Containers & Orchestration
A list of container technologies and orchestration tools. Compare major container platforms like Docker, Kubernetes, and Podman.
| No | Name | Description | Trend | Type | Pricing | Official Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Docker | Pioneer of container technology. Containerization platform that packages applications and their dependencies into containers, providing consistent execution environments. | De facto standard for container technology. Accelerates DevOps culture adoption through consistent environment construction from development to production. Docker Desktop and Docker Hub widely used. | Platform | Free and paid tiers | Official |
| 2 | Kubernetes | Industry standard for container orchestration. Open-source platform for automated deployment, scaling, and management of large-scale containerized applications. | Core technology for enterprise container operations. De facto standard for microservices architecture implementation as center of CNCF ecosystem. | Platform | Open source | Official |
| 3 | Red Hat OpenShift | Red Hat's enterprise Kubernetes platform. Enterprise container platform adding developer tools, security, and operational features to Kubernetes. | Positioned at core of hybrid cloud strategy following IBM acquisition. Expanding adoption among enterprises prioritizing support and manageability in Kubernetes deployment. | Platform | Subscription-based | Official |
| 4 | Rancher | Multi-cluster Kubernetes management platform. Centrally manages multiple Kubernetes clusters, providing enterprise-level operations, security, and governance. | Growing due to complex multi-cluster environment management demand. Maintains open-source status after SUSE acquisition, playing important role in Kubernetes ecosystem. | Platform | Open source / Support available | Official |
| 5 | Podman | Daemonless container engine developed by Red Hat. Maintains Docker compatibility while improving security and operability through rootless execution and SystemdPods features. | Increasing adoption in security-focused enterprise environments. Expanding use especially in Red Hat ecosystem as migration destination from Docker. | Platform | Open source | Official |
| 6 | Amazon EKS | AWS managed Kubernetes service. Automates Kubernetes cluster operations management and achieves enterprise-level container operations through deep AWS service integration. | Standard choice for Kubernetes operations in AWS environments. Accelerates cloud-native application development through operational load reduction as managed service. | Platform | Cluster management fee + EC2 costs | Official |
| 7 | Docker Compose | Tool that simplifies the definition and execution of multi-container Docker applications. Defines multiple services using YAML configuration files and enables startup and management with a single command. | Essential for managing multi-container applications in development and local testing environments. Significant improvements in v2 enhance performance and functionality. Profile features enable environment-specific management. | Tool | Open source | Official |
| 8 | containerd | Industry-standard container runtime. Operates as foundation for Kubernetes and other orchestrators, providing high reliability and performance. CRI-compliant for easy Kubernetes integration. | Widely adopted as default runtime for Kubernetes. Gaining attention as lightweight alternative to Docker with OCI compliance. High-performance integration through gRPC API. | Runtime | Open source | Official |
| 9 | Docker Swarm | Docker-native clustering and orchestration tool. Integrated with Docker, allowing simple setup of container clusters. Low learning curve. | Simpler than Kubernetes with lower learning cost. Suitable for small to medium environments and migration from Docker environments. Attractive compatibility between Docker Stack and Compose format. | Platform | Open source | Official |
| 10 | HashiCorp Nomad | Simple and flexible workload orchestrator. Unified scheduling for containers, VMs, and binary applications. Lighter and simpler alternative to Kubernetes. | Popular with organizations wanting to avoid Kubernetes complexity. Infrastructure management simplified through HashiCorp stack (Vault, Consul, Terraform) integration. Increasing adoption in edge computing. | Platform | Open source / Enterprise | Official |