Open-Source DevOps · kimdre

doco-cd

Doco CD is a lightweight GitOps tool for automating Docker Compose and Docker Swarm deployments. It watches Git repositories and triggers updates via webhooks or polling, requiring minimal resources and offering support for secrets, notifications, and monitoring.

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Source: GitHub — github.com/kimdre/doco-cd

1.6k

GitHub stars

Forks

Primary language

Apache-2.0

License (OSI-approved)

Key facts

Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.

Field	Value
Repository	kimdre/doco-cd
Owner	kimdre
Primary language	Go
License	Apache-2.0 — OSI-approved
Stars	1.6k
Forks	52
Open issues	22
Latest release	v0.94.0 (2026-06-17)
Last updated	2026-07-08
Source	https://github.com/kimdre/doco-cd

What doco-cd is

Written in Go, doco-cd provides declarative CD via Git repositories or OCI artifacts, supporting webhook and polling-based triggers, SOPS encryption, external secret providers, Prometheus metrics, and Swarm mode orchestration with minimal memory/CPU footprint.

Quickstart

Get the doco-cd source

Clone the repository and explore it locally.

terminalbash

1git clone https://github.com/kimdre/doco-cd.git2cd doco-cd3# follow the project's README for install & configuration

Need it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.

Best use cases

Self-hosted Docker Compose deployments with GitOps

Teams running Docker Compose in production who want automated, Git-driven updates without Kubernetes complexity. Ideal for small-to-mid-scale deployments where Portainer or ArgoCD feel oversized.

Docker Swarm mode orchestration

Organizations already invested in Docker Swarm can use doco-cd as a GitOps layer, automating stack deployments across swarm clusters with webhook or polling triggers.

Lightweight CI/CD for edge/resource-constrained environments

Deployments on VPS, Raspberry Pi, or IoT-grade hardware where small image size and minimal RAM/CPU overhead are critical; distroless image reduces attack surface.

Implementation considerations

Requires Git repository (or OCI artifact) as source of truth; ensure branch protection, code review process, and RBAC on repo are in place before deployment.
Supports external secrets (e.g., Vault, AWS Secrets Manager) and SOPS encryption; review secret rotation and key management practices before rollout.
Polling + webhooks both supported; choose based on latency requirements and infrastructure (webhooks need inbound network access, polling adds drift detection delay).
Distroless image reduces surface but requires testing in your environment; verify all required dependencies are included.
Prometheus metrics and notification integrations must be configured; ensure monitoring stack is ready before production use.

When to avoid it — and what to weigh

Kubernetes-first infrastructure — Doco-cd is Docker Compose and Swarm focused. If your platform is Kubernetes, use ArgoCD, Flux, or native GitOps operators instead.
Require production-grade multi-tenancy isolation — No clear data on RBAC, namespace isolation, or audit logging in the README. Requires deeper review before use in strict compliance or hostile multi-tenant scenarios.
Need guaranteed SLA and vendor support — Doco-cd is community-driven open source. No commercial support, SLA, or enterprise hardening guarantees. Suitable for in-house ops teams only.
Large-scale, complex multi-service orchestration — While functional, doco-cd is lightweight and minimal. Extremely complex deployments with many interdependencies may benefit from richer orchestration tooling.

License & commercial use

Apache License 2.0 (Apache-2.0). Permissive OSI-approved license allowing commercial use, modification, and redistribution with minimal restrictions (attribution, liability disclaimer).

Apache-2.0 is permissive and generally supports commercial use without royalties. However, review your specific use case (embedding in proprietary product, SaaS offering, etc.) with legal counsel if material IP is at stake. No warranty or support guarantees from licensor.

DEV.co evaluation signals

Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.

Signal	Assessment
Maintenance	Active
Documentation	Adequate
License clarity	Clear
Deployment complexity	Low
DEV.co fit	Good
Assessment confidence	High

Security considerations

Project includes CodeQL scanning, image vulnerability scanning (scheduled), and mentions SOPS encryption + external secret support, indicating security-conscious development. Distroless image reduces attack surface. Not visible: threat model, audit logging, rate limiting, supply chain security practices, or third-party security audit. Evaluate before use in sensitive environments.

Alternatives to consider

ArgoCD

Full-featured GitOps for Kubernetes and multi-cluster. Overkill for Docker Compose; heavier resource footprint and steeper learning curve.

Portainer

Web UI for Docker Compose/Swarm with some automation. Less declarative and Git-native than doco-cd; commercial tiers available but different philosophy.

Flux

Kubernetes-native GitOps controller. Requires Kubernetes; not suitable for pure Docker Compose/Swarm environments.

Software development agency

Build on doco-cd with DEV.co software developers

Review the full documentation at doco.cd and consider a pilot deployment in a non-critical environment. Engage your security team for threat modeling if used in production.

Talk to DEV.co

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doco-cd FAQ

Does doco-cd support Kubernetes?

No. Doco-cd is Docker Compose and Docker Swarm focused. For Kubernetes, use ArgoCD or Flux.

Can I use doco-cd in production?

Yes, but with caveats: it is community-driven, not backed by a vendor with SLA. Active maintenance, passing security scans, and feature completeness suggest it is viable for teams with in-house ops capacity. Evaluate risk tolerance and resource constraints.

How does doco-cd compare to Portainer?

Doco-cd is lightweight, Git-native GitOps tool with minimal UI; Portainer is web-UI-first with more visual management. Doco-cd suits declarative, IaC workflows; Portainer suits ad-hoc ops. Both support Docker Compose/Swarm.

What are the resource requirements?

README claims 'tiny RAM and CPU requirements' and uses distroless image. Exact thresholds not specified; testing in your environment is recommended. Likely suitable for edge/VPS deployments.

Custom software development services

From first prototype to production, DEV.co delivers software development services around tools like doco-cd. Our software development agency staffs experienced software developers and web developers for custom software development, web development, integrations, and ongoing support across open-source devops and beyond.

Evaluate Doco CD for Your Docker Infrastructure

Review the full documentation at doco.cd and consider a pilot deployment in a non-critical environment. Engage your security team for threat modeling if used in production.

Talk to DEV.co Schedule a Consultation