ctop vs lazydocker
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted developer tools & git options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | ctop | lazydocker |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 27 · At risk | 85 · Excellent |
| Category | Developer Tools & Git | Developer Tools & Git |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | binary, docker | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 17,840 | ★ 52,939 |
| First released | 2017 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Docker Desktop | Docker Desktop |
What are ctop and lazydocker?
ctop
ctop is an open-source command-line tool that provides a concise, real-time overview of metrics for multiple containers. It works with Docker and runc to monitor self-hosted container hosts.
- Real-time container metrics
- Compact display
- Single-container drill-down
- Lightweight
lazydocker
lazydocker is an open-source terminal user interface for managing Docker containers, images, volumes, and Compose projects. It provides a fast keyboard-driven way to inspect self-hosted container stacks.
- Container management TUI
- Live logs and stats
- Compose project view
- Bulk actions
ctop vs lazydocker: key differences
Both projects are written in Go. Ctop is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 64 MB for lazydocker. Ctop is the more established project (first released 2017), while lazydocker arrived in 2019. Lazydocker has the considerably larger community, at 52,939 GitHub stars versus 17,840. Ctop lists first-class Docker deployment; lazydocker does not.
Why pick each one
Choose ctop if…
- Zero-config overview
- Single static binary
- Real-time metrics
Watch out for
- No historical data
- Terminal only
Choose lazydocker if…
- Fast keyboard-driven UI
- Single small binary
- Compose project support
Watch out for
- Terminal interface only
- No Kubernetes support
Frequently asked questions
Is ctop or lazydocker better?
Neither is universally better. lazydocker has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are ctop and lazydocker free and open-source?
Yes. ctop is licensed under MIT and lazydocker under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ctop and lazydocker with Docker?
ctop: yes. lazydocker: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, ctop or lazydocker?
ctop has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 64 MB for lazydocker. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.