Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Docker VS CoreOS

Compare Docker VS CoreOS and see what are their differences

Docker logo Docker

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

CoreOS logo CoreOS

CoreOS platform provides the components needed to build distributed systems to support application containers.
  • Docker Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-25
  • CoreOS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-25

Docker

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

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.

CoreOS features and specs

  • Lightweight and Minimalistic
    CoreOS is designed to be a minimalistic operating system, which reduces overhead and optimizes performance by focusing on running containers efficiently.
  • Automatic Updates
    It provides automatic updates for the entire OS, ensuring up-to-date security patches and system enhancements without disrupting the running applications.
  • Container-Optimized
    CoreOS is built for containerized environments, making it highly suitable for organizations adopting Docker or Kubernetes for scalable and consistent application deployment.
  • Distributed Key-Value Store
    Includes etcd, a distributed key-value store for shared configuration and service discovery, enabling easy coordination among applications and services.
  • Security
    CoreOS enforces strong security practices by deploying applications in containers, leveraging automatic updates, and using SELinux policies to provide robust security mechanisms.

Possible disadvantages of CoreOS

  • Learning Curve
    Users familiar with traditional Linux distributions might face a learning curve due to CoreOS’s unique approach and reliance on container orchestration.
  • Limited Use Cases
    As CoreOS is optimized for containerized applications, it may not be suitable for traditional workloads or environments that do not leverage containers.
  • Dependency on Cloud Infrastructure
    CoreOS often relies on cloud infrastructure features for orchestration and deployment, which may not fully align with the needs of on-premise environments.
  • Reduced Customization
    The minimalistic design might limit system-level customizations, making it less flexible for users who need specific custom configurations at the OS level.
  • Fragmented Ecosystem
    Following its acquisition by Red Hat, there might be uncertainties or fragmentation related to its integration into Red Hat’s ecosystem and ongoing support.

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

CoreOS videos

CoreOS Container Linux on the Desktop!

More videos:

  • Review - Red Hat OpenShift: Red Hat Enterprise Linux CoreOS
  • Review - Intro to Fedora CoreOS Benjamin Gilbert Ben Breard Red Hat OpenShift Commons Briefing

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Docker and CoreOS)
Developer Tools
92 92%
8% 8
Containers As A Service
100 100%
0% 0
Containers And Microservices
Cloud Computing
92 92%
8% 8

User comments

Share your experience with using Docker and CoreOS. 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 Docker and CoreOS

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

CoreOS Reviews

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

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

CoreOS mentions (0)

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

What are some alternatives?

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

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

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

Rancher - Open Source Platform for Running a Private Container Service

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.

Portainer - Simple management UI for Docker