🐳 Run PostgreSQL & MongoDB Locally with Docker (Plus GUI Access)

Setting up databases locally can be a real pain. You deal with installation headaches, port conflicts, config issues… you name it. But with Docker, it's as easy as running a few commands. In this post, we’ll set up PostgreSQL and MongoDB in your development environment using Docker — and the best part? You’ll get full GUI access through pgAdmin and Mongo Express.

What You’ll Need

Docker Desktop installed and running
Basic command line knowledge
5 minutes of your time 😎

Project Setup

Let’s keep both PostgreSQL and MongoDB in one Docker Compose file so you can manage them together.


mkdir docker-databases && cd docker-databases
touch docker-compose.yml
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🔸 Part 1: PostgreSQL + pgAdmin

PostgreSQL is a robust relational database, and pgAdmin is the most popular GUI for managing it.

docker-compose.yml (PostgreSQL section)


services:
  postgres:
    image: postgres:15
    container_name: postgres_container
    environment:
      POSTGRES_USER: admin
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: admin123
      POSTGRES_DB: mydb
    ports:
      - "5432:5432"
    volumes:
      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data

  pgadmin:
    image: dpage/pgadmin4
    container_name: pgadmin_container
    environment:
      PGADMIN_DEFAULT_EMAIL: admin@local.com
      PGADMIN_DEFAULT_PASSWORD: admin123
    ports:
      - "5050:80"
    depends_on:
      - postgres
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Access pgAdmin GUI

Open browser → http://localhost:5050
Login:
- Email:
  admin@local.com
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- Password:
  admin123
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Add new server:
- Name:
  Local PostgreSQL
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- Host:
  postgres
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- Port:
  5432
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- Username:
  admin
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- Password:
  admin123
  Click to Copy

Connect via Prisma (example)


datasource db {
  provider = "postgresql"
  url      = "postgresql://admin:admin123@localhost:5432/mydb"
}
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🔸 Part 2: MongoDB + Mongo Express

MongoDB is a flexible NoSQL document database, and Mongo Express gives us a simple web UI to inspect it.

docker-compose.yml (MongoDB section)


mongodb:
    image: mongo:6
    container_name: mongodb_container
    ports:
      - "27017:27017"
    volumes:
      - mongodb_data:/data/db

  mongo-express:
    image: mongo-express
    container_name: mongo_express_container
    ports:
      - "8081:8081"
    environment:
      ME_CONFIG_MONGODB_SERVER: mongodb
      ME_CONFIG_MONGODB_ADMINUSERNAME: root
      ME_CONFIG_MONGODB_ADMINPASSWORD: example
    depends_on:
      - mongodb
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Access Mongo Express GUI

Open browser → http://localhost:8081
Collections and databases are auto-listed. No login setup required by default.

Connect via Mongoose (example)


mongoose.connect('mongodb://root:example@localhost:27017/')
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Enable Persistent Data

We’ve included volumes in our Docker Compose to make sure your data doesn’t vanish when containers are restarted:


volumes:
  postgres_data:
  mongodb_data:
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To wipe all data (like a fresh install):


docker-compose down -v
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Run Everything

Start all containers together:


docker-compose up -d
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Stop everything:


docker-compose down
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Final Thoughts

That’s it! You now have PostgreSQL + pgAdmin and MongoDB + Mongo Express running locally with zero system pollution. Whether you're building APIs, prototyping fullstack apps, or just exploring, this setup is fast, visual, and easy to manage.

Bonus Ideas:

Add Redis or MySQL to the stack
Use .env files for secrets
Mount custom SQL or JS seed scripts
Dockerize your backend and connect to these databases

Happy coding & containerizing! 🐳💻

Run PostgreSQL and MongoDB Locally with Docker and GUI Access