stackgen is a free, open source CLI/TUI tool for generating local development and test Docker Compose environments using production-aligned reference configurations.

It helps developers spin up realistic multi-service stacks quickly, without hand-writing compose files, Dockerfiles, or environment wiring.

No SaaS. No accounts. No background services.

stackgen interactively generates a ready-to-use local dev stack by:

• Selecting services (databases, caches, runtimes)
• Generating Docker Compose files
• Creating language-specific build/runtime containers
• Wiring services together via a generated .env
• Targeting an existing project folder or creating a new one
• Generating test containers and test function scaffolding

The result is a deterministic, editable baseline you fully control.

Download the appropriate binary for your platform:

macOS / Linux:

unzip stackgen-*.zip
chmod +x stackgen
sudo mv stackgen /usr/local/bin/

Windows: Extract the zip and add the directory to your PATH, or run directly.

# Interactive mode - launches TUI
stackgen init

# Use a preset profile
stackgen init --profile web-app

# Generate test containers
stackgen test

# Preview without writing files
stackgen init --dry-run

• Neo4j (Community Edition)
• PostgreSQL
• MySQL
• Microsoft SQL Server (Developer Edition)
• Redis
• Redis Stack (Community)

• Go (build + server containers)
• Go test container
• Node.js (framework presets)
• Java
• Rust
• C#
• Python

All services use official or widely adopted base images, with clear version pinning and readable defaults.

stackgen generates:

• docker-compose.yml
• Optional service-specific Dockerfiles
• .env and .env.example
• Named networks and volumes
• Predictable service naming
• Sensible local defaults
• Test containers and test scaffolding (via stackgen test)

Everything is plain text and editable. Nothing is hidden or locked in.

Initialize a new stack configuration.

stackgen init                     # Interactive TUI
stackgen init --name myproject    # Specify project name
stackgen init --profile api       # Use preset profile
stackgen init --dry-run           # Preview output

Generate test containers and test function scaffolding.

stackgen test                     # Interactive TUI
stackgen test --runtime go        # Generate Go test container
stackgen test --runtime node      # Generate Node.js test container
stackgen test --runtime python    # Generate Python test container

List available components.

stackgen list                     # Show everything
stackgen list datastores          # Show datastores
stackgen list runtimes            # Show runtimes
stackgen list profiles            # Show preset profiles

Add components to existing configuration.

stackgen add datastore postgres   # Add PostgreSQL
stackgen add runtime node         # Add Node.js

• Local development
• Integration testing
• Prototyping
• Reference architectures
• Onboarding new projects
• Standardizing dev environments

stackgen is intentionally scoped for local development and testing.

It provides production-aligned reference configurations, but it is not a production deployment tool.

Generated configurations must be reviewed, adapted, and secured before any production use.

• Not a hosting platform
• Not a deployment service
• Not a compliance or security guarantee
• Not a managed environment

You own and control all generated output.

Writing and maintaining compose files, env wiring, and build containers is repetitive, error-prone, and time-consuming.

stackgen compresses that work into minutes while keeping everything transparent and customizable.

You save time. You keep control.

• Free download from GitHub Releases
• No accounts or telemetry
• Works entirely locally
• See installation instructions above

stackgen is free and open source.

If this tool saved you time, consider sponsoring:

Your support helps maintain and improve this tool.

MIT License - See LICENSE file.

This product is provided as-is, without warranty of any kind.

It is intended as a reference and productivity tool. Users are responsible for reviewing generated configurations and ensuring suitability for their use case.

Upstream software licenses apply to generated configurations and referenced images.

See DISCLAIMER.md for full details.