lazydocker vs lazygit
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 terminal UI for managing Docker containers and docker-compose projects.
Open source · MIT
A simple terminal interface for working with git commands.
Our verdict
lazydocker and lazygit solve different problems, so the choice depends on what you manage rather than which is better. lazydocker is a terminal screen for seeing and controlling Docker containers and docker-compose services, including logs. lazygit is a terminal screen for working with git, the tool that tracks changes to code, letting you stage, commit, and push with keyboard panels. Both are free, open source, MIT licensed, and written in Go.
Pick lazydocker if you run several Docker containers or docker-compose services locally and want to check their status and logs from one terminal screen.
Pick lazygit if you already use git and want a faster, keyboard-driven way to review changes, commit, and push from the terminal.
| Key difference | lazydocker | lazygit |
|---|---|---|
| What it manages | Docker containers, images, and docker-compose services | Git repositories: status, staging, commits, pushes |
| Best at | Quick overview of running containers and their logs | Speeding up everyday git actions without typing full commands |
| Needs to know | Docker and docker-compose concepts | Git basics before the tool is useful |
| Setup | Beginner difficulty; install with a package manager | Beginner difficulty; install with a package manager |
| Community size | About 53.2k GitHub stars | About 83.5k GitHub stars |
Written with AI from both products' catalogue entries · updated 2026-10-29
Who each one is for
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
Choose lazygit if you need…
- Developers who already use git from the command line and want a faster overview of their repository
- People who prefer working inside a terminal rather than a graphical app
- Users who want to stage, commit, and push changes without memorizing every git flag
Side-by-side
| lazydocker | lazygit | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Dev tool | CLI |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 53.2k | 83.6k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Beginner |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | Go | Go |
| Last code update | 7 months ago | 5 days ago |
What each one is
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.
lazygit
Lazygit is a terminal user interface (TUI) for git, the version control system used to track changes in code. Instead of typing git commands one by one, you use keyboard-driven panels to view status, stage changes, commit, and push. The README describes it simply as a terminal UI for git commands.
Best for
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
lazygit
- Developers who already use git from the command line and want a faster overview of their repository
- People who prefer working inside a terminal rather than a graphical app
- Users who want to stage, commit, and push changes without memorizing every git flag
Strengths
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
lazygit
- Keyboard-driven panels make common git actions quicker to reach than typing full commands
- Free and open source under the MIT license
- Available as prebuilt binaries for Linux, Windows, and FreeBSD, according to the latest release assets
Not ideal for
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
lazygit
- People who are new to git and need to learn its concepts first, since the tool exposes git operations directly
- Users who need a graphical desktop app or work mainly in an IDE, because it runs only in a terminal
- Teams relying on hosting-platform workflows (pull requests, issues) that the README does not describe as supported
Trade-offs
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
lazygit
- Requires comfort with a terminal and a basic understanding of git
- The README is truncated here, so detailed feature coverage and limits could not be fully verified
- Its scope is git operations; it does not replace a full code editor or code review platform
Getting started
lazydocker
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/jesseduffield/lazydockerlazygit
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/jesseduffield/lazygitFrequently asked questions
Should I use lazydocker or lazygit?
lazydocker and lazygit solve different problems, so the choice depends on what you manage rather than which is better. lazydocker is a terminal screen for seeing and controlling Docker containers and docker-compose services, including logs. lazygit is a terminal screen for working with git, the tool that tracks changes to code, letting you stage, commit, and push with keyboard panels. Both are free, open source, MIT licensed, and written in Go. Pick lazydocker if you run several Docker containers or docker-compose services locally and want to check their status and logs from one terminal screen. Pick lazygit if you already use git and want a faster, keyboard-driven way to review changes, commit, and push from the terminal.
What is the difference between lazydocker and lazygit?
lazydocker: A terminal UI for managing Docker containers and docker-compose projects. lazygit: A simple terminal interface for working with git commands. lazydocker suits developers who run several docker containers or compose services locally, while lazygit suits developers who already use git from the command line and want a faster overview of their repository.
Are lazydocker and lazygit free?
lazydocker: Free and open source. lazygit: Free and open source.
Is lazydocker or lazygit more popular?
lazygit has more GitHub stars (83.6k) than lazydocker (53.2k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to lazydocker and lazygit?
Other options people compare them with include ctop, GitUI.
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.