Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

boot2docker VS OpenShift Container Platform

Compare boot2docker VS OpenShift Container Platform and see what are their differences

boot2docker logo boot2docker

boot2docker is a lightweight Linux distribution made specifically to run Docker containers.

OpenShift Container Platform logo OpenShift Container Platform

Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform is the secure and comprehensive enterprise-grade container platform based on industry standards, Docker and Kubernetes.
  • boot2docker Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-24
  • OpenShift Container Platform Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-04

boot2docker features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Boot2docker is lightweight and has a small footprint, as it's built on Tiny Core Linux, which makes it fast and efficient to run on various systems.
  • Quick Setup
    It offers a quick and straightforward setup for Docker on non-Linux systems, allowing developers to get started with containerization rapidly without extensive configurations.
  • Portable
    Being a VM that runs Docker, boot2docker can be easily moved or recreated on different machines, ensuring environment consistency across development systems.

Possible disadvantages of boot2docker

  • Limited Features
    Boot2docker may not have all the features and functionalities of a full Docker installation on a native Linux environment, which might limit advanced operations.
  • Deprecated
    Boot2docker has been deprecated in favor of Docker Desktop, which means it might not receive updates or support, potentially leading to security risks.
  • Requires Virtualization
    Since it runs Docker inside a VM, it requires virtualization support on the host machine, which may not be available or optimal in all environments.

OpenShift Container Platform features and specs

  • Comprehensive Kubernetes Platform
    OpenShift Container Platform provides a robust, enterprise-grade Kubernetes environment with advanced features for application lifecycle management, networking, and security out-of-the-box.
  • Integrated Developer Tools
    The platform includes integrated developer tools such as source-to-image (S2I) build systems and Jenkins pipelines, which streamline development workflows and enhance productivity.
  • Multi-cloud Support
    OpenShift supports hybrid and multi-cloud deployments, allowing organizations to run workloads across on-premises, bare metal, and multiple public cloud providers seamlessly.
  • Enhanced Security Features
    The platform offers advanced security capabilities such as built-in compliance checks, role-based access control (RBAC), and automated security updates to protect workloads from vulnerabilities.
  • Rich Ecosystem and Integrations
    OpenShift integrates seamlessly with a wide range of Red Hat and third-party tools and services, providing a rich ecosystem for building, deploying, and managing containerized applications.

Possible disadvantages of OpenShift Container Platform

  • Complexity
    The platform's extensive features and capabilities can lead to a steep learning curve, making it challenging for teams without prior Kubernetes or OpenShift experience.
  • Cost
    OpenShift Container Platform can be costly, especially for large-scale deployments, as it includes enterprise-grade support and additional tooling not found in vanilla Kubernetes.
  • Resource Intensive
    The platform may require significant compute and storage resources to run efficiently, which can be a consideration for organizations with limited infrastructure capacity.
  • Vendor Lock-in
    While OpenShift is based on open-source Kubernetes, certain features and integrations are Red Hat-specific, possibly leading to a degree of vendor lock-in.
  • Operational Overhead
    Managing and maintaining an OpenShift environment can introduce additional operational overhead due to its comprehensive but complex nature, requiring dedicated staff and expertise.

boot2docker videos

Installing VirtualBox, and Boot2Docker to run Docker Containers in OSX/Windows

More videos:

  • Demo - boot2docker v0.2 demo

OpenShift Container Platform videos

OpenShift Container Platform by RedHat | Kubernetes Made Easy | Tech Primers

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to boot2docker and OpenShift Container Platform)
Developer Tools
25 25%
75% 75
Cloud Hosting
37 37%
63% 63
Containers As A Service
0 0%
100% 100
Containers And Microservices

User comments

Share your experience with using boot2docker and OpenShift Container Platform. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare boot2docker and OpenShift Container Platform

boot2docker Reviews

We have no reviews of boot2docker yet.
Be the first one to post

OpenShift Container Platform Reviews

11 Best Rancher Alternatives Multi Cluster Orchestration Platform
On the flip side, the OpenShift Container Platform is a powerful commercialized tool introduced by Red Hat as flagship software. It boasts a very simple and intuitive user interface that lets you easily create, build, test, and deploy your applications directly to the cloud.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing boot2docker and OpenShift Container Platform, you can also consider the following products

Amazon ECS - Amazon EC2 Container Service is a highly scalable, high-performance​ container management service that supports Docker containers.

Docker - Docker is an open platform that enables developers and system administrators to create distributed applications.

Google Kubernetes Engine - Google Kubernetes Engine is a powerful cluster manager and orchestration system for running your Docker containers. Set up a cluster in minutes.

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

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

CoreOS - CoreOS platform provides the components needed to build distributed systems to support application containers.