Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Docker Swarm VS Codeship

Compare Docker Swarm VS Codeship and see what are their differences

Docker Swarm logo Docker Swarm

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

Codeship logo Codeship

Codeship is a fast and secure hosted Continuous Delivery platform that scales with your needs.
  • Docker Swarm Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-11-01
  • Codeship Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-19

Docker Swarm features and specs

  • Simplicity
    Docker Swarm is easy to set up and use, especially for those already familiar with Docker. It integrates seamlessly into the Docker ecosystem, providing a straightforward solution for container orchestration without the need for additional tools.
  • Native Docker Integration
    Swarm is built into Docker, meaning that Docker users do not need to install or configure another orchestration tool. This provides a consistent experience from development to production.
  • Declarative Service Model
    Swarm allows users to define the desired state of their services, and the system works to maintain that state. This includes scaling services up or down, and handling load balancing.
  • Easy Scaling
    Docker Swarm makes it easy to scale applications horizontally by simply changing the number of replicas of a service. The platform manages the distribution of these replicas across the available nodes.
  • Built-in Load Balancing
    Swarm includes built-in load balancing, distributing incoming client requests to running containers based on task states and node availability.

Possible disadvantages of Docker Swarm

  • Limited Ecosystem
    Compared to Kubernetes, Docker Swarm has a more limited ecosystem of plugins, extensions, and third-party integrations. This can make it less flexible for complex or custom setups.
  • Less Feature-Rich
    Although sufficient for many use cases, Swarm lacks some advanced features that other orchestrators like Kubernetes offer, such as custom scheduling policies, complex networking configurations, and a broader range of storage options.
  • Community and Support
    The Docker Swarm community is smaller and less active compared to Kubernetes. This affects the available support, community-contributed tools, and overall development pace.
  • Scaling Limits
    While Docker Swarm can handle small to medium-sized clusters efficiently, it may not perform as well as Kubernetes in very large-scale deployments, particularly in terms of resource management and fault tolerance.
  • Future Uncertainty
    With Docker's increasing focus on Kubernetes, the long-term future of Docker Swarm is uncertain. This raises concerns about investing in a technology that might not be as actively developed or supported in the future.

Codeship features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Codeship offers an intuitive interface that simplifies the setup process, making it accessible for developers who may not be experienced with continuous integration (CI) and continuous deployment (CD) tools.
  • Integration with Cloud Services
    Codeship integrates seamlessly with cloud services such as AWS, Google Cloud, and Heroku, facilitating easy deployment of applications.
  • Flexible Workflows
    The tool provides support for both Codeship Basic and Codeship Pro, allowing for flexibility in choosing between a more straightforward or a more customizable CI/CD workflow.
  • Docker Support
    Codeship Pro offers extensive support for Docker, allowing developers to use containerization strategies for their build and deployment processes.
  • Parallel Test Pipelines
    It supports parallel test pipelines, which can significantly speed up the testing process and reduce build times.
  • Slack Integration
    Codeship integrates with communication tools like Slack, enabling notifications and updates directly within team communication channels.

Possible disadvantages of Codeship

  • Cost
    Codeship can be more expensive compared to other CI/CD tools, particularly for larger teams or more complex projects that require more build resources.
  • Limited Customization
    For highly customized CI/CD processes, Codeship Basic might be limiting. Users may need to switch to Codeship Pro, which requires more configuration and a steeper learning curve.
  • Performance Bottlenecks
    Users have reported occasional performance bottlenecks, particularly under heavy workloads, which can slow down the CI/CD pipeline.
  • Plugin Ecosystem
    The plugin ecosystem for Codeship is not as extensive as some other CI/CD tools like Jenkins, potentially limiting its integration capabilities.
  • Learning Curve
    While Codeship Basic is relatively easy to use, Codeship Pro has a steeper learning curve, particularly for users who are new to Docker and advanced CI/CD practices.
  • Support
    Although support is available, some users have reported slower response times and less comprehensive support compared to other CI/CD platforms.

Analysis of Docker Swarm

Overall verdict

  • Docker Swarm is a good choice for small to medium-sized deployments where ease of setup and tight integration with Docker are priorities. However, for larger, more complex environments or when advanced features like custom scheduling and multi-cloud support are necessary, other orchestration tools like Kubernetes might be more appropriate.

Why this product is good

  • Docker Swarm is considered good for users who need a simple, integrated tool for managing containers across a cluster of hosts. Its main strengths include seamless integration with Docker, easy setup, and support for multi-host networking and scaling of services. Swarm is a part of Docker, and therefore it benefits from Docker's comprehensive ecosystem, tooling, and documentation. It is particularly suitable for scenarios where a lightweight and straightforward orchestration solution is desired.

Recommended for

  • Developers who are already familiar with Docker and want minimal learning curve for orchestration.
  • Small to medium-sized teams looking for easy-to-use, efficient management of containerized applications.
  • Environments where tight integration with Docker CLI and ecosystem is preferred over advanced orchestration capabilities.

Docker Swarm videos

Kubernetes vs Docker Swarm | Container Orchestration War | Kubernetes Training | Edureka

More videos:

  • Review - Roberto Fuentes – NodeJS with Docker Swarm

Codeship videos

LinuxFest Northwest 2017: Continuous Delivery to Microsoft Azure with Docker through Codeship

More videos:

  • Review - The Codeship -- Continuous Deployment made simple

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Docker Swarm and Codeship)
Developer Tools
74 74%
26% 26
DevOps Tools
20 20%
80% 80
Continuous Integration
0 0%
100% 100
Containers As A Service
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

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

Docker Swarm Reviews

Top 12 Kubernetes Alternatives to Choose From in 2023
With Docker Swarm, you can create and manage a cluster of Docker nodes, enabling the deployment and scaling of containerized applications across a distributed environment.
Source: humalect.com
11 Best Rancher Alternatives Multi Cluster Orchestration Platform
Next, we have Docker Swarm on our alternatives to rancher list. Docker Swarm is a lightweight container orchestration tool that lets you create, deploy and manage containerized applications. It is even one of the most popular container orchestration tools after Kubernetes.
Docker Swarm vs Kubernetes: how to choose a container orchestration tool
Docker Swarm is an open-source container orchestration platform built and maintained by Docker. Under the hood, Docker Swarm converts multiple Docker instances into a single virtual host. A Docker Swarm cluster generally contains three items:
Source: circleci.com

Codeship Reviews

The Best Alternatives to Jenkins for Developers
Codeship, a CI/CD platform based in the cloud, has an interface that is easy for users and it can integrate with numerous tools and services people are familiar with. It works well for different programming languages and platforms, which makes it suitable for many teams involved in development work.
Source: morninglif.com
Top 10 Most Popular Jenkins Alternatives for DevOps in 2024
CodeShip is a CloudBees SaaS platform that provides a managed CI/CD experience in the cloud. It’s designed to give control back to developers by providing a guided workflow for creating and maintaining CI/CD pipelines. This avoids much of the complexity that’s associated with Jenkins.
Source: spacelift.io
10 Jenkins Alternatives in 2021 for Developers
You could consider using CodeShip to help you to optimize CI/CD cloud deployment. CodeShip can be used by just about any type of development team that looks to increase the efficiency and automation of their code delivery. You can get started within minutes and gain access to an incredible amount of control when setting everything up. The customization options will seem...
The Best Alternatives to Jenkins for Developers
CodeShip is a hosted continuous integration and continuous delivery platform found by CloudBees. It provides fast feedback and customized environments to build applications. It provides integration with almost anything and is good at helping you scale as per your needs. It comes free for up to 100 monthly builds.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Docker Swarm seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 3 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 Swarm mentions (3)

  • Ask HN: Why did K8s win against Docker Swarm?
    Docker Swarm Classic (https://github.com/docker-archive/classicswarm) is dead. Docker Swarm Mode is alive, and I know some people use it, but it's very niche compared to k8s. As someone who interacts with k8s regularly, I often feel like there is a place for a simpler k8s alternative. But looking at history I see the attempts like Swarm fail. What do you think played the decisive role in the k8s victory? Features,... - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • K8s vs Docker Swarm
    So the thing is support for Swarm was delegated to Mirantis, https://www.mirantis.com/blog/mirantis-will-continue-to-support-and-develop-docker-swarm/ since it was delegated very little was done to move forward swarm _> https://github.com/moby/swarmkit/commits/master , docker swarm itself (docker the company) is deprecated https://github.com/docker-archive/classicswarm . I think because there's no way to... Source: about 2 years ago
  • #30DaysOfAppwrite: Docker Swarm Integration
    Docker Swarm is a container orchestration tool built right into the Docker CLI which allows us to deploy our Docker services to a cluster of hosts, instead of just the one allowed with Docker Compose. This is known as Swarm Mode, not to be confused with the classic Docker Swarm that is no longer being developed as a standalone product. Docker Swarm works great with Appwrite as it builds upon the Compose... - Source: dev.to / about 4 years ago

Codeship mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Codeship yet. Tracking of Codeship recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

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

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

Jenkins - Jenkins is an open-source continuous integration server with 300+ plugins to support all kinds of software development

Rancher - Open Source Platform for Running a Private Container Service

CircleCI - CircleCI gives web developers powerful Continuous Integration and Deployment with easy setup and maintenance.

Docker Compose - Define and run multi-container applications with Docker

Travis CI - Simple, flexible, trustworthy CI/CD tools. Join hundreds of thousands who define tests and deployments in minutes, then scale up simply with parallel or multi-environment builds using Travis CI’s precision syntax—all with the developer in mind.