How to Add MongoDB to Docker: A Practical Step-by-Step Guide

If you're a developer or hobbyist looking to spin up a MongoDB instance quickly without installing it directly on your machine, Docker makes it incredibly simple. In this post, I’ll walk you through the process of adding MongoDB to Docker — whether for local development, testing, or as part of a larger containerized app setup.

Why Use MongoDB with Docker?

MongoDB on Docker lets you:

Avoid cluttering your base system with database installations.
Run isolated instances easily.
Quickly reset your database environment.
Version control your database setup configuration with docker-compose.

Prerequisites

Before starting:

Install Docker on your system (Windows/Mac/Linux).
Have basic familiarity with the terminal/command line.
Optional but recommended: Install Docker Compose.

Step 1: Pull the Official MongoDB Docker Image

Docker Hub hosts an official MongoDB image maintained by the MongoDB team.

Open your terminal and run:

docker pull mongo

This command downloads the latest official MongoDB image.

Step 2: Run a Single MongoDB Container

Start a new container running MongoDB:

docker run -d --name mymongo -p 27017:27017 mongo

Explanation:

-d runs the container detached (in background).
--name mymongo gives your container an easy-to-use name.
-p 27017:27017 publishes port 27017 from the container to the host (default MongoDB port).

You can verify it’s running by checking containers:

docker ps

Step 3: Connect to Your MongoDB Instance

If you have the mongo shell installed on your host machine, connect like this:

mongo --host localhost --port 27017

Alternatively, you can get an interactive mongo shell inside the container:

docker exec -it mymongo mongo

Once inside, try inserting some data:

use testdb
db.users.insertOne({ name: "Alice", age: 29 })
db.users.find()

Step 4 (Optional): Persist Data Using Docker Volumes

By default, data inside your container is ephemeral — when you delete the container, you lose your data.

To persist data in a volume outside the container, run:

docker run -d --name mymongo -p 27017:27017 \
  -v mongodbdata:/data/db \
  mongo

Explanation:

-v mongodbdata:/data/db mounts a Docker volume named mongodbdata at /data/db, which is where Mongo stores its data files.

This way, even if your container stops or is removed, data remains safe in mongodbdata.

You can list volumes with:

docker volume ls

Step 5: Use Docker Compose for More Complex Setups

If you want to add Mongo as part of a multi-container setup (e.g., along with a backend app), use Docker Compose. Create a file named docker-compose.yml in your project folder with this content:

version: "3.8"
services:
  mongodb:
    image: mongo
    ports:
      - "27017:27017"
    volumes:
      - mongodbdata:/data/db

volumes:
  mongodbdata:

Start services by running:

docker-compose up -d

Your app can now connect to Mongo at localhost:27017.

Troubleshooting Tips

If another app is using port 27017 on your host, change it in the docker run command like so:

-p 28000:27017

Your host connects on port 28000.

To stop/remove containers gracefully:

docker stop mymongo
docker rm mymongo

Or for docker-compose setups:

docker-compose down

Conclusion

Adding MongoDB to Docker is straightforward and extremely useful for development workflows. Whether testing quickly or orchestrating several services via docker-compose, you get fast spins up/down without polluting your local environment.

Give it a try today! Once comfortable with these basics, you can explore further topics like setting up users/passwords for secured access or running shards and replicas — all powered by containerized MongoDB instances.

Happy coding!

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Add Mongodb To Docker