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Docker vs Rancher Labs comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 13, 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

Docker
Ranking in Container Management
5th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
55
Ranking in other categories
Development Platforms (1st), Software Supply Chain Security (5th)
Rancher Labs
Ranking in Container Management
6th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
14
Ranking in other categories
Data Storage for Kubernetes (3rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the Container Management category, the mindshare of Docker is 3.4%, down from 4.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Rancher Labs is 8.2%, down from 8.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Container Management
 

Featured Reviews

Renat Babin - PeerSpot reviewer
Easy to deploy with an impressive networking feature
The volumes for persistent storage could be more user friendly right out of the box. I would like an option to just use it as local storage or some kind of NSF or CIF. Or to mount the volume straight to a Google Drive or through a particular cloud storage. It's not that these things are impossible, but you have to do some extra work or configurations.
RyanVassallo - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers an open-source version along with a good UI
The product has multiple good features. One of the solution's good features is that it is the GitOps functionality known as Rancher fleet, which is used for continuous delivery. The tool's UI is very convenient enough to help you manage multiple clusters in the cloud or on-premises, making it a product with which you can manage different clusters and locations. The tool also has a feature that is still kind of maturing, but I think it has very good potential. This new feature is named Harvester, which is allows users to have virtual machines managed by Kubernetes engine. This is very new technology in the market. I think that Harvester needs to mature as a product, and I think that in the future, it will be very powerful. You have one tool that does many things for you.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"We find the auto scaling and auto healing functionality of this solution very good."
"It is a quite mature technology."
"Docker is very reliable. It's easy to scale, and it's very stable."
"Feature-wise, Docker is very user-friendly...The solution's initial setup process was straightforward."
"Containerization is the most valuable feature. I can communicate to the Docker containers using other containers."
"The deployment is quite fast, which is beneficial."
"The initial setup was easy, and you are only required to run commands."
"Kubernetes is the primary container orchestration tool I use with this solution. Docker provides a complete solution for deploying and managing workloads across multiple nodes. Container orchestration has significantly impacted my workload by automating tasks and streamlining operations. The availability of systems like Kubernetes is crucial for planning and managing complete clusters and computing environments. Every client's needs are different, and not one solution fits all."
"The customized deployment process is the most valuable feature in Rancher Labs."
"A great UI with very good integrations."
"The solution has a lot of good features, such as you can access the console and edit through the GUI. The dashboard and the UI are designed well, user-friendly, and easy to manage, and access."
"The product is simple to use for a beginner."
"Rancher Labs is a very user-friendly tool."
"The initial setup is simple and straightforward."
"The solution is stable."
"The most valuable feature is its comprehensive support, easy resource scaling, compatibility with various OEMs, and seamless service integration."
 

Cons

"Docker volumes. When I integrated volumes, I faced challenges. I have not essentially used add volumes to the existing instances."
"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 solution is not easy to manage and it is one of the reasons why people introduce orchestration tools to manage it."
"The learning curve with Docker is huge and extensive"
"We have found that it is not easy to install it into a Windows system."
"Stability is an area with a shortcoming."
"I would like to see better management layers."
"It could be easier to create images and save them on reports. Just improved development workflow, just quicker, like some better user experience creating the images for the Docker containers."
"We have found that the auto-secure feature of this solution doesn't always work, and could be improved to be more reliable, particularly when working with business critical applications."
"We're looking for something that is even easier to use. It's a bit complicated."
"The biggest room for improvement in Rancher Labs would be to have a proper upgrading plan."
"One area for improvement in Rancher Labs is the development aspect."
"If you have poor infrastructure, you will have issues with the tool."
"I can't migrate to the newer version."
"Could be more intuitive."
"While Rancher Labs provides some level of security, it's not considered very robust."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution offers an open-source version that is free and includes a lot of functionality."
"There is a license needed to use Docker."
"We are using the open-source version of the solution."
"Docker's price is good."
"Customers pay for the license through a yearly subscription model, where they pay per license. This means that the license is based on a subscription, and the customer pays annually for each license they use."
"This is an open-source solution, so there are no licensing costs."
"Docker is a free open-source solution. However, there is the Docker Enterprise which is a paid solution."
"Its convenience edition is free of cost."
"The pricing of the solution sits in the mid range, not high and not low. It has a fixed price that you pay every month."
"There are no hidden charges attached to the product unless a user opts for the premium support offered by the solution."
"Although Rancher Labs is an open-source solution, they also offer a paid version, where you buy the support when needed."
"There is an annual subscription. The price of the solution should be cheaper and have better pricing flexibility."
"The solution is free and open source but there is a fee for support."
"This is an open-source solution, so there are no licensing costs involved."
"The cost is reasonable since it's open source. Rancher effectively addresses container orchestration trends, especially for those with some Kubernetes knowledge."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
18%
Insurance Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Computer Software Company
17%
Manufacturing Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Government
8%
 

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.
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...
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.
What do you like most about Rancher Labs?
The tool's UI is very convenient enough to help you manage multiple clusters in the cloud or the company, making it a product with which you can manage different clusters and locations.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Rancher Labs?
The cost is reasonable since it's open-source. Rancher effectively addresses container orchestration trends, especially for those with some Kubernetes knowledge.
What needs improvement with Rancher Labs?
While Rancher Labs provides some level of security, it's not considered very robust. We found it to offer basic security features, which met some of our requirements, but we also relied on other op...
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Albert Heijn, Bell, BMC, Samsung, WindStream, Johnson & Johnson
Find out what your peers are saying about Docker vs. Rancher Labs and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
831,158 professionals have used our research since 2012.