ctop vs lazydocker
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A top-style terminal dashboard showing live CPU, memory and other metrics for running containers.
Open source · MIT
A terminal UI for managing Docker containers and docker-compose projects.
The short answer
Choose ctop if you need…
- Developers running several Docker containers locally who want a quick overview of resource use
- Operators who prefer a terminal tool over a web dashboard for checking container health
- People who want to view container logs or open a shell in a container from one screen
Choose lazydocker if you need…
- Developers who run several Docker containers or compose services locally
- People who prefer working in the terminal over a graphical app
- Users who want a quick overview of container state and logs in one place
Side-by-side
| ctop | lazydocker | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | CLI | Dev tool |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 17.8k | 53.2k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Beginner |
| How you get it | Download the app | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | Go | Go |
| Last code update | 2 years ago | 7 months ago |
What each one is
ctop
ctop is a command-line program that shows real-time resource metrics for many containers at once, in a layout similar to the Linux top command. It can also open a single-container view to inspect one container more closely. It works with Docker and runC, and the README says support for other container systems is planned.
lazydocker
lazydocker is a terminal user interface (TUI) that wraps both docker and docker-compose in one screen, so you can view and manage containers, images, and services without typing every command. It is written in Go using the gocui library. People use it to see what is running and act on it quickly from the keyboard.
Best for
ctop
- Developers running several Docker containers locally who want a quick overview of resource use
- Operators who prefer a terminal tool over a web dashboard for checking container health
- People who want to view container logs or open a shell in a container from one screen
lazydocker
- Developers who run several Docker containers or compose services locally
- People who prefer working in the terminal over a graphical app
- Users who want a quick overview of container state and logs in one place
Strengths
ctop
- Gives a condensed, real-time overview of many containers at once
- Simple to start: it needs no arguments and uses Docker host variables by default
- Keyboard-driven, with a config file that saves your preferred view settings
lazydocker
- Combines docker and docker-compose management in one terminal interface
- Written in Go and distributed as release binaries for several platforms
- Released under the MIT license, which permits free use and modification
Not ideal for
ctop
- Users who need long-term metric history or alerting, since the README describes only live views
- Users of container platforms other than Docker or runC, because other connectors are only planned
- Users who need a graphical web interface
lazydocker
- People who do not use Docker or docker-compose, since it only manages those tools
- Users who need a graphical desktop interface, because it runs entirely in the terminal
- Teams needing a hosted or multi-user management dashboard, since the README describes a local tool
Trade-offs
ctop
- Only Docker and runC are supported according to the README; other systems are future plans
- Only live metrics are described, so history must come from other tools
- The README is truncated, so some details of platform support are not confirmed here
lazydocker
- Requires a terminal and some familiarity with Docker concepts to use it well
- The README provided is truncated, so the full feature list could not be verified here
- Much of the README is sponsor content, so less technical detail is available
Getting started
ctop
Install with Homebrew (macOS)
brew install ctopInstall with scoop (Windows)
scoop install ctoplazydocker
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/jesseduffield/lazydockerFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between ctop and lazydocker?
ctop: A top-style terminal dashboard showing live CPU, memory and other metrics for running containers. lazydocker: A terminal UI for managing Docker containers and docker-compose projects. ctop suits developers running several docker containers locally who want a quick overview of resource use, while lazydocker suits developers who run several docker containers or compose services locally.
Are ctop and lazydocker free?
ctop: Free and open source. lazydocker: Free and open source.
Is ctop or lazydocker more popular?
lazydocker has more GitHub stars (53.2k) than ctop (17.8k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to ctop and lazydocker?
Other options people compare them with include bottom, lazygit.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.