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Docker logo

Docker

Accelerate how you build, share, and run applications

Overview

What Docker does

Docker is a platform designed to help developers build, share, and run container applications. It handles the tedious setup, so you can focus on the code. Docker Desktop is the easiest way to run Kubernetes on your local machine.

What people use it for

  • Application containerization
  • Microservices
  • CI/CD pipelines
  • Development environments
  • Cloud migration

The honest half

Where it falls short

Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about Docker.

  • Shared kernel creates security vulnerabilities when containers share the same OS kernel that can bypass container isolation
  • Daemon socket exposure grants full root access to the host if compromised
  • Requires careful secrets management - credentials embedded in images or environment variables are easily harvested by attackers
  • Resource management complexity - misbehaving or compromised containers can consume all resources causing denial of service
  • Orchestration complexity - Docker Swarm is less capable than Kubernetes, requiring external tools for production deployments

Cross-shopped

What people choose instead of Docker

Each pairing was judged by two reviewers asking whether a buyer would genuinely weigh the two against each other. The ones that failed were deleted rather than published.

  • Docker logo
    Docker
    vs
    Kubernetes logo
    Kubernetes

    Kubernetes: Open-source container orchestration platform that automates deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications at scale.

Capabilities

Features

  • Container runtime

    Container runtime capability

  • Docker Desktop

    Docker Desktop capability

  • Docker Hub

    Docker Hub capability

  • Docker Compose

    Docker Compose capability

  • Container images

    Container images capability

  • Dockerfile

    Dockerfile capability

  • Docker Swarm

    Docker Swarm capability

  • BuildKit

    BuildKit capability

  • GitHub

    Integration with GitHub

  • GitLab

    Integration with GitLab

  • Jenkins

    Integration with Jenkins

  • CircleCI

    Integration with CircleCI

Answered, with sources

Questions people ask

Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.

What is Docker pricing?

Docker offers a freemium model with Docker Personal free, Docker Pro at $11/user/month, Docker Team at $16/user/month, and Docker Business at $24/user/month. Each tier includes Docker Desktop, Docker Hub, and Docker Scout with different usage limits.

Source
Can I use Docker in production?

Yes. Docker is used extensively in production environments. However, for container orchestration at scale, Kubernetes is typically paired with Docker to automate deployment, scaling, and management across clusters.

Source
What are the main security concerns with Docker?

Key security risks include container breakout vulnerabilities through shared kernel exploits, daemon socket exposure that grants root access if compromised, weak isolation between containers, and credential leakage if secrets are embedded in images.

Source
Does Docker integrate with CI/CD systems?

Yes. Docker integrates with Jenkins, GitHub, and other CI/CD systems. The typical workflow involves GitHub repositories triggering automated builds in Jenkins, which prepare Dockerfiles and push images to Docker Hub for deployment.

Source

Behind it

Who makes Docker

Company
Docker Inc
Based in
Palo Alto, CA
Founders
Solomon Hykes, Kamel Founadi, Sebastien Pahl

Timeline

Docker over time

  1. Funding2022-03-01$105m

    Docker secures $105 million in Series C round led by Bain Capital

    Source
  2. Funding2021-03-01$23m

    Docker raises $23 million in Series B round led by Tribe Capital

    Source
  3. Funding2019-11-01$35m

    Docker secures $35 million in Series A recapitalisation round

    Source

Keep looking

Where to go from Docker

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Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for Docker, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.

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