If you want to level up your home lab fast, running the right Docker containers is one of the easiest ways to do it. In this video I walk through 15 Docker containers that instantly improve your home lab in late 2025! These include tools for monitoring, automation, networking, security, backups, dashboards, and DevOps. We cover Dozzle, Watchtower, Pulse, Komodo, Netdata, Uptime Kuma, Bitwarden, Homer, Mailrise, NetBox, and more! I will show you exactly how they work together to build a home lab stack on Proxmox or any Docker host. Be sure to check the link below to share your 2025 home lab build on the VHT forum for a chance to win the upcoming giveaway.
The blog for this video: https://www.virtualizationhowto.com/2025/11/15-docker-containers-that-make-your-home-lab-instantly-better/
Share your home lab in 2025 for a chance to win a surprise giveaway before the end of the year!
https://www.virtualizationhowto.com/community/home-lab-pics/best-home-lab-server-pics-and-gear-in-2025/
Really great Proxmox VE Server for home lab: https://geni.us/HzwrN (affiliate link)
★ Skool Community https://www.skool.com/homelabexplorers/about?ref=25f64c297b724689ae81c7dd30ba2c21
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Timestamps
0:00 Intro and what this video covers
0:56 2025 home lab share and giveaway details
1:24 Dozzle real time Docker log viewer
2:09 Watchtower automatic Docker container updates
3:14 Pulse monitoring for Proxmox and Docker in one place
4:03 Komodo all in one Docker management and observability
4:48 Netdata zero touch monitoring and cloud console
5:54 Uptime Kuma simple up or down checks and status pages
6:38 Bitwarden self hosted password and secrets manager
7:12 Homer home lab start page and launcher dashboard
7:51 Mailrise SMTP to modern notification bridge with Apprise
8:35 NetBox source of truth for racks, IPs, VLANs, and devices
9:13 Nginx Proxy Manager easy reverse proxy and HTTPS for containers
9:41 phpIPAM IP address management for home lab networks and VLANs
10:14 Duplicati backups for Docker volumes and lab data
10:41 Pi-hole DNS level ad blocking, telemetry filtering, and malware protection
11:17 Gitea self hosted Git, DevOps workflows, and future native CI
11:59 Building a complete home lab stack with these containers
12:52 Final thoughts and what to try next in your lab
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