Comparison

Docker Guard vs Specula

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Docker Guard

Features
Read full description

Docker Guard is the fastest way to keep an eye on your Docker hosts from your iPhone or iPad. Docker Guard is a native iPhone and iPad monitoring client for your self-hosted Docker environment. It requires the free, open-source Docker Guard Agent running on your Docker host. Connect to any server running the open-source Docker Guard Agent and get a live, industrial-style dashboard of everything that matters โ€” CPU load, memory usage, and the state of every container, image, volume and network. When something needs a nudge, start, stop or restart containers with a single tap. LIVE DASHBOARD - Circular gauges for aggregated CPU and memory usage across all running containers - Sparkline history so you can spot trends at a glance - Engine version, architecture and host name at the top - Counts for containers, images, volumes and networks, always up to date CONTAINER CONTROL - Full container list with status, image and ports - One-tap start, stop and restart - Filter running vs. stopped - Detail view with environment and mount information IMAGES, VOLUMES, NETWORKS - Browse every image on the host with size and tags - Inspect volumes and their drivers - See each Docker network and its driver PRIVACY AND SECURITY FIRST - Your data never touches our servers. The app talks directly to your own Docker Guard Agent over HTTPS. - TLS certificates are pinned on first use (TOFU). Any change is flagged with a clear warning โ€” you decide whether to trust the new fingerprint. - API key authentication for every request. - All credentials and certificate fingerprints live in the iOS Keychain. - Optional Face ID / Touch ID app lock keeps the app protected even if your device is unlocked. BUILT FOR iOS 26 - Native SwiftUI with the Liquid Glass look and feel - Swift 6 strict concurrency, main-actor by default - iPhone and iPad layouts, portrait and landscape - Light and dark mode - English and German SELF-HOSTED BY DESIGN The Docker Guard Agent is a small, open-source Rust service you run on your own machine as a Docker container. It mounts only the Docker socket, exposes a minimal HTTPS API, and generates its own self-signed certificate on first boot. No cloud relay, no telemetry, no third parties. Full setup instructions and the agent source are available on the Docker Guard website. Docker Guard is an independent project and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Docker Inc.

About

Specula

Features
Read full description

Specula watches the services you host yourself and tells you at a glance which ones are running, which are struggling and which one just went down. No account, no middleman server, no telemetry: the app queries your machines directly on your network. Your API keys stay on your device. A DASHBOARD, NOT A LIST OF LINKS Every service shows its real metrics, read through its own API: Immich's photo count, AdGuard's blocked queries, your NAS's free space, Proxmox's containers, the volumes filling up. The service type is recognised automatically โ€” Immich, Nextcloud, Home Assistant, Proxmox, OpenMediaVault, UniFi, Portainer, Vaultwarden, Paperless and many more. UP AND RUNNING IN THREE MINUTES Scan your network: Specula finds your services on its own. Or import the services.yaml you already use with Homepage โ€” groups, URLs and widgets carry over as they are. Otherwise, add an address by hand. THE OUTAGES THAT MATTER A service that stops answering after three attempts triggers a notification. The status wall keeps thirty days of history and works out each service's real uptime. Alerts โ€” service offline, disk full, temperature โ€” are enabled one by one, and a volume that is meant to be full is excluded with a single gesture. WHEREVER YOU LOOK iPhone, iPad, Mac, with widgets on the Home Screen and the Lock Screen, a Live Activity during an outage and access from the Mac menu bar. One address per service: the one that answers from your device, whether you go through the local network, a VPN, a reverse proxy or a tunnel. TRY IT BEFORE YOU SET IT UP A complete demo mode, with simulated data, shows you the app working without installing anything. FOUR SERVICES ON THE HOUSE The first four services are free, with no account and no time limit. Beyond that, each slot is bought once and stays yours, and you can also lift the limit permanently in one go and support the project. See the App Store for pricing. Slots you buy follow you from one device to another.

Screenshots

Docker Guard2 screens
Specula4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Docker Guard at daily against Specula's every 3 days. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Docker Guard sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Specula sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Docker Guard ships an update daily, Specula every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 5 level
Docker Guard versus Specula: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDocker GuardSpecula
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyDaily โ€” betterEvery 3 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac โ€” better
Requires iOS26.426.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size2 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHans RenzSylvain Malard

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Docker Guard

One-time1
  • Control Pack$3.99
2 purchases

Specula

One-time2
  • Service slot$0.49
  • Unlimited services$17.99

Questions

Is Docker Guard free?
Docker Guard is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Specula free?
Specula is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Docker Guard or Specula have ads?
Neither Docker Guard nor Specula shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Docker Guard or Specula?
Docker Guard ships an update daily, and Specula every 3 days. Most recently, Docker Guard was updated on September 29, 2026 and Specula on October 8, 2026.

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