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Codespaces vs Docker comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 14, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Codespaces
Ranking in Development Platforms
5th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
4
Ranking in other categories
IDE (1st)
Docker
Ranking in Development Platforms
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
56
Ranking in other categories
Container Management (5th), Software Supply Chain Security (6th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Development Platforms category, the mindshare of Codespaces is 10.5%, up from 4.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Docker is 43.9%, up from 37.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Development Platforms
 

Featured Reviews

Yshay Yaacobi - PeerSpot reviewer
Enabling a consistent remote environment with seamless integration and a consistent developer experience
We use Codespaces as a remote working environment as it provides a consistent working environment and compatibility across devices. Initially, I started using it because I was working on an Apple Silicon device, and my tools weren't compatible with that architecture. The remote environment offered…
Rikin Parekh - PeerSpot reviewer
Useful to create sandbox environments to run applications and makes it easy to test them
Overall, setting up the Docker environment is quite easy. Many methods exist, such as using Docker Compose and Docker networks to communicate between containers. The main challenge lies in designing the architecture and integrating different frameworks and microservices. I would rate the ease of setting up the tool at around nine out of ten. The time it takes to deploy depends on the scale of the system. For the early-stage startup I'm currently working with, it doesn't take much time. It's just me handling the deployment. In our early-stage startup, we have a couple of teams with around four to five backend APIs and two front-end services. Deploying these doesn't take much time. My focus is more on minimizing costs due to our lean startup structure.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The product allows us to implement feature-related changes or improvements on time. Whenever I write a section of the code or create a new code, it automatically integrates with the former code."
"Codespaces' most valuable feature is the repository, which helps the developers to work together. Its data commands are also useful."
"The developer experience is consistent, and its pricing makes sense since it optimizes the resources."
"The integration with Visual Studio Code offers a good and fast user experience that feels like a local experience."
"The most valuable features of the solution are Copilot and Advanced Security."
"The most valuable feature of Docker is its portability, ease of security management, and low resource usage."
"The most valuable features of Docker are its security, detailed documentation, and ease of use, and the Docker Swarm is not as complex as Kubernetes."
"I think that with Docker, it is easy to deploy it on different platforms."
"We use Docker to facilitate deployment, updates, and management."
"I am impressed with the product's independence. We can also deploy it anywhere."
"The most valuable feature is that it is cost-saving."
"The most valuable feature of Docker is that it revolutionized virtualization by providing a new approach with containers that completely nullified the time it used to take to deploy applications on virtual servers, resulting in deployment times that can be as quick as milliseconds, unless it is a heavy application, such as Java. Additionally, resource utilization has greatly improved with Docker, allowing for more resources to be allocated to other tasks. These are a few key features that make Docker a preferred choice."
"It is a very stable solution. Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
 

Cons

"We get merge conflict errors and need to resolve them."
"The technical support could respond faster."
"When I close the laptop and open it in a different place, the state of the environment disappears, and I need to rerun several commands. This context switch affects productivity."
"The product indicates incorrect statistics."
"The main issue is related to state preservation on a disconnection. When I close the laptop and open it in a different place, the state of the environment disappears, and I need to rerun several commands."
"Sometimes, it can become heavy and cause performance issues."
"Docker needs to improve its pricing."
"There is always room for improvement. I often refer to forums such as StackOverflow to learn from other developers' experiences and the challenges they have faced while using Docker."
"We are facing multiple issues with the solution's stability."
"Docker could improve by having more advanced features."
"Docker volumes. When I integrated volumes, I faced challenges. I have not essentially used add volumes to the existing instances."
"There can be challenges with port mapping, however, that's not related to Docker itself."
"Deployment could be quicker."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I am using the product’s free version."
"From what I've seen, the solution doesn't seem like it's overly expensive for what you get."
"Docker is a free open-source solution."
"Docker is a free open-source solution. However, there is the Docker Enterprise which is a paid solution."
"The pricing of the solution is fairly cheap."
"The product is not expensive."
"The offering and service are quite free."
"This is an open-source solution, so there are no licensing costs."
"I use the solution's open-source version."
"Docker is cost-effective and open-source."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Educational Organization
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
16%
Insurance Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Government
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Codespaces?
The most valuable features of the solution are Copilot and Advanced Security.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Codespaces?
Using Codespaces for a single station is cost-effective. However, I am not well-versed in the broader licensing considerations.
What needs improvement with Codespaces?
The main issue is related to state preservation on a disconnection. When I close the laptop and open it in a different place, the state of the environment disappears, and I need to rerun several co...
What do you like most about Docker?
We are using Docker to host applications.
What needs improvement with Docker?
In terms of communication between services, perhaps the configuration within networks between containers could be improved.
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Codespaces vs. Docker and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
848,716 professionals have used our research since 2012.