Docker changed how software gets deployed. But for most people, "running a container" still means a terminal, a long docker run command, a forgotten port mapping, and a volume that did not persist. The technology is brilliant; the everyday experience is fiddly.
Panelica's Docker Manager exists to close that gap. It is a full, visual control surface for Docker built into the panel - and it ships with a curated library of more than 160 one-click application templates. This article is a complete, honest walkthrough: all nine tabs, every feature, and what those 160+ templates are actually for. As a modern cPanel alternative, this is one of the places Panelica pulls clearly ahead of the old guard.
The page at a glance
The Docker Manager is organised into nine tabs. The exact set you see depends on your role - a regular user gets the essentials, while an administrator sees everything - but here is the full layout:
We will start with the tab that makes the rest unnecessary for most people: App Templates.
The star of the show: 160+ App Templates
A template in Panelica is a pre-packaged recipe for a real application: the right Docker image, sensible default ports, the environment variables it needs, the volumes that keep its data safe, and a recommended minimum memory size. You do not assemble any of that - it is already done. You just choose, configure a couple of fields, and deploy.
The library is large - over 160 templates - so it is organised with a category sidebar on the left and a live search box on top. Type "word", filter to a category, or just browse. Popular apps are starred and float to the top.
What can you actually run? The 160+ templates by purpose
"160 templates" is just a number until you see what it covers. Here is the library grouped by what people use it for:
There is also a remarkable set of virtual desktop templates powered by Kasm: full graphical applications that run inside a container and stream to your browser. Containerised Chromium, Firefox, Brave and Tor Browser; creative tools like GIMP, Blender, Inkscape and Audacity; office suites; developer desktops; an entire OSINT and security research toolkit; even retro games. Each one is a disposable, isolated workspace that lives only as long as you need it.
The deploy form - guided, not guesswork
Click any template and a deploy dialog opens. It is the only screen between you and a running app, and it is built to stop mistakes before they happen:
Every field on that form is doing real work:
- Live name check. As you type the container name, Panelica checks it against existing containers and shows a green tick or a "taken" warning instantly.
- Port conflict detection. The panel knows which ports are already used and which are reserved by core panel services. Pick a clashing port and it tells you immediately - no silent failure after deploy.
- Secret-aware environment variables. Passwords and keys are masked behind a show/hide toggle. Required fields are marked, and an empty password is auto-generated rather than left blank.
- Resource limits. Set a memory ceiling and a CPU percentage so one container can never starve the rest of the server.
- Owner selection. Administrators can deploy a container on behalf of a specific user, and the container is tagged and isolated to that account.
- Auto-start and background deploy. The deploy runs as a background job, so you can keep working while the image pulls.
When it finishes, a success dialog hands you everything you need: the access URL, any generated login credentials, and post-install notes - all copy-to-clipboard. Those credentials are also saved locally so you can look them up again later. There is no "now SSH in and find the admin password" step.
Overview - your container dashboard
The Overview tab is the landing page. Four summary cards show the numbers that matter, and a live table lists every running container with quick controls:
The running-containers table shows each container's name, image, owner, any linked domain as a clickable link, its ports, and its state - with stop, restart, and logs buttons right there. Below it sit quick-action buttons to create a container, pull an image, or run a system prune to reclaim disk space. It is the whole health of your Docker host on one screen.
Containers - full lifecycle control
The Containers tab is the detailed management view. Search by name, filter by state (running, stopped, paused, created), and act on containers individually or in bulk - stop all running, start all stopped, restart all, or delete everything, each with a clear confirmation that lists the consequences.
Each container row carries its state, its owner (administrators see who it belongs to), its linked domain, its ports, and a resource summary of networks and volumes. The action menu is where the depth shows:
| Action | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| Terminal | A real interactive shell inside the container, right in the browser - with an optional "exec as root" mode for administrators. |
| File Manager | Browse, upload, and edit files inside the container's filesystem - no terminal needed. |
| Logs | Live container output for debugging what an app is doing. |
| Link / Unlink Domain | Connect the container to a domain or subdomain and Panelica puts a reverse proxy in front of it automatically. |
| Clone | Duplicate a container's configuration to spin up a staging or test copy. |
| Pause / Resume / Delete | The rest of the lifecycle - freeze a container, wake it, or remove it cleanly. |
app.yourdomain.com, and Panelica generates the reverse proxy configuration for you. The container stays on its internal port; visitors just see a clean domain over HTTPS. This is exactly the kind of "connect the pieces" job that normally costs an afternoon.
Images - your local image library
The Images tab lists every Docker image stored on the server, with summary badges for how many are in use, unused, or dangling (leftover layers from rebuilds), plus the total disk they occupy. You can search, pull new images by name, and clean up the unused ones - keeping the host lean without memorising prune commands.
Docker Hub - search and pull, with a live progress log
When a template does not cover what you need, the Docker Hub tab searches the entire public registry from inside the panel. Results are tagged Official, Automated, or Community and show star counts, so you can judge what you are about to run. There is also a curated "popular images" list to browse.
Press Pull and a live progress log streams the download layer by layer - the same output you would see in a terminal, rendered in the browser:
Volumes - where your data lives
Containers are disposable; volumes are not. This tab lists every Docker volume with its driver, mount point, size, and exactly which containers use it. Unused volumes are highlighted in amber so abandoned data does not pile up unnoticed.
You can create a volume, prune unused ones, or - importantly - browse a volume's files directly. A volume that is in use is protected from deletion, so you cannot wipe a database's data with a stray click.
Networks - how containers talk to each other
The Networks tab manages Docker networks - the private wiring that lets containers reach each other (an app talking to its database, for example) without exposing ports to the outside world. Summary badges separate built-in networks from the ones you created, and each row shows the driver, subnet, attached containers, and scope. Create custom networks, prune the empty ones, and built-in networks are protected from deletion.
Stacks - backup and restore whole applications
A real application is often several containers, their volumes, and their network working together. The Stacks tab treats that whole unit as one thing: it lets you back up and restore a complete stack - configuration and data together. It is your safety net before a risky change, and your migration tool when you move an app to another server.
Settings - the engine, in plain sight
The Settings tab is the reference panel. Quick-stat cards summarise containers, images, volumes, and total disk usage, and a detail table reports the Docker engine itself - version, API version, Compose version, host OS, architecture, kernel, storage driver, root directory, and whether memory and swap limits are supported. A resource summary breaks down running, stopped, and paused counts. Everything you would otherwise gather with docker info, on one page.
The things that run underneath
Three features are not tabs of their own but run through the whole Docker Manager, and they are what make it safe to use on a shared or production server:
- Per-user ownership and isolation. Every container is tagged with the account that owns it. Administrators see and manage everything; a regular user sees only their own containers. Combined with resource limits, this makes it genuinely safe to let multiple people share one Docker host.
- In-browser terminal and file manager. Full shell access and a file browser per container - the power of the command line, without leaving the panel or opening an SSH session.
- Domain linking with automatic reverse proxy. The bridge between "a container on a port" and "a website on a domain", handled for you.
How this compares
If you are weighing Panelica against the traditional options - and most people arrive looking for a cPanel alternative or a Plesk alternative - Docker is a clear point of difference:
| Capability | Typical cPanel / Plesk approach | Panelica |
|---|---|---|
| Docker support | An add-on or extension, often limited | Built in, nine-tab full manager |
| App catalogue | A handful of scripted installers | 160+ one-click container templates |
| Container terminal & files | SSH yourself in | In-browser, per container |
| Domain to container | Manual reverse proxy config | One-click link, proxy auto-generated |
| Multi-user isolation | Rare for containers | Per-user ownership + resource limits |
| Stack backup | Not available | Full stack backup & restore |
Whether you are a hosting reseller offering app deployments to clients, a developer running side projects on a single VPS, an agency standing up a staging environment, or a home-lab tinkerer collecting self-hosted tools - the Docker Manager turns "I should containerise that" from a chore into a click.
In summary
Panelica's Docker Manager is nine tabs with one purpose: make containers something you use, not something you fight. Overview shows health, App Templates deploys 160+ apps in a click, Containers gives full lifecycle control with browser terminals and file managers, Images and Docker Hub handle the image library, Volumes and Networks manage data and wiring, Stacks backs up whole applications, and Settings reports the engine.
The next time you think "I'd like to run that app" - a blog, a database, a monitoring stack, an automation engine, a self-hosted Git server - the answer is no longer a tutorial and a terminal. It is the App Templates tab, a short form, and a Deploy button.