Concurrently vs Docker Compose in 2026

Q: Is DevWebUI free and open source?

DevWebUI is free, and its core features need no account . It is open source under the MIT License . The sources here do not state any paid tier, so the only price they give is free. Check the project's own pages if you need more detail on future plans.

Concurrently runs several commands side by side; Docker Compose defines whole app stacks. Compare their setup, pricing and daily use against DevWebUI.

By SayDeploy · 2026-10-18

SayDeploy is published by LunarWerx, which makes some of the tools compared here.

Concurrently runs several commands at the same time and prefixes each one's output so you can follow it. Docker Compose is a tool for defining and running multi-container applications ^[1]. DevWebUI starts, stops and restarts local dev servers from one dashboard, and shows status, CPU, memory and logs for each one ^[2].

On needs, Concurrently's page covers running several commands together with readable output, killing all commands if one dies ^[3] and limiting how many run at once ^[3]. Docker Compose's page covers defining multi-container applications, managing services, networks and volumes in one YAML file ^[1], starting them with a single command ^[1] and working across production, staging, development, testing and CI ^[1]. DevWebUI's claims cover a dashboard for watching local dev servers ^[2], a small file per repo listing the servers to run ^[2] and AI assistants controlling your dev servers through 43 tools ^[2].

Option	What it runs	Paid plan	Account	Price stated
Concurrently	Runs any commands side by side, written in Node.js ^[3]	The facts here say nothing about a paid plan	The facts here say nothing about an account	Not published ^[3]
Docker Compose	Defines and runs multi-container applications ^[1]	Docker Pro for individual professionals ^[4]; Docker Team for small teams ^[4]; Docker Business with invoice and 1 business day support ^[4]	Docker Personal includes 1 user and 1 private Docker Hub repo ^[4]	Docker Pro and Team prices not published here; Testcontainers Cloud minutes $3 per 100 and on demand $4 per 100 ^[4]; Hardened Images Select starts at $5k per repo ^[4]
DevWebUI	Starts, stops and restarts local dev servers from one dashboard ^[2]	No paid tier is stated; it is free ^[2]	Not needed for core features ^[2]	Free, open source under the MIT License ^[2]

The short answer

Concurrently runs several commands at the same time and puts a prefix on each one's output so you can follow it. Docker Compose is a tool for defining and running multi-container applications ^[1]. DevWebUI starts, stops and restarts local dev servers from one dashboard, and shows status, CPU, memory and logs for each one ^[2].

On needs, Concurrently's page covers running several commands together with readable output, killing all commands if one dies ^[3] and limiting how many run at once ^[3]. Docker Compose's page covers defining multi-container applications and managing services, networks and volumes in one YAML file ^[1], starting them with a single command ^[1] and working across production, staging, development, testing and CI ^[1]. DevWebUI's claims cover a dashboard for local dev servers ^[2], a small file per repo listing the servers to run ^[2] and AI assistants controlling your dev servers through 43 tools ^[2].

What Concurrently, Docker Compose is built for

Concurrently is written in Node.js but can run any commands. It works cross platform, including Windows ^[3], and can be installed globally or locally for a specific package ^[3]. Its page says output is easy to follow with prefixes, and the concurrently command is also available under the shorthand alias conc ^[3]. Its options include maxProcesses, which sets how many processes run at once ^[3], restartTries, which sets how many attempts restart a dying process ^[3], and a --kill-others switch that kills all commands if one dies ^[3]. In its examples you may replace npm with yarn, pnpm or bun ^[3].

Docker Compose is a tool for defining and running multi-container applications ^[1]. It manages services, networks and volumes in a single YAML configuration file ^[1], and with a single command it creates and starts all the services from that file ^[1]. Compose works in production, staging, development, testing and CI workflows ^[1]. Compose Bridge transforms a Compose configuration file into configuration files for other platforms, such as Kubernetes ^[1].

What DevWebUI is built for

DevWebUI is made by the team that publishes this site.

It lets you start, stop and restart your local dev servers from one dashboard, and see each one's status, CPU, memory and logs ^[2]. One small file per repo lists the servers to run, and processes changed in the GUI are written back to that file ^[2].

When a port is already taken, it shows which process holds it and can free the port if you ask ^[2]. You can open any server it manages through one DevWebUI address on your own machine, and live page reloading in your browser keeps working through it ^[2]. Errors are collected into one log that merges repeats and is kept across restarts, and each file:line link opens in your editor ^[2].

A setting in the repo file can start the project's Docker services first, such as a database, wait until they are ready and pass their connection settings to your servers ^[2]. You can also set threshold alert rules and see a history of the alerts that fired ^[2]. AI assistants can control your dev servers through 43 tools, using the same background service as the dashboard ^[2].

Pricing and fees

The Concurrently facts here say nothing about cost, so its price is not published here.

The Docker Compose facts here do not state whether Compose itself is free, so that price is not published here. Docker sells paid plans around it. Docker Personal includes 1 user, 1 Docker Scout enabled repo, 100 Docker Hub pulls per hour and 1 private Docker Hub repo ^[4]. Docker Pro is for individual professionals who require more advanced features and additional resources ^[4], and Docker Team is for small teams that need collaborative tools ^[4]. Docker Business includes purchase via invoice and a 1 business day support response ^[4]. Testcontainers Cloud runtime minutes cost $3 per 100 minutes, and on demand minutes cost $4 per 100 minutes ^[4]. Docker Hardened Images Community is free for every developer ^[4], and Docker Hardened Images Select starts at $5k per repo ^[4]. The facts here do not give a dollar price for Docker Pro or Team, so those prices are not published here.

DevWebUI is free, and its core features need no account ^[2]. It is open source under the MIT License ^[2]. No paid tier price is stated in its sources.

Setting it up and daily use

Concurrently can be installed globally or locally for a specific package ^[3], and in its examples you may replace npm with yarn, pnpm or bun ^[3]. The concurrently command is also available under the alias conc ^[3]. Day to day, its page describes the --kill-others switch ^[3], maxProcesses ^[3] and restartTries ^[3] options. The sources here say nothing more about its routine use.

Docker Compose creates and starts all your services with a single command from the configuration file ^[1], and it works in production, staging, development, testing and CI workflows ^[1]. Compose Bridge transforms your configuration for other platforms such as Kubernetes ^[1]. Its page here gives no install command, so check Docker's own pages for setup steps.

On Windows, DevWebUI is installed by downloading devwebui-windows-x64.exe from GitHub Releases, and on any OS you run bun install and then bun run dev ^[2]. There is a prebuilt Windows x64 app, other systems run it from source with Bun, and the tray app is Windows only for now ^[2]. On Windows, a tray icon keeps DevWebUI running in the background and has Open, Restart and Quit options ^[2]. Daily, you control servers from the dashboard ^[2] or from a devwebui command line tool that talks to the same service ^[2]. If the last shutdown was not clean, the next launch loads your projects but starts nothing automatically ^[2].

Things to check before you choose

Ask what you need the tool to run. Concurrently's page speaks of running several commands together, Docker Compose's of multi-container applications ^[1], and DevWebUI's claims of local dev servers ^[2].

Check whether you already use containers. Docker Compose defines and runs multi-container applications ^[1], while Concurrently runs any commands; DevWebUI can start a project's Docker services for you ^[2].

Check cost and accounts. Docker's facts give paid plans ^[4], and DevWebUI needs no account for core features ^[2]; the Concurrently facts here say nothing about cost.

Check what data leaves your machine. DevWebUI sends an anonymous install ping with update checks unless you set DEVWEBUI_NO_PING=1 ^[2]. The facts here do not cover data handling for Concurrently or Docker, so check their own pages.

Check access control if others can reach the tool. DevWebUI can be set to ask for a key before other programs control it ^[2].

How to choose

If you want to run several commands at once with readable prefixed output, Concurrently's page describes that, and if you want all of them killed when one dies, it describes the --kill-others switch ^[3].

If you want to define and run multi-container applications from one YAML file ^[1] that works in development, testing and CI ^[1], Docker Compose's page describes that.

If you want to start, stop and restart local dev servers from one dashboard with status, CPU, memory and logs, DevWebUI's claims describe that ^[2]. If you want a small file in your repo listing the servers to run ^[2], with Docker services started first ^[2], DevWebUI's claims describe that.

If you want an AI assistant to control your dev servers, DevWebUI lets AI assistants do that through 43 tools ^[2]. If you want a free tool with no account for core features, DevWebUI's claims say that ^[2].

Frequently asked questions

Is Concurrently free to use?

The Concurrently facts here say nothing about a price, so it is not published here. The page describes running several commands together with prefixed output, a --kill-others switch ^[3], and a maxProcesses limit ^[3], but no cost. Check Concurrently's own pages for its license and any paid options before you rely on it.

Does Docker Compose cost money?

Docker Compose itself defines and runs multi-container applications ^[1] and starts all services with a single command ^[1]. Around it, Docker sells paid plans: Docker Pro for individual professionals ^[4], Docker Team for small teams ^[4] and Docker Business ^[4]. Docker Personal includes 100 Docker Hub pulls per hour and 1 private repo ^[4], and Hardened Images Community is free ^[4].

Is DevWebUI free and open source?

DevWebUI is free, and its core features need no account ^[2]. It is open source under the MIT License ^[2]. The sources here do not state any paid tier, so the only price they give is free. Check the project's own pages if you need more detail on future plans.

How do you install Concurrently and Docker Compose?

Concurrently can be installed globally or locally for a specific package ^[3], and in its examples you may replace npm with yarn, pnpm or bun ^[3]. The Docker Compose facts here give no install command, so check Docker's own pages for setup. On Windows, DevWebUI is installed by downloading devwebui-windows-x64.exe from GitHub Releases, and on any OS you run bun install and then bun run dev ^[2].

Does DevWebUI send any data about the machine?

DevWebUI sends an anonymous install ping with update checks unless you set DEVWEBUI_NO_PING=1 ^[2]. Its sources here say nothing further about data collection. For Concurrently and Docker Compose, the facts here do not cover data handling, so check their own pages and your account terms before relying on either tool in a sensitive setting.

DevWebUI is free, and its core features need no account. ^[2]

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