elastdocker
Elastdocker is a Docker Compose setup that runs Elastic Stack (Elasticsearch, Kibana, Logstash) v9+ with security, monitoring, and APM enabled by default. It's designed to start a production-like single-node cluster with a single command, suitable for demos, MVPs, and small deployments.
Key facts
Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Repository | sherifabdlnaby/elastdocker |
| Owner | sherifabdlnaby |
| Primary language | Dockerfile |
| License | MIT — OSI-approved |
| Stars | 2.1k |
| Forks | 339 |
| Open issues | 4 |
| Latest release | v4.1.0 (2026-06-21) |
| Last updated | 2026-06-21 |
| Source | https://github.com/sherifabdlnaby/elastdocker |
What elastdocker is
A Docker Compose orchestration template that bundles Elasticsearch, Kibana, Logstash, Metricbeat, and Filebeat with pre-configured TLS, keystores, heap settings, and health checks. Supports automatic Docker container log collection, self-monitoring via Metricbeat, and optional multi-node clustering for experimentation.
Get the elastdocker source
Clone the repository and explore it locally.
git clone https://github.com/sherifabdlnaby/elastdocker.gitcd elastdocker# follow the project's README for install & configurationNeed it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.
Best use cases
Implementation considerations
- Requires Docker 20.05+ and Docker Compose v2; Linux hosts must set vm.max_map_count=262144 to prevent Elasticsearch startup failures.
- Minimum 4GB RAM allocated to Docker (critical for macOS/Windows VMs). Heap sizes are tunable via .env but default to 1GB (development-grade).
- Uses `mise` task runner for orchestration (also supports raw docker-compose commands). Setup script generates Elasticsearch keystore and TLS certs into ./secrets directory.
- Data persists in a named volume (elasticsearch-data). Backup strategy, retention policies, and disaster recovery must be implemented separately.
- Default credentials (elastic:changeme) must be changed immediately via ELASTIC_PASSWORD in .env and keystore regeneration.
When to avoid it — and what to weigh
- Enterprise multi-cluster, geo-distributed deployments — This is explicitly designed as single-node production or multi-node experimentation only. Large-scale distributed clusters require Elastic Cloud or custom orchestration (Kubernetes).
- You require Elastic-supported commercial SLAs — This is community-maintained open source. No vendor support, SLAs, or update guarantees. Production use depends entirely on your own operational readiness.
- You need automatic Elastic Stack security patches and version management — You must manually manage version upgrades, CVE tracking, and keystore regeneration. Breaking changes exist between major versions (e.g., 8.x to 9.x).
- Self-signed TLS is not acceptable for your security posture — The template generates self-signed certificates by default. Production use requires SSL termination with signed certificates at your infrastructure edge.
License & commercial use
MIT License. Permits commercial use, modification, and distribution with no warranty and minimal attribution requirements. The Elastic Stack components bundled inside (Elasticsearch, Kibana, Logstash) are governed by the Elastic License and Server Side Public License (SSPL); review Elastic's licensing docs separately for restrictions on features and commercial use.
The Elastdocker template itself is MIT-licensed and freely usable in commercial contexts. However, the Elastic Stack components it orchestrates operate under dual licensing (Elastic License + SSPL) with feature gates tied to subscription tiers. Basic features (logging, metrics) are free; advanced features (APM, ML, SIEM at full scale) may require a paid Elastic subscription. Confirm your use case against current Elastic licensing terms before production deployment.
DEV.co evaluation signals
Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.
| Signal | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Maintenance | Active |
| Documentation | Adequate |
| License clarity | Needs review |
| Deployment complexity | Low |
| DEV.co fit | Good |
| Assessment confidence | High |
Security is enabled by default: TLS on transport layer, Elasticsearch keystore for credential storage, Basic license (not Trial), HTTP SSL enabled, and health checks included. Self-signed certificates require SSL termination in production. No vulnerability scanning, penetration testing, or third-party security audit data provided. Keystore and cert generation is scriptable but regeneration must be manual. Credentials are parameterized (.env) but not encrypted at rest. Default password must be changed immediately. No mention of RBAC, audit logging, or compliance certifications.
Alternatives to consider
deviantony/docker-elk
Popular ELK Docker Compose template; simpler but uses hardcoded credentials, Trial license, and lacks production-mode SSL. Elastdocker is explicitly positioned as more production-ready alternative.
Elastic Cloud
Fully managed SaaS by Elastic; handles security, scaling, backups, and updates. Choose this if you need vendor SLA, automatic patching, and don't want to manage infrastructure.
Elastic on Kubernetes (ECK)
If you run Kubernetes, ECK provides native operator-based Elasticsearch/Kibana deployment with better scaling and lifecycle management than Docker Compose.
Build on elastdocker with DEV.co software developers
Elastdocker gets your ELK stack running in minutes with security and monitoring enabled. Start your next log aggregation, metrics, or APM project today.
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elastdocker FAQ
Can I use this in production?
How do I change the Elastic Stack version?
Do I need Elastic subscription?
What happens to my data if I run `mise run prune`?
Custom software development services
DEV.co is a software development agency delivering custom software development services to companies building on open source. Our software developers and web developers design, integrate, and ship production systems — spanning web development, APIs, AI, data, and cloud. If elastdocker is part of your open-source observability roadmap, our team can implement, customize, migrate, and maintain it.
Ready to deploy observability fast?
Elastdocker gets your ELK stack running in minutes with security and monitoring enabled. Start your next log aggregation, metrics, or APM project today.