Docker vs Google Kubernetes Engine comparison

Docker and Google are both solutions in the Container Management category. Docker is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.7, while Google is ranked #8 with an average rating of 8.0. Docker holds a 3.7% mindshare in CM, compared to Google’s 2.9% mindshare. Additionally, 98% of Docker users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 94% of Google users who would recommend it.

Docker

Read 55 Docker reviews

1,592 Views
1,307 Comparison Views

98% willing to recommend

Google Kubernetes Engine

Read 36 Google Kubernetes Engine reviews

1,336 Views
1,061 Comparison Views

94% willing to recommend

Docker

Google Kubernetes Engine

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 13, 2024

Google Kubernetes Engine and Docker compete in the cloud infrastructure and containerization space. GKE appears to have the upper hand due to its robust infrastructure management and advanced auto-scaling capabilities.

Features: GKE is known for its ease of deployment, seamless multi-cloud support, and advanced auto-scaling capabilities. It integrates well with Google's ecosystem, enhancing its usability for machine learning applications. On the other hand, Docker excels in containerization, providing a flexible and user-friendly environment with fast deployment times. Its simplicity in container orchestration and cross-environment consistency is beneficial for straightforward containerization.

Room for Improvement: Google Kubernetes Engine could enhance application-level security, backup systems, and provide more integrated tools to reduce reliance on third-party software. Improved documentation and support are also necessary. Docker could focus on improving stability and security features, enriching documentation, and offering straightforward management tools. Integration of GPU support and enhancing user interfaces are potential areas for improvement.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: GKE primarily operates on public cloud infrastructure, making it scalable and easy to deploy. However, customer service experiences vary, with noted slow response times and a need for better documentation. Docker offers flexibility with deployments across on-premises, public, private, and hybrid clouds, though its support largely depends on community resources, with professional support available via a paid license.

Pricing and ROI: GKE is a paid service with flexible pricing based on usage, offering excellent operational productivity but potentially higher costs compared to competitors like AWS. Docker is mostly open-source and free, with a paid Enterprise version including additional features. GKE's costs are linked to virtual machine and resource requirements, while Docker offers cost efficiency through its open-source nature. Both provide worthwhile ROI, though cost structures vary; GKE costs are driven by infrastructure needs, whereas Docker remains cost-effective.

To learn more, read our detailed Docker vs. Google Kubernetes Engine Report (Updated: October 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Docker vs. Google Kubernetes Engine

October 2024

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Categories and Ranking

Docker

Ranking in Container Management

5th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Development Platforms (1st), Software Supply Chain Security (5th)

Google Kubernetes Engine

Ranking in Container Management

8th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2024, in the Container Management category, the mindshare of Docker is 3.7%, down from 4.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Google Kubernetes Engine is 2.9%, down from 3.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Container Management

Featured Reviews

Gur Sannikov

Technical program manager at Intel Corporation

Offers reliability and helps to save on costs

In terms of the impact of container orchestration, I would say that though my company does not currently use a lot of containers, we plan to move to containers. I recommend others to just use the internet than ChatGPT since mostly all issues are already known and very easy to deal with so it is better to use the knowledge from the industry. In terms of the use of Docker for AI projects or workflows, I would say that my company deploys AI applications on Docker, like any other application and pipeline. The tools or practices that have proven to be the most beneficial for our company's AI initiatives are agnostic to Docker. There is nothing special in Docker, and our company just uses it to deploy applications. The value derived from the use of the product revolves around the scalability and the reliability it offers. The product helps with the cost-savings part since it saves time and money linked with the amount of engineers required to spend time on operations. I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

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Abhilash Gopidas

Deployment Manager at HealthEdge Software, Inc.

The auto-scaling feature helps during peak hours, but the support is not great

The product has no downtime. Automated scaling is a valuable feature. During peak hours, the datasets are on a higher volume. We need scaling in place. Otherwise, there's a degradation in the performance. We might sometimes miss data, or there will be no data sync between systems. Auto-scaling helps deal with performance needs during peak hours. There's no lag time for processing data.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Containerization is the most valuable feature. I can communicate to the Docker containers using other containers."

"The most valuable feature of Docker is its integration with other solutions, such as KVM and AlmaLinux."

"Docker is perfect for what I do...The solution is scalable."

"The ability to use an image with the software built into it, rather than just the software, is beneficial."

"Feature-wise, Docker is very user-friendly...The solution's initial setup process was straightforward."

"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."

"When used in conjunction with Kubernetes, it is seamless because it integrates very well."

"The lift and shift creates a lightweight image."

More Docker pros

"Google Kubernetes Engine is used for orchestrating Docker containers. We have 30 or 40 customers working with this solution now. We'll probably see 10 to 15 percent growth in the number of customers using Google Kubernetes Engine in the future."

"Google Kubernetes Engine's most valuable features are microservices and its acquisition rate, which is very useful for scaling perspective."

"The solution is available across AWS, GCP and Azure and is seamless."

"The most valuable feature of Google Kubernetes Engine is how you can automatically scale and load balance."

"We hardly have a breakdown. It's been very stable."

"The feature that I like the most is the ease of use as compared to AWS. Its ease of use is very high, and I can quickly deploy clusters with a simple template."

"The features are typical Kubernetes, but Google One offers a better GUI-based deployment. It's more sophisticated and integrates well with other services, providing a better customer experience."

"The most beneficial feature is the ability to separate each project and manage permissions more effectively."

More Google Kubernetes Engine pros

Cons

"The security layer is very vulnerable, although they are working to improve the system hardening and email hardening."

"Docker management is very difficult when we have a large number of nodes."

"We would like to see improvement in adding the node into the Docker Swarm cluster, as at present it is a little tricky and requires a lot of manual steps."

"The solution could offer better documentation."

"The documentation could be improved."

"As for improving Docker, I would like to see enhancements in its user interface and documentation to make it even more user-friendly and accessible. I believe Docker will expand its scope and reduce limitations to support more applications, both online and offline. For instance, in scenarios like deployments on ships or during upgrades, Docker can continue to offer software services and container-based intelligence."

"The vendor should release a monitoring tool or include monitoring capabilities in Docker"

"We'd like knowledge transfer to be easier."

More Docker cons

"The user interface is a bit confusing sometimes. You need to navigate between the various consoles we have. It's hard to figure out where things are. It's frustrating. The documentation could be a bit better."

"The user interface could be improved."

"I would like to see the ability to create multiple notebook configurations."

"The tool's configuration features need improvement."

"The product's stability is an area of concern where improvements are required."

"There is a limitation for our infrastructure. It's very complex to see in one dashboard all the components and all the behavior on performance. I am looking for some additional tools for that. If I want to check the disk or file storage, it gets complex. There should be an integrated dashboard so that we can manage everything through a single pane."

"One of the things I missed a bit is the visibility and availability of solutions. If I compare it to a different solution, it is a bit behind."

"Google Kubernetes Engine's cost should be improved because it is high."

More Google Kubernetes Engine cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There is a license needed to use Docker."

"Pricing is based on the number of users."

"I use the solution's open-source version."

"The product is not expensive."

"Docker is a free-to-use solution. However, Docker Enterprise is not free."

"It's free."

"The product is a free open-source tool."

"We are using the open-source version of the solution."

More Docker pricing and cost advice

"The solution's price is reasonable."

"The price for Google Kubernetes Engine could be lower - I'd rate its pricing at three out of five."

"Initially, Google Kubernetes Engine was a little bit cheaper, but now its prices have been increased compared to the pricing model and the features that are made available by its competitors."

"I would rate the solution's pricing a nine out of ten. The tool costs around 3000 dollars per month. There are no additional costs apart from these."

"I rate the product's price a six on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price and ten is high price. The product is competitively priced."

"Pricing is a bit expensive compared to some other products, but it's acceptable."

"It is competitive, and it is not expensive. It is almost competitive with AWS and the rest of the cloud solutions. We are spending around 3K USD per month. There are four projects that are currently running, and each one is incurring a cost of around 3K USD."

"I would rate Kubernetes' pricing four out of five."

More Google Kubernetes Engine pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

19%

Insurance Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

23%

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

Retailer

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Docker?

We are using Docker to host applications.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Docker?

Our customers buy the software and the prices are available on Docker Hub. The subscription is typically yearly, and customers will need to buy the subscription directly. They can purchase it thems...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Docker?

Docker is a time-tested, proven solution with industry-wide applications. There can be challenges with port mapping, however, that's not related to Docker itself.

See all answers

What do you like most about Google Kubernetes Engine?

The product has no downtime.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Google Kubernetes Engine?

For pricing, Google is considered cheaper compared to AWS, making it suitable for smaller to medium companies concerning cost. I would rate the cost around four out of ten, where ten is the higher ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Google Kubernetes Engine?

The management UI could be improved. When looking at the web interface, it feels kind of slow due to the many features involved. The interface could definitely be faster.

See all answers

Comparisons

VMware Tanzu Platform vs Docker

Compared 23% of the time

Rancher Labs vs Docker

Compared 23% of the time

Mirantis Container Runtime vs Docker

Compared 16% of the time

Nutanix Kubernetes Engine NKE vs Docker

Compared 10% of the time

Codespaces vs Docker

Compared 10% of the time

More Docker Competitors

Akamai Connected Cloud (Linode) vs Google Kubernetes Engine

Compared 26% of the time

Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform vs Google Kubernetes Engine

Compared 23% of the time

Rancher Labs vs Google Kubernetes Engine

Compared 14% of the time

Kubernetes vs Google Kubernetes Engine

Compared 10% of the time

VMware Tanzu Platform vs Google Kubernetes Engine

Compared 10% of the time

More Google Kubernetes Engine Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Docker

December 2024

Download Docker product report

Buyer's Guide

Google Kubernetes Engine

December 2024

Download Google Kubernetes Engine product report

Also Known As

No data available

GKE

Learn More

Docker

Google

Overview

Docker is a versatile container platform used for running and deploying applications in isolated environments, ensuring consistency across development, testing, and production.

Docker offers solutions for containerizing applications, automating deployments, and managing infrastructure through its robust platform. It supports CI/CD workflows, provides a development platform for container management, and simplifies the setup by using streamlined tools. Organizations leverage Docker for building microservices, running UI applications, deploying web services, and setting up secure environments. It also facilitates managing containers via Kubernetes and creating development stacks for enhanced productivity.

What are Docker's key features?

Security: Offers containment and isolation of applications.
Easy Use: Simplifies the deployment and management of applications.
Documentation: Extensive resources to aid in understanding and implementation.
Customization: Flexible environment configurations.
Scalability: Efficiently handles applications irrespective of scale.
Internal DNS: Manages network configurations within the container ecosystem.
Overlay Networks: Facilitates seamless inter-container communication.
Resource Efficiency: Optimizes usage of system resources.

What benefits should users look for?

Consistency: Ensures homogeneous environments across development, testing, and production stages.
Portability: Allows applications to run consistently on any platform.
Cost-Effectiveness: Reduces overhead costs associated with application deployment.
Speed: Accelerates the build, test, and deployment cycles.
Flexibility: Supports various tools and integrations to adapt to different workflows.

Industries implement Docker for CI/CD pipelines, scaling services, and improving resource utilization. Tech companies use Docker for building and deploying their software in isolated environments. Finance and healthcare sectors deploy applications securely, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. Educational institutions set up consistent development environments for coding labs and training students in advanced technologies.

Kubernetes Engine is a managed, production-ready environment for deploying containerized applications. It brings our latest innovations in developer productivity, resource efficiency, automated operations, and open source flexibility to accelerate your time to market.

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Philips Lighting, Alpha Vertex, GroupBy, BQ

Buyer's Guide

Docker vs. Google Kubernetes Engine

October 2024

Free Report: Docker vs. Google Kubernetes Engine

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