Docker Compose runs multi-container applications from a single YAML file. One command can start an API, a database, a message broker, and supporting tools for local development - without installing each service on the host machine.
This post covers Compose concepts and commands. For ready-made stacks, see the service-specific posts linked at the end (Postgres/Redis, RabbitMQ, MongoDB, Kafka, DynamoDB/SQS).
Prerequisites
Docker Engine installed
Compose V2 - use docker compose (with a space). Current Docker Desktop includes it; no separate Compose install is required.
