docker-py
Python client for Docker.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need to control Docker from Python and your environment supports the Docker daemon. The library is lightweight, permissively licensed, and actively maintained. However, verify that this is still the recommended Docker client for your Python version—the latest PyPI release is from 2016, and the modern Docker Python client may have a different package name or location.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires a running Docker daemon accessible to the Python process; connection details may need configuration depending on your Docker setup.
- Low install friction with no runtime dependencies.
- The package is actively maintained with recent commits, though the latest PyPI release dates to 2016-11-02; the repository itself shows ongoing activity as of 2026-08-13.
License · maintenance · safety
UNKNOWN (permissive) — Licensed under Apache License, Version 2.0 (permissive), which allows commercial and private use with minimal restrictions—suitable for most projects.
last release 2016-11-02 (3572 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-13 · 7,209 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 1,074,698 downloads/mo, #4,405 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install docker-py
import docker
client = docker.Client()
containers = client.containers()- Whether this package is still the recommended Docker client for Python (the modern package may be named differently).
- Current Python version support—classifiers list Python 2.6–3.5, but requires_python is unspecified and the latest release is from 2016.
What it is and what it does
docker-py is a Python wrapper around the Docker Remote API that lets you manage containers, images, and other Docker resources from Python code instead of shell commands. It exposes the same operations available in the docker CLI—starting and stopping containers, pulling and pushing images, inspecting logs, managing networks—but as Python method calls. The library has no runtime dependencies, making it lightweight to install.
The package is actively maintained and widely used (top 5000 on PyPI with over 1 million monthly downloads), though the latest release on PyPI dates to 2016. It carries no known security vulnerabilities and is licensed permissively under Apache 2.0, making it safe for commercial use.
Use it for
- Automate container orchestration and lifecycle management (start, stop, restart) from Python applications.
- Build deployment tools or CI/CD pipelines that programmatically manage Docker containers and images.
- Monitor and inspect running containers, logs, and resource usage from Python monitoring scripts.
- Pull and push Docker images to registries as part of automated build or release workflows.
- Test Python applications by spinning up and tearing down containerized services in test suites.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need to control Docker from Python and your environment supports the Docker daemon.
The library is lightweight, permissively licensed, and actively maintained. However, verify that this is still the recommended Docker client for your Python version—the latest PyPI release is from 2016, and the modern Docker Python client may have a different package name or location.
Install
docker-py on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with no runtime dependencies. The package is actively maintained with recent commits, though the latest PyPI release dates to 2016-11-02; the repository itself shows ongoing activity as of 2026-08-13.
Requires a running Docker daemon accessible to the Python process; connection details may need configuration depending on your Docker setup.
License in practice
Licensed under Apache License, Version 2.0 (permissive), which allows commercial and private use with minimal restrictions—suitable for most projects.
Quickstart
pip install docker-py
import docker
client = docker.Client()
containers = client.containers()Verify before relying
- Whether this package is still the recommended Docker client for Python (the modern package may be named differently).
- Current Python version support—classifiers list Python 2.6–3.5, but requires_python is unspecified and the latest release is from 2016.
Package facts
| License | UNKNOWN permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 3,572 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 1,074,698 / month, #4,405 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 4 - BetaEnvironment :: Other EnvironmentIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: Apache Software LicenseOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 2Programming Language :: Python :: 2.6Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.4Programming Language :: Python :: 3.5Topic :: Utilities |
Evidence: docker_py-1.10.6-py2.py3-none-any.whl
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See also docker · pylxd · python-on-whales · docker-pycreds · pipmaster · podman · dockerpty · pyTenable · python-digitalocean · spython