# Docker > Run evcc as a Docker container on a NAS or Linux server with Docker Compose, and see why host networking is recommended and which ports bridge mode needs. evcc can be installed as a Docker image. Images are available for AMD64, armv6 and arm64. Common use cases include NAS systems like Synology, QNAP, Unraid and TrueNAS. > **Caution** > > This guide assumes basic experience with Docker. > > If you haven’t worked with Docker before and are looking for an easy way, we recommend a dedicated device instead, e.g. a Raspberry Pi with the [ready-made image](/en/installation/linux-image). > > If your devices are not accessible via network (e.g. RS485 adapters) you should choose a direct installation without Docker, e.g. under [Linux](/en/installation/linux). There are technical solutions to implement this with Docker. However, these are not covered here. ## Network Mode Before you create the container you have to decide how it is connected to your network. We recommend **host networking**. The container then shares the network of the host and behaves like a directly installed program. This has several benefits: * When you add a device, the **IP address or hostname** field suggests the devices found in your network. * Features based on mDNS work, e.g. EEBus, the SMA Sunny Home Manager and automatic discovery by the evcc app. * Devices that communicate via UDP, e.g. KEBA chargers and SMA devices, are reachable without further setup. * There is no port list to maintain. Inbound connections like OCPP chargers work right away. With **bridge networking** the container runs in a separate Docker network. This is fine if you don’t need the features above or prefer to isolate the container. You then have to publish every required [port](#ports) yourself. Devices in your network are not suggested, so you enter their addresses manually. Host networking requires a Linux host, which includes the common NAS systems. With Docker Desktop on macOS and Windows the container runs in a virtual machine without direct access to your network. Use the [macOS](/en/installation/macos) or [Windows](/en/installation/windows) installation there instead. > **Mount the directory, not the database file** > > Always mount the `/root/.evcc` **directory** — never a single `evcc.db` file. evcc keeps the SQLite database together with its sidecar files (`evcc.db-wal` and `evcc.db-shm`) in this directory, and all of them have to persist together. > > A [named volume](https://docs.docker.com/engine/storage/volumes/) (`docker volume create evcc`, then mount `evcc:/root/.evcc`) is the most robust choice: it keeps the files together and lives on the host’s native filesystem, which provides the file locking SQLite needs. Avoid placing the database on a network share (NFS/SMB) or — on Docker Desktop for macOS/Windows — on a bind mount, as these can break SQLite locking. ## Installation The container can be set up via Docker Compose, the Docker CLI or the Docker UI of your system. All three use the same image and volumes. Two image tags are available: `evcc/evcc:latest` (recommended) and `evcc/evcc:nightly` (development build). ### Volumes | Host Path | Container Path | Description | Required | | ---------------------- | ---------------- | ---------------------------------------- | -------- | | `/home/user/.evcc` | `/root/.evcc` | Directory for the database | yes | | `/home/user/evcc.yaml` | `/etc/evcc.yaml` | Configuration file (only if you use one) | no | The database contains your charging sessions and everything you set up in the web interface. Create the directory on your host system before the first start. This guide uses `/home/user/.evcc` as an example. The `evcc.yaml` volume is only needed if you configure your instance via a [configuration file](/en/installation/configuration) instead of the web interface. Remove the line from the examples below if you don’t use one. ### Docker Compose [Docker Compose](https://docs.docker.com/compose) is the recommended way, because all parameters are stored in one file. Create a file named `compose.yml` with one of the following configurations: * Host network (recommended) ```yaml services: evcc: container_name: evcc image: evcc/evcc:latest network_mode: host volumes: - /home/user/.evcc:/root/.evcc - /home/user/evcc.yaml:/etc/evcc.yaml # optional restart: unless-stopped ``` * Bridge network ```yaml services: evcc: container_name: evcc image: evcc/evcc:latest ports: - 7070:7070/tcp - 8887:8887/tcp volumes: - /home/user/.evcc:/root/.evcc - /home/user/evcc.yaml:/etc/evcc.yaml # optional restart: unless-stopped ``` This example only publishes the web interface and the OCPP server. Add further [ports](#ports) as needed. Start the container with: ```sh sudo docker compose up -d ``` Whether you need `sudo` depends on your system. ### Docker CLI Alternatively, create and start the container with a single command: * Host network (recommended) ```sh sudo docker run -d --name evcc \ --network host \ -v /home/user/.evcc:/root/.evcc \ -v /home/user/evcc.yaml:/etc/evcc.yaml \ --restart unless-stopped \ evcc/evcc:latest ``` * Bridge network ```sh sudo docker run -d --name evcc \ -p 7070:7070 \ -p 8887:8887 \ -v /home/user/.evcc:/root/.evcc \ -v /home/user/evcc.yaml:/etc/evcc.yaml \ --restart unless-stopped \ evcc/evcc:latest ``` This example only publishes the web interface and the OCPP server. Add further [ports](#ports) as needed. ### Docker UI If your system has a Docker UI (e.g. Synology, QNAP, Portainer, Unraid), you can create the container there. Enter the image and the [volumes](#volumes) from above and set the network mode to `host`. If you choose bridge networking instead, add the [ports](#ports) you need. The exact field labels vary from system to system. However, you’ll find the concepts of network mode, ports and volumes in all of them. ## Ports Publishing ports is only necessary with bridge networking. With host networking these ports are available on the host directly. | Host Port | Container Port | Description | Required | | --------- | -------------- | ---------------------- | -------- | | 7070 | 7070/tcp | Web UI, API | yes | | 8887 | 8887/tcp | OCPP server | no | | 9522 | 9522/udp | SMA Sunny Home Manager | no | | 7090 | 7090/udp | KEBA chargers | no | | 28376 | 28376/udp | EVSE Master chargers | no | | 5353 | 5353/udp | mDNS | no | | 4712 | 4712/tcp | EEBus | no | | 8899 | 8899/udp | Modbus UDP | no | ## Testing After starting the container, you can access the web interface at `http://:7070`. `` is the IP address or hostname of the computer running the container. On first use you are prompted to set an administration password. After that you can set up your devices as described in [Configuration](/en/installation/configuration). If you cannot establish a connection, check your [container logs](/en/report-a-problem#system-logs). You can find further help in the [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/evcc-io/evcc/discussions). ## Updates * Docker Compose Navigate to the directory containing the `compose.yml` file and pull the latest image: ```sh sudo docker compose pull ``` If a new image is available, the following command recreates the container. Otherwise, the existing one continues running. ```sh sudo docker compose up -d ``` * Docker CLI Pull the latest image, then stop and remove the existing container: ```sh sudo docker pull evcc/evcc:latest sudo docker stop evcc sudo docker rm evcc ``` Start the container again with the same `docker run` command as during [installation](#cli). * Docker UI The update process depends on your specific Docker UI. Please refer to your system’s documentation for this. > **Note** > > If your charging sessions are no longer displayed after an update, the `/root/.evcc` directory is not mounted correctly. ## Community Guides Here you’ll find user-created guides for specific systems. We cannot guarantee that they are accurate or up to date. > **Contributions welcome** > > Updates or guides for additional systems are always welcome. Whether as PDF, personal blog article, or YouTube video. Feel free to create a pull request in the [Documentation Repository](https://github.com/evcc-io/docs/pulls). ### Synology NAS You can install evcc via Docker on Synology NAS systems using its graphical interface, without using the command line. This guide uses the recommended [host mode](#network): [Anleitung: Synology Docker (PDF / DE)](https://github.com/evcc-io/docs/files/10365841/Anleitung.EVCC.Synology.Docker.Elli.Charger.Connect-Pro.pdf) A guide for bridge mode can be found here: [Anleitung: Synology Docker 2 (PDF / DE)](https://github.com/evcc-io/docs/files/10365845/EVCC_Synology_Docker-2.pdf) by [at4hawo1](https://github.com/at4hawo1) ### QNAP NAS Installing evcc on QNAP systems via Container Station is very similar to the Synology instructions above. QNAP specific instructions can be found here: [Anleitung: QNAP (PDF / DE)](https://github.com/evcc-io/docs/files/11241693/EVCC_auf_QNAP_Container_Station.pdf) ## Static Device Suggestions This is an advanced option for controlled Docker environments where bridge networking is intended and the devices are fixed. The environment variable `EVCC_DISCOVERY_HOSTS` provides a static list of devices. This list is then used for the suggestions in the **IP address or hostname** field instead of searching the network. The value is a JSON list. Each entry needs an `ip`. `hostname` and `mac` are optional. They are used to show the vendor and to list devices that fit the selected device type under **Matching**. ```yaml services: evcc: environment: EVCC_DISCOVERY_HOSTS: >- [ {"ip": "192.168.1.10", "hostname": "sma3009876543", "mac": "00:15:BB:12:34:56"}, {"ip": "192.168.1.20", "hostname": "go-echarger_123456"} ] ``` An empty list `[]` turns the suggestions off.