
• You need to create, start, stop, or remove containers visually
• You want to view container logs and resource stats in a browser
• You manage multiple Docker hosts
• You need user accounts with role-based access

Use Watchtower When…

• You want containers to update automatically
• You don’t want to manually check for new image versions
• You want notifications when containers are updated
• You want a set-and-forget update solution

Run Both When…

• You want both visual management AND automatic updates (this is most people)

Installation

Portainer:

services:
  portainer:
    image: portainer/portainer-ce:2.33.7
    ports:
      - "9443:9443"
    volumes:
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
      - portainer-data:/data
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  portainer-data:

Watchtower:

services:
  watchtower:
    image: containrrr/watchtower:1.7.1
    volumes:
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
    environment:
      WATCHTOWER_SCHEDULE: "0 0 4 * * *"  # 4 AM daily
      WATCHTOWER_CLEANUP: "true"
    restart: unless-stopped

A Note on Watchtower’s Project Status

Watchtower’s last release was v1.7.1 in November 2023. The project is in maintenance mode — it works but isn’t actively developed. For a more actively maintained alternative that does update notifications (but not automatic updates), consider Diun. See our Watchtower vs Diun comparison.

Final Verdict

Run both. Portainer for managing your Docker environment through a browser. Watchtower (or Diun) for keeping container images up to date. They complement each other perfectly. If you only want one: Portainer is more broadly useful since container management is a daily need, while updates can be done manually through Portainer’s UI.

FAQ

Can Portainer update containers automatically like Watchtower?

No. Portainer can pull new images and recreate containers, but you must do it manually through the UI. It doesn’t have an auto-update feature. You need Watchtower or a similar tool for automated updates.

Does Watchtower update Portainer itself?

Yes. Watchtower updates any running container, including itself and Portainer. It pulls the new image, stops the container, recreates it with the same settings, and starts the new version.

Should I worry about Watchtower auto-updating breaking things?

Yes — automatic updates can break applications if a new version has breaking changes. Use Watchtower’s label system to exclude critical containers: add com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable: "false" to containers you want to update manually. Or use Diun for notifications-only (no auto-update).

Can I use Diun instead of Watchtower with Portainer?

Diun only notifies you about available updates — it doesn’t automatically apply them. You’d then use Portainer to manually pull the new image and recreate the container. This is a safer workflow for critical services.

Related

• How to Self-Host Portainer
• How to Self-Host Watchtower
• How to Self-Host Diun
• Watchtower vs Diun
• Portainer vs Dockge
• Best Docker Management Tools
• Docker Compose Basics