Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

AMPPS VS Docker

Compare AMPPS VS Docker and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

AMPPS logo AMPPS

MAMP and WAMP stack with Latest PHP, Apache, MySQL and Softaculous. Install and manage apps like PHP, WordPress and much more with just one click.

Docker logo Docker

Docker is an open platform that enables developers and system administrators to create distributed applications.
  • AMPPS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-03-17

AMPPS is a bloat-free local development stack with PHP, MySQL, Apache and Softaculous.AMPPS supports all the latest versions of PHP, Apache and MySQL. Installing and updating these packages is just one click. Softaculous auto installer is also included with AMPPS which enables you to install 380+ apps like WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, Magento, phpBB, etc which can be installed and updated with just one click.

  • Docker Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-25

AMPPS

Website
ampps.com
$ Details
freemium $49.0 / Annually
Platforms
Mac OSX Windows
Release Date
2021 October

Docker

Website
docker.com
$ Details
Platforms
-
Release Date
2013 January
Startup details
Country
United States
State
California
Founder(s)
Solomon Hykes
Employees
50 - 99

AMPPS features and specs

  • Lightweight - Install apps as per your needs
  • Latest PHP versions - One click install and update
  • Domain Management - Add unlimited addon/parked/alias domains
  • Database management
  • Enable/Disable PHP extensions
  • Manage Apache Configuration
  • Start, Stop, Restart Apache and MySQL services
  • WordPress Manager - Manage plugins, themes, auto login, WordPress core updates, plugins and themes updates, debug mode
  • Backups - Local, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, AWS S3, FTP, FTPS and SFTP
  • Clone and Staging
  • Remote Import
  • 400+ apps

Docker features and specs

  • Portability
    Docker containers are designed to run consistently across different environments such as development, testing, and production, ensuring that software behaves the same regardless of where it's deployed.
  • Efficiency
    Docker containers share the host OS kernel and use fewer resources compared to traditional virtual machines, which allows for faster startups and reduced overhead.
  • Isolation
    Containers encapsulate the application and its dependencies in a separate environment, which minimizes conflicts between different applications' dependencies.
  • Scalability
    Docker makes it easier to scale applications quickly and manage resource allocation dynamically, which is particularly useful for microservices architectures.
  • Continuous Integration and Deployment
    Docker facilitates CI/CD processes by making it easier to automate the deployment pipeline, resulting in faster code releases and more frequent updates.
  • Community and Ecosystem
    A vast community and a rich ecosystem of tools and pre-built images in Docker Hub, enabling you to quickly find and reuse code and solutions.

Possible disadvantages of Docker

  • Complexity
    While Docker can simplify certain aspects of deployment, it adds a layer of complexity to the infrastructure that might require specialized knowledge and training.
  • Security
    Containers share the host OS kernel, which can pose security risks if an attacker gains access to the kernel. Proper isolation and security measures must be implemented.
  • Persistent Data
    Managing persistent data in Docker can be challenging, as containers are ephemeral and the default storage solutions are not always suitable for all applications.
  • Monitoring and Debugging
    Traditional monitoring and debugging tools might not work well with containerized applications, requiring specialized tools and approaches which can complicate troubleshooting.
  • Performance Overhead
    Although lighter than virtual machines, Docker containers can still introduce performance overheads, especially when multiple containers are running simultaneously.
  • Compatibility
    Not all software and systems are fully compatible with Docker, which can limit its use in certain legacy applications and complex environments.

Analysis of AMPPS

Overall verdict

  • AMPPS is generally a good choice for developers who need a comprehensive local server solution. It is praised for its ease of use and convenience, though some users might find its resource usage to be higher compared to other lightweight solutions.

Why this product is good

  • AMPPS is considered beneficial because it provides an extensive local development stack for developers. It includes all necessary components like Apache, MySQL, MongoDB, PHP, Perl, and Python in a single package, which makes setting up a development environment straightforward and efficient. Additionally, it supports a wide variety of applications and offers an easy-to-use interface for managing databases and development projects.

Recommended for

  • Web developers who require a full-featured local development stack.
  • Students and educators involved in web development training.
  • Freelancers and small teams who need a simple, all-in-one development environment.
  • Those who prefer managing development environments through a graphical user interface.

Analysis of Docker

Overall verdict

  • Docker is considered a strong choice for containerization due to its robust feature set, community support, and ecosystem. It is praised for making applications more portable and for reducing 'it works on my machine' issues. However, like any technology, it has a learning curve and may not be necessary for simpler projects.

Why this product is good

  • Docker is a widely-used platform that simplifies and accelerates the process of developing, testing, and deploying applications by using containerization technology. It allows developers to package applications and their dependencies into lightweight, portable containers that can run consistently across any environment. This greatly enhances efficiency, scalability, and collaboration within development teams.

Recommended for

  • Developers seeking to streamline application deployment across multiple environments
  • Teams looking for consistency in application performance and operations
  • Organizations that require scalable solutions for microservices architectures
  • Projects that benefit from CI/CD practices and need automation in deployment pipelines

AMPPS videos

Install Ampps Webserver With Softaculous

More videos:

  • Review - Install AMPPS on Windows 10
  • Review - WAMP on PC to AMPPS on Mac, wordpress site

Docker videos

What is Docker in 5 minutes

More videos:

  • Tutorial - What is Docker? Why it's popular and how to use it to save money (tutorial)
  • Review - Real World PHP Dockerfile Review, from a #Docker Captain

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to AMPPS and Docker)
Web And Application Servers
Developer Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Web Servers
100 100%
0% 0
Containers As A Service
0 0%
100% 100

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing AMPPS and Docker.

What makes your product unique?

AMPPS's answer

AMPPS is a bloat-free stack so you only install the apps that you want to install.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

AMPPS's answer

You can install from a long list of PHP versions available. You can switch PHP versions with a click. You can also install new PHPs when they are released or upgrade the existing PHPs, Apache, MySQL to the latest version with a click.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

AMPPS's answer

If you are a developer who use any of the following technologies then you can use AMPPS : - PHP - Apache - MySQL - MongoDB

User comments

Share your experience with using AMPPS and Docker. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare AMPPS and Docker

AMPPS Reviews

Best XAMPP Alternatives for Website Development in 2024
The last alternative to XAMPP on our list is AMPPS available for Windows, MacOS, and Linux. AMPPS provides a complete local setup for WordPress site development. With its versatility across multiple operating systems, it offers convenience and flexibility for developers.
Source: instawp.com
8 Best MAMP Alternatives (Definitive List)
The free version of AMPSS doesnโ€™t limit the number of local websites that you can set up. However, that version doesnโ€™t come with AMPPSโ€™ built-in WordPress manager tool. This feature helps you manage multiple WordPress websites using a panel thatโ€™s very similar to a multisite setup.
Source: kinsta.com
13 Best XAMPP Alternatives
Most AMPPS servers offer similar features as shared hosting plans from companies like HostGator or DreamHost without requiring you to pay a monthly fee. If you donโ€™t have your server, many hosts offer great packages for $5-10 per month that let you test out how effective an AMPPS setup will be for your needs.
Source: thetechtian.com
9 Best XAMPP Alternatives Cross Platform Web Server
AMPPS supports a variety of open sources web applications such as Dolphin, Joomla!, and WordPress. As a result of which, creating a website has become a matter of mere minutes. All you need for that is the AMPPS package and the latest version of your favorite web application.
10 Best alternatives of XAMPP servers for Windows, Linux and macOS
AMPPS comes with a Domain Administrator and an auto-installation tool for hundreds of web applications. Also, there are many free features that we have not yet explored. In comparison, I think that AMPPS could be a better alternative to WAMP, MAMP, and XAMPP.

Docker Reviews

Exploring 7 Efficient Alternatives to MAMP for Local Development Environments
Though not specifically designed for PHP development, Docker offers a containerized approach to create, deploy, and run applications. It enables easy installation of PHP, web servers, and databases within containers, facilitating quick and consistent development environment setups.
Source: medium.com
Top 6 Alternatives to XAMPP for Local Development Environments
Docker - A containerization platform that allows developers to package applications and their dependencies into containers. Docker Compose can be used to define multi-container application stacks, including web servers, databases, and other services. Features powerful portability and consistency, supports rapid building, sharing, and container management, suitable for...
Source: dev.to
The Top 7 Kubernetes Alternatives for Container Orchestration
Docker uses images as templates to create new containers using Docker engine commands such as Build -t or run -d.
Kubernetes Alternatives 2023: Top 8 Container Orchestration Tools
Docker is an open-source platform for building, managing, deploying containerized applications. Swarm is a native feature in Docker with a group of virtual or physical machines that lets you schedule, cluster, and run Docker applications. It is a Docker alternative for Kubernetes that provides high portability, agility, and high availability.
Top 12 Kubernetes Alternatives to Choose From in 2023
Docker Swarm is a native clustering and orchestration solution provided by Docker, the leading containerization platform.
Source: humalect.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Docker seems to be a lot more popular than AMPPS. While we know about 80 links to Docker, we've tracked only 3 mentions of AMPPS. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

AMPPS mentions (3)

  • Best MAMP Alternatives in 2025
    AMPPS is available for both Windows and MacOS, offering a straightforward setup for WordPress site development. Its versatility across different platforms makes it a convenient and flexible choice for developers. Furthermore, this tool enables you to test your site locally without interfering with the production site, making it a solid option for development and testing environments. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Form data from form page isn't submitted to the database, how can I fix this issue?
    It should have generated a log file, though. If it didn't then you need to make sure you actually restarted everything. I'd also consider switching to something like Ampps and see if that helps. Source: over 3 years ago
  • How to install WordPress
    Some web hosting providers offer a Softaculous auto-installer that simplifies WordPress installation to the smallest. - Source: dev.to / almost 5 years ago

Docker mentions (80)

  • Simplifying basic (genAI) web app deployment with serverless
    Cloud Run (GCR) -- the latest serverless platform; OCI-compliant containers (Docker, Buildpacks, etc.) Cloud Functions (GCF) -- originally serverless functions to compete with AWS Lambda; latest generation rebranded as Cloud Run Functions. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • How to prompt Gemini CLI to improve your Dockerfile
    One of the best benefits of Docker is that it helps you make your software multi-environment friendly, so you can use the same (or similar) config from local dev to production. Having a Dockerfile for every environment kind of defeats the purpose. Optimizing it means using env vars and keeping the overall architecture more abstract. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • Why NGINX Still Powers the Modern Web in 2025: Part 1
    Before we begin, ensure you have Docker installed on your system. You can download it from Docker's official website. - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
  • Does it Make Sense to Run WordPress in Docker?
    You can use Docker to spin up an instance of WordPress on your local computer and in the cloud. But does it make sense to use WordPress in Docker? - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Guide: Deploy Ghost with Docker on Sliplane
    Ghost is an open source blogging and newsletter platform designed for professional publishers. In this guide, I want to show you, how you can spin up and deploy your own instance of Ghost using Docker and Sliplane. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing AMPPS and Docker, you can also consider the following products

XAMPP - XAMPP is a free and open-source cross-platform web server that is primarily used when locally developing web applications.

Kubernetes - Kubernetes is an open source orchestration system for Docker containers

MAMP - MAMP is the abbreviation for Macintosh, Apache, MySQL, and PHP. It is a reliable application with its four components that allows you to access the local PHP server as well as the database server (SQL).

Google App Engine - A powerful platform to build web and mobile apps that scale automatically.

EasyPHP - EasyPHP installs a portable local WAMP server including the server-side scripting language: PHP 5, the web Server: Apache 2, the SQL Server: MySQL 5, a database manager: PhpMyAdmin and others development tools.

Apache Karaf - Apache Karaf is a lightweight, modern and polymorphic container powered by OSGi.