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Docker vs Kubernetes

Docker and Kubernetes are both listed under DevOps in the DevPages directory. This page puts the details we hold for each of them side by side.

It does not score them and does not pick a winner. Fields the catalog has no value for say “Not recorded” rather than being filled in with a guess.

Docker vs Kubernetes field by field

Docker, Kubernetes compared field by field. Values are taken from the DevPages catalog; fields we hold no value for read “Not recorded”.
Docker
Kubernetes
CategoryDevOpsDevOps
Pricing modelFreemiumOpen Source
Open sourceYesYes
GitHub stars6.1K128.8K
Key features
  • Lightweight containerization technology
  • Docker Desktop for local development
  • Docker Hub for container image sharing
  • Multi-platform container support
  • Docker Compose for multi-container applications
  • Swarm mode for basic orchestration
  • Build cache optimization
  • Security scanning and compliance
  • Automated deployment and scaling
  • Service discovery and load balancing
  • Storage orchestration
  • Self-healing capabilities
  • Configuration and secret management
  • Batch execution and job scheduling
  • Horizontal pod autoscaling
  • Rolling updates and rollbacks
Use cases
  • Application containerization and deployment
  • Microservices architecture implementation
  • Development environment standardization
  • CI/CD pipeline integration
  • Cloud migration and portability
  • Testing and quality assurance
  • Legacy application modernization
  • Multi-environment consistency
  • Container orchestration at scale
  • Microservices deployment and management
  • Cloud-native application development
  • Multi-cloud and hybrid deployments
  • DevOps automation and CI/CD
  • Resource optimization and cost management
  • High availability and disaster recovery
  • Platform engineering and internal tools
Integrations
  • Kubernetes
  • Jenkins
  • GitLab CI/CD
  • AWS
  • Azure
  • Google Cloud
  • GitHub Actions
  • Docker
  • Helm
  • Istio
  • Prometheus
  • Grafana
  • Jenkins
  • ArgoCD
  • Flux
Tags
  • containerization
  • microservices
  • deployment
  • devops
  • orchestration
  • virtualization
  • orchestration
  • containers
  • scaling
  • cloud-native
  • microservices
  • deployment
Links

What each one is

Docker

The world's leading containerization platform for building, sharing, and running applications

Docker revolutionized software deployment by making containerization mainstream. It allows developers to package applications with all their dependencies into lightweight, portable containers that run consistently across any environment. Docker has become the de facto standard for containerization, enabling microservices architectures and DevOps practices.

Full Docker listing

Kubernetes

Open-source container orchestration platform for automating deployment and management

Kubernetes (K8s) is the leading container orchestration platform that automates the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. Originally developed by Google, it has become the standard for running containers at scale, providing powerful features for service discovery, load balancing, storage orchestration, and automated rollouts.

Full Kubernetes listing

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