Celistra vs Portainer
Portainer is the right tool if your workload is containers. Celistra is the right tool if your workload is long-running processes (AI agents, training jobs, scripts) where containerizing every one is friction. They're complementary — many homelabs run both.
Feature scope
| Portainer | Celistra | |
|---|---|---|
| Manages | Docker, Swarm, Kubernetes, ACI | OS processes (PTY-based) |
| Cross-host fleet view | ✓ | ✓ |
| Workload primitive | Container | Process |
| Spawn ad-hoc | Run a container image | Run a command |
| Sandbox model | Container isolation (cgroups, namespaces) | macOS Seatbelt / Linux bwrap |
| Mobile app | ✗ | ✓ |
| Built for AI agents | No (general) | Yes |
| Cost | CE free / Business $0–$15/host/mo | Free 1 node · $2/mo Pro · $10/mo Team |
Pick Portainer if
- You're already deep in Docker / Kubernetes
- Your workload containerizes naturally
- You want service-mesh, deploy patterns, image registries
Pick Celistra if
- You don't want to containerize every script
- Your workload is interactive PTYs (Claude Code, training, browser agents)
- You want a phone app for approvals
- You want sandboxing without containers
Use both
Portainer for the Plex / Jellyfin / Vaultwarden tier (containers that should stay up forever). Celistra for the "spawn 5 Claude Codes for an afternoon" tier. Different lifecycle, different tool.
FAQ
Can Celistra spawn Docker containers?
It can spawn `docker run ...` as a child process — same as any other command. But for managing long-lived containers, Portainer is purpose-built and better at it.
Does Celistra have a CE / open-source tier?
The daemon binary is and stays free. The dashboard / cloud features are free for one node, paid above that.