Hostinger Docker Manager Guide (2026)

Hostinger’s Docker Manager lets you deploy and manage Docker containers on your VPS from a visual dashboard instead of the command line. You can paste a Compose file, deploy from a Git URL, or install ready-made apps from a catalog — no manual YAML wiring required for the common cases.

This guide covers accessing Docker Manager, the three deployment methods, managing running projects (logs, updates, restarts), publishing apps behind a reverse proxy, and fixing the most common problems. It assumes you already have a Hostinger VPS; if you are still choosing one, see our VPS comparisons and current VPS pricing.

What Docker Manager is (and is not)

Docker Manager is a panel inside your VPS dashboard that wraps Docker and Docker Compose in a point-and-click interface. It handles the repetitive parts — creating projects, pulling images, wiring networks, setting restart policies — while still letting you drop to the terminal whenever you want full control.

What it does not do: it does not replace Docker knowledge entirely. You still need to understand what a container, image, port, and volume are, especially when something fails. Think of it as training wheels that stay useful long after you learn to ride.

Prerequisites

• A Hostinger VPS with a Docker-ready setup. If your VPS was not provisioned with Docker, go to OS & Panel → Operating System in the VPS dashboard and switch to Ubuntu with Docker.
• A Docker Compose file or a URL to one, if you plan to deploy manually. For catalog apps you need nothing in advance.

Step 1 – Open Docker Manager

1. Log in to your Hostinger dashboard, go to VPS, and click Manage on your server.
2. Click Docker Manager in the left sidebar.
3. Click the Compose button to see the three deployment options: Compose manually, Compose from URL, and One click deploy.

Step 2 – Pick a deployment method

Option A – One click deploy (easiest)

Choose this when you want a known application — n8n, Ollama, OpenClaw, Hermes Agent, WordPress, databases, and many more. Clicking it takes you to the VPS application catalog, where you pick the app, fill in any required settings (like an admin username and password), and hit Deploy. Hostinger pulls the images, configures the container, and starts it, usually within a couple of minutes. This is the method our n8n install tutorial uses.

Option B – Compose from URL

Choose this when a project publishes a ready-made docker-compose.yml on GitHub or GitLab. Paste the direct link to the Compose file into the URL field and deploy. Docker Manager fetches the file and builds the project from it. Handy for deploying exact setups recommended by a project’s documentation.

Option C – Compose manually

Choose this when you want full control. Paste or write your Compose YAML directly into the editor. A minimal example that runs the classic test web server:

services:
  web:
    image: nginx:alpine
    ports:
      - "8080:80"
    restart: unless-stopped

Deploy, then open http://YOUR-VPS-IP:8080 to see the Nginx welcome page. Replace the image and ports with your real application when you are ready.

Step 3 – Manage your projects

After deploying, your app appears under Docker Manager → Projects. From a project’s view you can:

• Check status: each project shows whether its containers are running, stopped, or errored.
• View logs: open the logs directly in the dashboard for debugging — far faster than SSHing in to run docker logs for a first look.
• Restart: restart the project’s containers after a config change.
• Update: when new image versions are available, update the project to pull them and recreate the containers.
• Open: some templates (like Hermes Agent) provide an Open button that launches the app’s interface or CLI.
• Remove: delete the project when you are done. Note whether you also need to remove its volumes — deleting a project does not always delete its stored data.

Publishing apps on your own domain

By default, container apps are reachable at http://YOUR-VPS-IP:PORT. For anything beyond testing, put them behind a reverse proxy with your own domain:

1. Point your domain’s A record at the VPS IP address and wait for DNS to propagate.
2. Catalog deployments on Hostinger typically include Traefik as a reverse proxy, which can route multiple apps on one VPS to different domains or subdomains.
3. Configure the proxy rules for your project so traffic to your domain reaches the right container and port.
4. Secure it with HTTPS — Traefik-based setups can obtain free certificates automatically once the domain resolves to the server.

You can run several isolated projects on one VPS this way — for example, n8n on one subdomain and a personal dashboard on another — which is one of the main reasons to learn Docker Manager instead of installing everything directly on the OS.

Good habits for Docker Manager users

• Snapshot before big changes. Take a VPS snapshot before updating images, changing Compose files, or experimenting. Rollback beats rebuilding.
• Keep secrets in environment variables, not pasted into chat logs or screenshots. Catalog deployments ask for these at deploy time for exactly this reason.
• Do not edit files inside running containers to “fix” things — changes vanish on the next update. Fix the Compose file or environment variables instead.
• Watch disk space. Old images pile up. Prune unused images periodically from the terminal with docker image prune if disk usage creeps up.
• Update regularly. Check projects for available image updates monthly; updates include security fixes.

Troubleshooting

Container shows as errored right after deploy. Open the project logs first — nine times out of ten the log names the problem: a missing environment variable, a port already in use, or an invalid Compose file. Fix the cause and redeploy rather than restarting blindly.

Port already in use. Two projects cannot bind the same host port. Change one project’s published port (e.g. 8081:80 instead of 8080:80) or stop the conflicting project.

App works on IP:port but not on the domain. This is almost always DNS (A record not propagated yet) or a missing proxy rule. Verify DNS with a lookup tool, wait out propagation, then check the reverse proxy configuration.

Compose from URL fails. Confirm the URL points to the raw Compose file (raw.githubusercontent.com, not the GitHub web page), and that the file is valid YAML.

Docker Manager itself is missing from the sidebar. Your VPS likely is not on a Docker-ready OS. Switch via OS & Panel → Operating System to Ubuntu with Docker — note this replaces the server’s OS, so only do it on a fresh VPS or after a backup.

FAQ

Is Docker Manager free with a Hostinger VPS?

Yes. Docker Manager is included in the VPS dashboard at no extra cost — you only pay for the VPS plan itself. There are no per-container fees.

Do I need to know Docker to use Docker Manager?

Not for catalog deployments — those are genuinely click-and-deploy. For manual Compose projects, basic familiarity with images, ports, and volumes helps a lot, especially when troubleshooting.

Can I still use the terminal alongside Docker Manager?

Yes. Docker Manager is a layer on top of standard Docker and Compose, so SSH commands like docker ps and docker compose logs work normally on the same projects.

How is Docker Manager different from Coolify?

Docker Manager is Hostinger’s lightweight panel for deploying and managing containers. Coolify is a separate open-source platform you install yourself that adds Git-based deployments, team features, and automatic SSL — see our Coolify install guide if you want that workflow.