Best apps for Docker on an old NAS on desktop in 2026
An XDA writer keeps his 15-year-old NAS running 24/7 because Docker finally gave it a purpose beyond Synology’s stock package store. The story is common in the homelab community: the appliance is fine, the CPU is fine, the appliance vendor’s app store is not. Docker unlocks everything, and the desktop tooling around it is where you actually spend your evenings. We tested the eight best apps for running Docker on an old NAS in 2026: what to install first, what earns space long-term, and what stays useful even after the NAS retires.
Assumptions: your NAS is x86-64 or ARM64, has at least 4 GB of RAM, and runs a supported OS with Docker Engine (Synology DSM 7, TrueNAS Scale, UGREEN NAS OS, Unraid, or plain Ubuntu Server on retired hardware).
What to look for in an old-NAS Docker container
Six criteria filter the noise from a healthy container catalog:
- ARM64 support. If your NAS runs on ARM (older DS or QNAP models), the container needs a multi-arch image.
- Update cadence. Abandoned containers turn into security debt fast; pick images with weekly or monthly base-image updates.
- Resource footprint. A container hogging 2 GB of RAM on a 4 GB NAS is not viable.
- Storage lifecycle. Some containers expect a persistent volume with careful backups; others are ephemeral.
- Web UI quality. You will run this from a phone browser at some point; a mobile-friendly UI matters.
- License. Open-source guards against sudden pricing pivots.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Platforms | Free plan | Starting price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portainer | Container management UI | x86 and ARM Docker hosts | Free CE | $0 CE, from $299/year Business | 4.7 on G2 |
| Watchtower | Automated container updates | x86 and ARM Docker hosts | Fully free | $0 | 4.6 on GitHub |
| Jellyfin | Free open-source media server | x86 and ARM Docker hosts | Fully free | $0 | 4.7 on AlternativeTo |
| Nextcloud | Self-hosted cloud storage | x86 and ARM Docker hosts | Free community | $0 CE, from $37.49/user/year | 4.5 on G2 |
| Vaultwarden | Bitwarden-compatible password server | x86 and ARM Docker hosts | Fully free | $0 | 4.8 on GitHub |
| Nginx Proxy Manager | Reverse proxy with a GUI | x86 and ARM Docker hosts | Fully free | $0 | 4.7 on GitHub |
| Pi-hole | Network-wide ad blocking | x86 and ARM Docker hosts | Fully free | $0 | 4.8 on AlternativeTo |
| Uptime Kuma | Self-hosted uptime monitoring | x86 and ARM Docker hosts | Fully free | $0 | 4.9 on GitHub |
The apps
1. Portainer, best for container management UI
Portainer is the web UI that turns Docker from a CLI into something anyone can operate. See running containers, restart with one click, view logs, edit environment variables, and deploy new stacks from Docker Compose. Community Edition is free and covers everything a home lab needs; Business Edition adds RBAC and support.
Where it falls short: Portainer manages containers; it does not orchestrate multi-host clusters unless you upgrade to Business.
Pricing:
- Free: Portainer CE
- Paid: Business Edition from $299/year for 3 nodes
Platforms: any Docker host, x86 or ARM
Bottom line: the first container you install on any Docker host; nothing else on this list is as high-leverage.
2. Watchtower, best for automated container updates
Watchtower runs in the background, watches your containers, pulls new images when the upstream tag updates, restarts the container, and cleans up the old image. Set it to check every 24 hours and container maintenance drops to zero.
Where it falls short: aggressive by default; use WATCHTOWER_LABEL_ENABLE=true and label the containers you actually want it to touch.
Pricing:
- Free: fully free, Apache 2.0
Platforms: any Docker host, x86 or ARM
Bottom line: the second container to install; it takes weeks of maintenance work off your calendar.
3. Jellyfin, best for free open-source media server
Jellyfin is the open-source alternative to Plex with no paid tier, no account requirement, and no phone-home. Its hardware transcoding has closed the gap with Plex, and on a NAS with an Intel iGPU or a recent AMD APU, throughput is real. UI has improved noticeably in 2025 and 2026 releases.
Where it falls short: the mobile clients lag Plex’s on polish; expect to sideload a fork on Android for the best experience.
Pricing:
- Free: fully free, GPL-licensed
Platforms: any Docker host with FFmpeg support; hardware acceleration works on x86 with Intel Quick Sync or NVIDIA NVENC
Bottom line: the free media server pick and the reason many old NAS boxes stay powered on.
4. Nextcloud, best for self-hosted cloud storage
Nextcloud replaces Dropbox, Google Drive, and Google Docs with self-hosted equivalents on your own hardware. File sync, calendar, contacts, and a lightweight office suite all run inside the same container. Talk (chat) and Deck (kanban) add real collaboration.
Where it falls short: first-time setup is heavy; expect to spend an evening on the Redis, database, and reverse-proxy configuration.
Pricing:
- Free: Nextcloud Community Edition
- Paid: Enterprise from $37.49/user/year with support
Platforms: any Docker host with sufficient RAM; SQLite works, PostgreSQL or MariaDB recommended
Bottom line: the biggest lift on this list, and the one that pays off the most in the long run.
5. Vaultwarden, best for Bitwarden-compatible password server
Vaultwarden is a Rust reimplementation of the Bitwarden API that runs on almost anything. Point the official Bitwarden mobile and desktop clients at your Vaultwarden URL and get the paid Bitwarden feature set for free, without sending vault data to a US provider.
Where it falls short: self-hosting a password manager is your responsibility; back the volume up religiously.
Pricing:
- Free: fully free, GPL
Platforms: any Docker host, x86 or ARM; runs happily on a Raspberry Pi
Download: GitHub
Bottom line: the pick for anyone who wants Bitwarden without the SaaS subscription.
6. Nginx Proxy Manager, best for reverse proxy with a GUI
Nginx Proxy Manager wraps Nginx in a web UI, handles Let’s Encrypt certificates automatically, and lets you route subdomains to individual containers without editing config files. Every self-hosted service you expose to the internet should sit behind it.
Where it falls short: hand-tuning odd routing rules still requires an nginx.conf snippet; the UI covers 90% of cases.
Pricing:
- Free: fully free, MIT
Platforms: any Docker host with port 80 and 443 available
Bottom line: the traffic front door for every other service on this list.
7. Pi-hole, best for network-wide ad blocking
Pi-hole runs a DNS server that blocks ad and tracker domains network-wide. Point your router’s DNS at the Pi-hole container and every device on the LAN benefits, including smart TVs and phones without app-side blockers.
Where it falls short: breaks some ad-supported streaming services; keep a bypass DNS handy.
Pricing:
- Free: fully free, EUPL
Platforms: any Docker host; 512 MB of RAM is enough
Bottom line: the highest-impact install for a household; every device notices immediately.
8. Uptime Kuma, best for self-hosted uptime monitoring
Uptime Kuma monitors HTTP endpoints, TCP ports, DNS records, and Docker containers, and pushes notifications to 90+ providers when something is down. Set it up once, forget your services exist, get pinged when they break.
Where it falls short: SQLite backend can be slow with 100+ monitors; migrate to MariaDB for larger deployments.
Pricing:
- Free: fully free, MIT
Platforms: any Docker host, x86 or ARM
Download: GitHub
Bottom line: the pick that stops you finding out about outages from angry family members.
How to pick the right one
Every homelab-shaped NAS should install Portainer and Watchtower first. Portainer is the UI; Watchtower keeps everything current with zero touch. These two are baseline before anything else.
Add Jellyfin next if the NAS was ever meant to hold movies. It uses the CPU harder than the other picks here, so verify hardware acceleration works before committing your whole library. Nextcloud is the next-heaviest install and the one most families will benefit from; commit an evening to it and it pays back for years.
Layer Vaultwarden and Pi-hole for privacy wins. Add Nginx Proxy Manager the moment you expose any service to the internet, and add Uptime Kuma as the last safety net so you find out about outages first.
Skip anything that mentions “Docker on Synology” but requires disabling built-in security. Modern DSM, TrueNAS Scale, and UGREEN NAS OS all ship Docker safely; if a tutorial fights the OS, keep looking.
FAQ
Can any NAS run Docker?
Any NAS with an x86-64 or ARM64 CPU and at least 2 GB of RAM can run Docker in some form. Old ARM-based Synology J-series and older QNAP Value models are the notable exception; they lack the CPU features Docker needs.
What is the first container to install on an old NAS?
Portainer. Everything else is easier to install and manage once Portainer is in place, and it takes five minutes to deploy.
Is Jellyfin as good as Plex on an old NAS?
For a single household, yes, with two exceptions: mobile client polish and Plex’s live TV catalog. If those matter, Plex’s free tier still wins; otherwise Jellyfin covers everything without a paid subscription.
Can I run Vaultwarden and expose it to the internet safely?
Yes, behind Nginx Proxy Manager with Let’s Encrypt certificates and a strong master password on your vault. Add 2FA to every account and back up the Vaultwarden data volume nightly.
Do these containers work on a Raspberry Pi instead?
Most do. Portainer, Watchtower, Vaultwarden, Nginx Proxy Manager, Pi-hole, and Uptime Kuma run comfortably on a Pi 4 or Pi 5. Jellyfin and Nextcloud will struggle on a Pi without careful tuning.
