What is DockFlare used for?

DockFlare automates Cloudflare Tunnel routing, DNS records, and Zero Trust access policies from a single container label. It is a good fit for publishing homelab services without opening ports and applying access policies to new containers automatically.

Is DockFlare open source?

Yes. DockFlare is open source under a custom licence. Its source code is on GitHub at ChrispyBacon-dev/DockFlare and is written mainly in Python.

Yes. DockFlare is open source, so the software itself is free to use under the terms of its own licence.

Can I self-host DockFlare?

Yes. DockFlare can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure; there is no official hosted version.

What are some alternatives to DockFlare?

Similar open-source tools in the Networking & VPN category include Nginx Proxy Manager, frp and Traefik. SaaS products in the same category include Cloudflare, Tailscale and Cloudflare Tunnel.

Is DockFlare actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to DockFlare was on 20 September 2026, and the latest release is v3.1.6, published on 20 September 2026. The project has 2.5k stars on GitHub.

DockFlare: open-source networking & VPN

About DockFlare

DockFlare is a self-hosted tool that connects Docker and Cloudflare. It watches your containers and, based on labels, automatically creates Cloudflare Tunnel routing, DNS records, and Zero Trust access policies, so a service can be exposed securely without opening ports or editing configuration by hand. It is written in Python with Flask. The input lists its license only as other.

The project positions itself for homelab and small self-hosted setups, and its topics include ingress controller, reverse proxy, zero trust, Cloudflare Access, and network automation. A web interface helps manage tunnels and policies, and the homepage notes support for managing OAuth and OIDC providers.

DockFlare requires a Cloudflare account and relies on Cloudflare's services for the tunnels, so it is not independent of that vendor. It suits homelab users and small teams running many containers who want to publish them with consistent access control and minimal manual work.

Key features

Cloudflare Tunnel routing from Docker labels
Automatic DNS record management
Zero Trust access policy automation
Container watching for changes
OAuth and OIDC provider management
Web interface for tunnels and policies

Good fit for

→Publishing homelab services without opening ports
→Applying access policies to new containers automatically

Built with: Python; Docker; Flask
Tags: cloudflare; docker; tunnel; zero-trust; dns; homelab; reverse-proxy; automation

DockFlare: questions and answers

What is DockFlare used for?: DockFlare automates Cloudflare Tunnel routing, DNS records, and Zero Trust access policies from a single container label. It is a good fit for publishing homelab services without opening ports and applying access policies to new containers automatically.
Is DockFlare open source?: Yes. DockFlare is open source under a custom licence. Its source code is on GitHub at ChrispyBacon-dev/DockFlare and is written mainly in Python.
Is DockFlare free?: Yes. DockFlare is open source, so the software itself is free to use under the terms of its own licence.
Can I self-host DockFlare?: Yes. DockFlare can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure; there is no official hosted version.
What are some alternatives to DockFlare?: Similar open-source tools in the Networking & VPN category include Nginx Proxy Manager, frp and Traefik. SaaS products in the same category include Cloudflare, Tailscale and Cloudflare Tunnel.
Is DockFlare actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to DockFlare was on 20 September 2026, and the latest release is v3.1.6, published on 20 September 2026. The project has 2.5k stars on GitHub.