Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Docker VS Ansible for DevOps

Compare Docker VS Ansible for DevOps and see what are their differences

Docker logo Docker

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

Ansible for DevOps logo Ansible for DevOps

Server and configuration management for humans
  • Docker Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-25
  • Ansible for DevOps Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-04

Docker

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

Ansible for DevOps

Pricing URL
-
$ Details
Release Date
-

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.

Ansible for DevOps features and specs

  • Agentless Architecture
    Ansible operates without the need for additional agent software on remote machines, reducing overhead and simplifying management.
  • Ease of Use
    Ansible uses a simple, human-readable YAML syntax which makes it accessible for both developers and operations teams.
  • Scalability
    Ansible can handle complex deployments, making it suitable for managing a large number of servers efficiently.
  • Comprehensive Tooling
    Ansible provides a wide array of modules and plugins that support various systems and services, allowing broader automation capabilities.
  • Strong Community Support
    Ansible has a large and active community which facilitates sharing of roles and playbooks, accelerates problem-solving, and extends the platform's capabilities.

Possible disadvantages of Ansible for DevOps

  • Limited Windows Support
    Although Ansible has improved its support for Windows, it is historically more oriented towards Linux/Unix environments, potentially creating challenges in Windows-dominant settings.
  • Performance on Large Scale
    Running Ansible in very large environments with thousands of nodes can lead to performance issues due to its push-based model.
  • No GUI by Default
    Ansible primarily provides a command-line interface unless coupled with Ansible Tower (now AWX), which could limit usability for those who prefer graphical interfaces.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    Basic tasks in Ansible are straightforward, but leveraging more advanced features and custom modules may require a steeper learning curve.

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

Ansible for DevOps videos

No Ansible for DevOps videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Docker and Ansible for DevOps)
Developer Tools
95 95%
5% 5
Containers As A Service
100 100%
0% 0
DevOps Tools
91 91%
9% 9
Cloud Computing
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 and Ansible for DevOps

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

Ansible for DevOps Reviews

We have no reviews of Ansible for DevOps yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Docker seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 73 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 mentions (73)

View more

Ansible for DevOps mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Ansible for DevOps yet. Tracking of Ansible for DevOps recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Docker and Ansible for DevOps, you can also consider the following products

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

Terraform - Tool for building, changing, and versioning infrastructure safely and efficiently.

Rancher - Open Source Platform for Running a Private Container Service

Packer - Packer is an open-source software for creating identical machine images from a single source configuration.

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

ScrapeOwl - Simple and powerful web scraping API