ctop
A top-style terminal dashboard showing live CPU, memory and other metrics for running containers.
- Stars
- 17.8k
- Forks
- 594
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- Go
- Last update
- 2.3 years ago
- Type
- CLI
No commits in over a year — check for forks or alternatives before adopting.
What it is
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.
- Watch CPU and memory use across all running containers in one terminal screen
- Filter and sort containers to find the one using the most resources
- Open the single container view to inspect one container in detail
- View a container's logs or open a shell inside it using keybindings
Great for
- 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
Not ideal for
- 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
How to get it
- 1
Download the app
You'll need: Docker or runC on the host, so there are containers to monitor
Install with Homebrew (macOS)
brew install ctopInstall with scoop (Windows)
scoop install ctopRun via Docker
docker run --rm -ti --name=ctop --volume /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro quay.io/vektorlab/ctop:latest - 2
Run it
- Install ctop using one of the methods in the README, or run it with Docker
- Make sure Docker has some containers running
- Run ctop in your terminal; it requires no arguments
- Press h for the help dialog and q to quit
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Press S to save your current filters, sort field and other options to a config file so they load next time
- Use the -a flag or the a key to show non-running containers as well
- Use -f to set an initial filter string when starting
- Press l to view container logs and e to open a shell in a container
- Press c to configure which columns are shown
Downloads
Strengths
- 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
Trade-offs
- 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
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ctop (this) | 17.8k | CLI | beginner | 2.3 years ago | Developers running several Docker containers locally who want a quick overview of resource use |
| lazydocker | 53.2k | Dev tool | beginner | 7 months ago | Developers who run several Docker containers or compose services locally |
| bottom | 14.1k | CLI | beginner | 4 days ago | People who like watching system activity from a terminal instead of a graphical window |
| dokku | 32.2k | App | intermediate | 4 days ago | Developers who want Heroku-style deployment on a server they control |
| colima | 31.5k | Dev tool | beginner | 23 days ago | Mac developers who want Docker containers without Docker Desktop |
| neofetch | 23.6k | CLI | beginner | 2.3 years ago | People who want a quick, good-looking system summary to share in screenshots |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.