Homarr with Docker Compose

What Homarr needs

Only figures Homarr's own documentation publishes, each linked to the page it is on. Where the project gives no number, this page does not invent one.

On top of this, Caddy (the reverse proxy in the file) is a single small container.

Which hardware Homarr has images for

Read from each image's manifest list in its registry (anonymous, read-only) when this page was built. An app counts for a CPU only if every one of its images lists it.

• x86-64 PC or NAS (linux/amd64): every image has a build.
• Raspberry Pi 4/5, 64-bit OS (linux/arm64): every image has a build.
• Raspberry Pi 3 or Zero 2 W, 32-bit OS (linux/arm/v7): no image for homarr. No image for this hardware; the builder leaves the app out.

A manifest says an image exists for a CPU, not how well Homarr runs on it: a build for arm64 or arm/v7 can still be too slow or need more memory than the board has. The RAM and disk Homarr publishes are in the table above and, for a whole set of apps against a Raspberry Pi, on Will it run on my machine?. A tag like latest can move to a new digest after the date checked.

docker-compose.yml

This is exactly what the builder writes for Homarr alone on example.org: the official definition with its published ports removed and Caddy added in front. Every ${VARIABLE} is defined in the .env below.

# docker-compose.yml built at dankhost.com for: Homarr
# Each app block is its official compose definition. Only the names were prefixed with
# the app slug (services, containers, volumes, bind folders, .env variables) so any set of
# apps can share one file; other differences are listed under "Changed:" in each block.
# Only Caddy publishes ports. Secrets live in .env next to this file.

services:
  # ---- Caddy: the one reverse proxy, HTTPS certificates from Let's Encrypt ----
  # Source: https://caddyserver.com/docs/running (checked 2026-09-23)
  # Source: https://github.com/dani-garcia/vaultwarden/wiki/Using-Docker-Compose (checked 2026-09-23)
  # Caddyfile goes in ./caddy/Caddyfile. Fixed address 172.30.0.2 so apps can trust it exactly.
  caddy:
    image: "caddy:2"
    container_name: "caddy"
    restart: "unless-stopped"
    ports:
      - "80:80"
      - "443:443"
      - "443:443/udp"
    volumes:
      - "./caddy:/etc/caddy"
      - "caddy-data:/data"
      - "caddy-config:/config"
    networks:
      proxy:
        ipv4_address: "172.30.0.2"

  # ---- Homarr (homarr.example.org) ----
  # Source: https://homarr.dev/docs/getting-started/installation/docker/ (checked 2026-09-29)
  # Source: https://github.com/homarr-labs/documentation/blob/master/src/components/pages/installation/docker/dynamic-docker-install.tsx (checked 2026-09-29)
  # Source: https://homarr.dev/docs/advanced/proxy/ (checked 2026-09-29)
  # Changed: Removed the documented '7575:7575' port; Caddy reaches homarr:7575, as in Homarr's own Caddy example, on the proxy network.
  #          Left out the Docker socket mount the file marks "Optional, only if you want docker integration": it would give Homarr control of Docker, the same power as root on this server. Add it back only if you want the Docker widgets.
  #          SECRET_ENCRYPTION_KEY is a random 64-character hex string generated in your browser, as the docs' page generates one; ./homarr/appdata becomes ./appdata (./homarr/appdata next to the compose file).
  homarr:
    image: "ghcr.io/homarr-labs/homarr:latest"
    container_name: "homarr"
    restart: "unless-stopped"
    volumes:
      - "./homarr/appdata:/appdata"
    environment:
      SECRET_ENCRYPTION_KEY: "${HOMARR_SECRET_ENCRYPTION_KEY}"
    networks:
      proxy: {}

networks:
  # Pinned so the trusted-proxy address given to each app (172.30.0.2) is exact.
  # If "docker compose up" reports "Pool overlaps", change 172.30.0 here, in Caddy's
  # ipv4_address and in every trusted-proxy value to a free 172.x.0 range.
  proxy:
    ipam:
      config:
        - subnet: "172.30.0.0/24"
          ip_range: "172.30.0.128/25"
          gateway: "172.30.0.1"

volumes:
  caddy-data:
  caddy-config:

Caddyfile save as caddy/Caddyfile

Caddy gets and renews the HTTPS certificate for homarr.example.org by itself once the DNS record points at your server and ports 80 and 443 reach it.

# Caddyfile built at dankhost.com. Save it as ./caddy/Caddyfile next to docker-compose.yml.
# Caddy gets and renews a Let's Encrypt certificate for each name below by itself,
# once the DNS records point at this server and ports 80 and 443 reach it.

# Homarr
homarr.example.org {
	reverse_proxy homarr:7575
}

Already running nginx, Nginx Proxy Manager, Caddy or Traefik? The reverse-proxy settings Homarr needs, for all four, each cited to Homarr's own docs.

.env

The secret is left blank here on purpose: a password printed on a public page is the same for everyone who copies it. The builder fills it with random letters and digits made in your browser.

# .env for Homarr, from dankhost.com/app/homarr/. Fill the blank secret before starting.
# Keep this file private (chmod 600).

# Homarr
# 64 random letters and digits: the builder fills this in your browser
HOMARR_SECRET_ENCRYPTION_KEY=

Changes from the official file

Besides prefixing every service, container, volume, folder and variable with homarr (so any set of apps can share one file), these are all the differences from what the project documents:

• Removed the documented '7575:7575' port; Caddy reaches homarr:7575, as in Homarr's own Caddy example, on the proxy network.
• Left out the Docker socket mount the file marks "Optional, only if you want docker integration": it would give Homarr control of Docker, the same power as root on this server. Add it back only if you want the Docker widgets.
• SECRET_ENCRYPTION_KEY is a random 64-character hex string generated in your browser, as the docs' page generates one; ./homarr/appdata becomes ./appdata (./homarr/appdata next to the compose file).

Notes for Homarr behind the proxy

• The first visit to https://homarr.example.org starts Homarr's onboarding, which creates the first administrator, and it is open to whoever gets there first: open it straight away.
• Keep HOMARR_SECRET_ENCRYPTION_KEY from .env with your backups: Homarr uses it to encrypt the passwords and API keys of your integrations.
• Homarr's docs use the image tag 'latest'.

Back it up

Homarr publishes no backup procedure for Docker. Its boards, users and integration settings are in /appdata, copied below with Docker's generic method; the encryption key they need is in .env.

Below is the BACKUP.md the builder writes next to the compose file above: which of its folders and volumes hold data, what to copy with which container stopped, and a restore check. Pick more apps in the builder and it covers them all in one file.

# BACKUP.md built at dankhost.com for: Homarr

What to copy from the docker-compose.yml built with this file, the database dump each project documents (rewritten for the service names in that file), what to copy with which container stopped, and how to check the result. Run every command in the folder that holds docker-compose.yml.

The folders are owned by the containers' users: put sudo in front of tar if it says "Permission denied". Named volumes live under /var/lib/docker/volumes, not next to the compose file, so they are copied through a throwaway ubuntu container (Docker's documented --volumes-from method). tar makes a full copy each run; for large folders an incremental tool (restic, borg, rsync) saves time and space.

Never run "docker compose down -v" on this file: it deletes the named volumes of every app in it.

## Before you start

    BACKUP=/mnt/backup/selfhost   # change this: a disk or machine other than this server's system disk
    mkdir -p "$BACKUP"

## Every time: the three stack files

    tar czf "$BACKUP/stack-files.tar.gz" docker-compose.yml .env caddy

.env holds the database passwords and secret keys the apps were set up with; keep this archive as private as the data.

## Caddy (the reverse proxy)

Caddy's docs: 'The data directory must not be treated as a cache.' It holds the TLS certificates and their private keys; without it Caddy has to ask Let's Encrypt for every certificate again.

- caddy-data (named volume, /data in caddy)
  BACK UP: TLS certificates, private keys, OCSP staples.
- caddy-config (named volume, /config in caddy)
  SKIP: the last active configuration, kept for 'caddy run --resume', which this setup does not use: it starts from the Caddyfile.
- ./caddy (/etc/caddy in caddy)
  IN stack-files.tar.gz: the Caddyfile, copied with the stack files above.

Copy (Caddy keeps serving while you copy):

    docker run --rm --volumes-from caddy -v "$BACKUP":/backup ubuntu tar cvf /backup/caddy-data.tar /data

Restore check:

    tar tf "$BACKUP/caddy-data.tar" > /dev/null && echo OK
    docker run --rm --volumes-from caddy -v "$BACKUP":/backup ubuntu bash -c "cd /data && tar xvf /backup/caddy-data.tar --strip 1"

Sources:
- Caddy docs: Conventions, Data directory: https://caddyserver.com/docs/conventions#data-directory (checked 2026-09-24)
- Docker docs: Volumes, Back up, restore, or migrate data volumes: https://docs.docker.com/engine/storage/volumes/#back-up-restore-or-migrate-data-volumes (checked 2026-09-24)

## Homarr

Homarr publishes no backup procedure for Docker. Its boards, users and integration settings are in /appdata, copied below with Docker's generic method; the encryption key they need is in .env.

What this compose mounts:
- ./homarr/appdata (/appdata in homarr)
  BACK UP: Homarr's database and uploaded files: boards, users, integrations (their secrets encrypted with SECRET_ENCRYPTION_KEY).

1. Stop homarr. Stopping it keeps the database from changing mid-copy.

    docker compose stop homarr

2. Copy while homarr is stopped:

    tar czf "$BACKUP/homarr-appdata.tar.gz" ./homarr/appdata

3. Start it again:

    docker compose start homarr

Restore check:

    tar tzf "$BACKUP/homarr-appdata.tar.gz" > /dev/null && echo OK

Put a copy back (with homarr stopped):

    tar xzf "$BACKUP/homarr-appdata.tar.gz"   # recreates ./homarr/appdata; move the old folder aside first

Stop it, put ./homarr/appdata back with the same HOMARR_SECRET_ENCRYPTION_KEY in .env, start it.

Sources:
- Homarr docs: Docker installation (docker-compose.yml, SECRET_ENCRYPTION_KEY): https://homarr.dev/docs/getting-started/installation/docker/ (checked 2026-09-29)
- Docker docs: Volumes, Back up, restore, or migrate data volumes: https://docs.docker.com/engine/storage/volumes/#back-up-restore-or-migrate-data-volumes (checked 2026-09-29)

Sources

Every page below was fetched on the date shown.

• Homarr README on GitHub checked 2026-09-29 (what it does)
• Homarr docs: Getting started (Hardware, Architecture) checked 2026-09-29 (hardware requirements)
• Homarr docs: Docker installation (docker-compose.yml, SECRET_ENCRYPTION_KEY) checked 2026-09-29 (compose definition and proxy settings, backup plan)
• Homarr documentation repository: the compose file the Docker page shows (dynamic-docker-install.tsx) checked 2026-09-29 (compose definition and proxy settings)
• Homarr docs: Proxies and Certificates (Caddy: reverse_proxy homarr:7575; Traefik port 7575) checked 2026-09-29 (compose definition and proxy settings)
• Caddy docs: Keep Caddy running (Docker Compose section) checked 2026-09-23 (Caddy)
• Vaultwarden wiki: Caddy with HTTP challenge (uses the caddy:2 image) checked 2026-09-23 (Caddy)
• Docker docs: Volumes, Back up, restore, or migrate data volumes checked 2026-09-29 (backup plan)
• Caddy docs: Conventions, Data directory checked 2026-09-24 (backup plan)

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