HomeButler
Installs and manages a curated catalog of applications via Docker Compose, maps containers and exposed ports, verifies backups restore, and reports what changed since the last run with CLI, JSON, web and MCP interfaces.
Maintained, but at a slower pace than the leaders in its category.
Commit activity more than 22% of tracked projects; popularity more than 16%. How this is calculated.
Commits, last 11 months
| Stars | 292 |
|---|---|
| Latest release | v0.40.0 · 27 Sept 2026 |
| Repo updated | 27 Sept 2026 |
| Licence | MIT |
| Built with | Docker, Go |
Is HomeButler actively maintained?
HomeButler is under active development: 65 commits landed over the last 11 months, averaging roughly 20 commits a month in the most recent quarter.
Activity is accelerating: the last quarter carried 1425% more commits than the one before it.
The most recent tagged release, v0.40.0, shipped within the last month — a current, installable version exists today.
HomeButler ranks #12 of 28 in Self-hosting Solutions, placing it mid-table for maintenance activity.
What HomeButler actually does
HomeButler is a tool designed to install and manage curated software applications using Docker Compose. It tracks container mappings and exposed ports, tests whether backups can be successfully restored, and logs system changes through various interfaces including a command line, JSON outputs, a web interface, and an MCP setup.
Best fit: It suits administrators who want an automated way to handle containerised application catalogues and monitor changes across multiple local interfaces.
Worth knowing: With a relatively early release cycle and moderate community adoption, you may encounter edge cases or undocumented behaviours when managing complex multi-container stacks.
Deployment notes
Because the application relies on Docker and Go, you will typically need to mount persistent volumes for configuration data and ensure the Docker socket is accessible to the container.
Links
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