Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Docker Compose VS Capistrano

Compare Docker Compose VS Capistrano and see what are their differences

Docker Compose logo Docker Compose

Define and run multi-container applications with Docker

Capistrano logo Capistrano

A remote server automation and deployment tool written in Ruby
  • Docker Compose Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-05-23
  • Capistrano Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-18

Docker Compose features and specs

  • Simplified Multi-Container Deployment
    Docker Compose allows users to define and manage multi-container applications with a single YAML file, making it easy to deploy complex applications.
  • Infrastructure as Code
    Compose files are version-controlled, enabling teams to use best practices in infrastructure as code, repeatable builds, and consistent development environments.
  • Portability
    Applications defined with Docker Compose can be shared easily and deployed in any environment that supports Docker, enhancing development and operational consistency.
  • Ease of Use
    With simple CLI commands, developers can start, stop, and manage containers, reducing the complexity of container orchestration.
  • Environment Variables
    Docker Compose supports the use of environment variables, making it easier to configure applications and manage different environments (e.g., development, testing, production).
  • Isolation
    Compose creates isolated environments for different applications, preventing conflicts and allowing for more straightforward dependency management.

Possible disadvantages of Docker Compose

  • Not Suitable for Large-Scale Production
    Docker Compose is not designed for managing large-scale, production-grade applications. For more robust orchestration and scaling, systems like Kubernetes are typically used.
  • Single Host Limitation
    Docker Compose is intended for single-host deployments, which limits its use in distributed and multi-host environments.
  • Networking Complexity
    Networking between containers can become complex, especially as the number of services grows, which may require additional configuration and management.
  • Learning Curve
    While Docker Compose simplifies many tasks, there is still a learning curve associated with understanding Docker concepts, Compose syntax, and best practices.
  • Limited Built-in Monitoring
    Docker Compose has limited built-in monitoring and logging capabilities, necessitating the use of additional tools for comprehensive monitoring.
  • Resource Management
    Docker Compose does not provide advanced resource management features, which can lead to suboptimal resource usage and potential inefficiencies.

Capistrano features and specs

  • Automated Deployment
    Capistrano automates the deployment process, reducing the risk of human error and saving time by allowing for continuous deployment.
  • SSH Support
    Leverages SSH for secure communication with servers, ensuring a safe and encrypted connection which is essential for production environments.
  • Customizable Workflows
    Provides the flexibility to customize deployment workflows and tasks to fit unique requirements, offering more control over the deployment process.
  • Rollbacks
    Supports easy rollbacks to previous versions, which is crucial in quickly reverting changes in case of deployment issues.
  • Multi-Server Support
    Enables deployment to multiple servers, making it suitable for applications requiring load balancing or distributed systems.

Possible disadvantages of Capistrano

  • Ruby Dependency
    Requires Ruby, which can be a limitation for teams not using Ruby for other parts of their stack or have restrictions on adding new dependencies.
  • Initial Configuration Complexity
    Setting up Capistrano can be complex, especially for those unfamiliar with Ruby or SSH, requiring an additional learning curve.
  • Limited Windows Support
    Primarily designed for Unix-based systems, which may present challenges when deploying to or from Windows environments.
  • Plugin Dependency Management
    While powerful plugins exist, managing them and their dependencies can lead to complexities and potential conflicts over time.
  • Not Ideal for Non-Ruby Projects
    Originally designed for Ruby on Rails applications, making it less seamless for projects that don't fit this framework.

Docker Compose videos

Docker Compose | Containerizing MEAN Stack Application | DevOps Tutorial | Edureka

More videos:

  • Demo - What is Docker Compose? (with demo)

Capistrano videos

Ranch Road Boots EPIC In-Depth Review: Capistrano Black

More videos:

  • Review - Armani Exchange Capistrano watch review
  • Review - Review Americas Best Value Laguna Inn & Suites (San Juan Capistrano (CA), United States)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Docker Compose and Capistrano)
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0
DevOps Tools
71 71%
29% 29
Continuous Integration
0 0%
100% 100
Cloud Computing
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using Docker Compose and Capistrano. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Docker Compose should be more popular than Capistrano. It has been mentiond 43 times since March 2021. 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.

Docker Compose mentions (43)

  • 5 Developer Pain Points Solved by Internal Developer Platforms
    Docker Compose for local development environments. - Source: dev.to / 5 days ago
  • Connecting RDBs and Search Engines — Chapter 1
    This removes all container volumes and resets everything to its initial state. See the official documentation for more details. - Source: dev.to / 10 days ago
  • Docker Compose and Devcontainers for Microservices Development
    This tutorial assumes familiarity with Docker, Docker Compose, Devcontainers and that your services have Dockerfile implemented. - Source: dev.to / 24 days ago
  • Building a bot to talk to my cats
    I talk a lot about using containers for local development. The container that I always used was some running LLM container that I pulled from the Docker Hub official AI image registry. I initially started dev work by just running npm start to get my app running and test connecting to a container, and then I got more savvy with my approach by leveraging Docker Compose. Docker Compose allowed me to automatically... - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • How to Keep Docker Secrets Secure
    Docker includes a secrets management solution, but it doesn't work with standalone containers. You can supply secrets to your containers when you're using either Docker Compose or Docker Swarm. There's no alternative for containers created manually with a plain docker run command. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
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Capistrano mentions (10)

  • Multiple deployments and High Availability with Mina and Ruby on Rails
    However this model is generic to any client-server / monolithic / micro services approach and to any languages and frameworks. In my project I use Mina (Formerly using Capistrano), so that means that on each deployment the script makes a SSH-in to the remote machine and performs the deployment process: Git clone, Git pull, rake db:migrate assets:precompile, puma:restart, etc… Before using Capistrano I was doing... - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Type of programming language.
    I think Capistrano is a good example. Their homepage snippet shows you what a DSL is. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Peace - Zero Stress Automation framework + website
    I think it's something like https://capistranorb.com/. Source: over 2 years ago
  • How do I learn production/deployment process?
    That should give you lots of stuff to research but I'll leave you with a final point: Every project is going to be different. Use the right tool for the right job; for a small application you definitely don't need Kubernetes, you might be fine without any pipeline at all. For example, Ruby on Rails projects can use a tool called capistrano to script deploys and you can run that from your local machine any time you... Source: over 2 years ago
  • Jenkins CI or CI/CD
    I personally consider Jenkins a Task Runner that has a massive collection of CI plugins. Anyone can do deployments/delivery from a task runner, but any deployments I had to do in Jenkins ended up needing custom code written to do the actual work. This isn't unique to Jenkins; before the days of kubernetes, we had tools like capistrano or Config Management tools like Chef and Puppet that were capable of doing... Source: over 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

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

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

Ansible - Radically simple configuration-management, application deployment, task-execution, and multi-node orchestration engine

Rancher - Open Source Platform for Running a Private Container Service

Deployer - Deployment Tool for PHP

Docker Swarm - Native clustering for Docker. Turn a pool of Docker hosts into a single, virtual host.

Driver Talent - Driver Talent is an easy to use application, designed to help you get the drivers you need for your system.