Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Docker Swarm VS Up by apex

Compare Docker Swarm VS Up by apex 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.

Up by apex logo Up by apex

Deploy serverless apps and APIs in seconds to AWS Lambda
  • Docker Swarm Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-11-01
  • Up by apex Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-26

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.

Up by apex features and specs

  • Simplicity
    Up offers a simple way to deploy serverless applications without needing to manage infrastructure. It uses a single configuration file and a few commands to get applications running.
  • Multi-language support
    Up supports multiple programming languages, allowing developers to use the same tool across different projects and stack types.
  • Environment Management
    Up provides built-in support for managing different environments (development, staging, production) which helps streamline the deployment process.
  • Automatic SSL
    Up automatically provisions SSL certificates for custom domains, ensuring secure communication without additional configuration.
  • Zero-downtime deployments
    Up deploys new versions of an application without any downtime, providing a seamless update process for end-users.

Possible disadvantages of Up by apex

  • AWS dependency
    Up is heavily dependent on AWS services like Lambda and API Gateway, which might not be ideal for organizations using a different cloud provider.
  • Limited customization
    While simplicity is a benefit, it also means that Up might not offer the same level of customization and control as other deployment platforms.
  • Learning curve
    Although Up aims for simplicity, developers who are not familiar with serverless concepts or AWS services might face a learning curve initially.
  • Cost considerations
    Since Up relies on AWS managed services, it can incur additional costs, especially at scale, which might be a consideration for some organizations.
  • Community and support
    As a relatively new tool, Up might not have the same extensive community and support options as more established 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.

Analysis of Up by apex

Overall verdict

  • Up by Apex is a robust and reliable tool for deploying serverless applications, especially for users who seek simplicity and efficiency in their deployment processes.

Why this product is good

  • Up by Apex is considered good because it offers a simple and efficient way to deploy and manage serverless applications. It provides developers with a streamlined workflow, integrates seamlessly with AWS Lambda, and supports a variety of languages. Furthermore, it gives users fine-grained control over their infrastructure, with features like zero-downtime deployments and automated scaling.

Recommended for

  • Developers looking for an easy-to-use deployment tool for AWS Lambda
  • Teams aiming to implement serverless architectures
  • Projects that require fast deployment times and low overhead
  • Users who need a consistent and repeatable deployment process

Docker Swarm videos

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

More videos:

  • Review - Roberto Fuentes – NodeJS with Docker Swarm

Up by apex videos

Up explained by an idiot

More videos:

  • Review - Up [Movie Review]
  • Review - Why Pixar's Up is a Masterpiece! (Video Essay-Disney Movie Masterpiece Series)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Docker Swarm and Up by apex)
Developer Tools
55 55%
45% 45
DevOps Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Productivity
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 Up by apex

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

Up by apex Reviews

We have no reviews of Up by apex yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Up by apex might be a bit more popular than Docker Swarm. We know about 3 links to it since March 2021 and only 3 links to Docker Swarm. 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

Up by apex mentions (3)

  • Streamline Your Serverless Development with These Top 10 Powerhouse Tools
    Apex is an open-source tool that makes it easy to build and deploy serverless applications on AWS. It's a great tool for any serverless developer, as it simplifies the process of building and deploying serverless applications, making it easier to focus on writing code. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Ask HN: Does anyone else find the AWS Lambda developer experience poor?
    I can also recommend serverless.com framework for local development and running lambdas offline. AWS provides a docker image for emulating DynamoDB which works great for local dev and will commonly be paired with lambdas. Another option I have used recently for implementing node web services is https://github.com/apex/up which also has a nice local dev experience. - Source: Hacker News / about 4 years ago
  • JavaScript Influencers to Follow in 2021🤩
    Projects: apex/up, git-extras, koajs/koa, clibs/clib, commander.js. - Source: dev.to / about 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Docker Swarm and Up by apex, you can also consider the following products

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

Serverless - Toolkit for building serverless applications

Rancher - Open Source Platform for Running a Private Container Service

Nimbella - Simple serverless cloud for developers

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

Render UIKit - React-inspired Swift library for writing UIKit UIs