Hey Penpot Community! 
I’m excited to share something I’ve been working on: the Penpot Docker Extension — a tool that brings one-click deployment of a complete self-hosted Penpot instance directly into Docker Desktop.
The Problem
Setting up a self-hosted Penpot environment traditionally involves:
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Downloading docker-compose.yaml files
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Configuring environment variables
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Running terminal commands
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Manually checking service health
For developers and designers who just want to design, this can be a hurdle.
The Solution
The Penpot Docker Extension transforms this multi-step process into a single-click deployment right from the Docker Desktop dashboard.
Features
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One-Click Deployment — Start the complete Penpot stack instantly
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Real-Time Status Monitoring — See the health of all 6 services at a glance
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Service Management — Start, stop, restart individual services
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Integrated Logs Viewer — Troubleshoot without leaving Docker Desktop
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Quick Access Links — Jump straight to Penpot UI (port 9001) or MailCatcher (port 1080)
What Gets Deployed
The extension spins up the full Penpot stack:
| Service | Purpose |
|---|---|
| penpot-frontend | Web UI (Port 9001) |
| penpot-backend | API server |
| penpot-exporter | PDF/image export |
| penpot-postgres | PostgreSQL database |
| penpot-valkey | Cache (Redis-compatible) |
| penpot-mailcatch | Email testing (Port 1080) |
Installation
Penpot Docker Extension is now available in the Extension Marketplace.
Open Docker Desktop > Settings > Extensions > Enable Extensions.
Search for Penpot > Click "Install”.
Requirements:
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Docker Desktop (latest version)
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4GB RAM available for Docker
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Ports 9001 and 1080 free
Default Configuration
The extension ships with localhost-friendly defaults:
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Email verification disabled
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Secure session cookies disabled
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MailCatcher as SMTP (view all emails at localhost:1080)
For production use, you can customize the configuration to enable email verification, real SMTP, and secure cookies.
Resources
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GitHub: https://github.com/ajeetraina/penpot-docker-extension
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Full Blog Post: https://www.ajeetraina.com/introducing-the-penpot-docker-extension-one-click-deployment-for-self-hosted-design/
Feedback Welcome! 
This is an early release and I’d love your feedback:
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What features would make this more useful?
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Any issues with installation or running?
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Ideas for future improvements?
Let’s make self-hosting Penpot as simple as possible!
Happy designing! 
~ Ajeet
