Docker Compose Builder

How to use: step by step

1. 1
   Add a service
   Click 'Add Service', give it a name, and choose a Docker image (e.g. nginx:alpine or postgres:15).
2. 2
   Map ports
   Add one or more host:container port mappings such as 8080:80 to expose the service to your host machine.
3. 3
   Attach volumes
   Declare named or bind-mount volumes like ./data:/var/lib/postgresql/data for persistent storage.
4. 4
   Set environment variables
   Add key=value pairs for runtime configuration, secrets references, or feature flags.
5. 5
   Copy or download the YAML
   Click Copy to grab the generated docker-compose.yml, or download the file directly to your project folder.

Frequently Asked Questions

What version of the Compose file format is generated?

The generator targets the modern Compose Specification (version 3.x compatible), which is supported by Docker Engine 20.10+ and Docker Desktop. Legacy version 2 keys are omitted.

Can I add depends_on between services?

The current tool focuses on the most commonly needed fields. For advanced orchestration like depends_on, healthchecks, or deploy constraints, you can extend the downloaded YAML by hand.

How do I use environment variables from a .env file?

In your downloaded YAML, replace inline env values with variable references like ${DB_PASSWORD}. Docker Compose automatically loads a .env file from the same directory.

What is the difference between a named volume and a bind mount?

Named volumes (e.g. db-data:/var/lib/mysql) are managed by Docker and persist across container restarts. Bind mounts (e.g. ./src:/app/src) map a host directory directly into the container and are useful for development hot-reloading.

Can I use this for production deployments?

Docker Compose is excellent for development and single-server production. For multi-server production workloads you may want to extend it with Docker Swarm or migrate to Kubernetes.

How do I expose a service only to other containers, not the host?

Omit the port mapping entirely. Containers on the same Compose network can reach each other by service name regardless of whether ports are published to the host.

Is my configuration stored anywhere?

No. All YAML generation happens in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server or stored remotely.

Can I generate a compose file for multiple environments?

Download the base docker-compose.yml and create a docker-compose.override.yml for development overrides. Docker Compose merges these automatically when you run docker compose up.

What image tag should I use?

For production, pin to a specific version like postgres:15.2 rather than latest to avoid unexpected upgrades. For development, latest is convenient.