Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

FreeBSD Jails VS Docker Desktop

Compare FreeBSD Jails VS Docker Desktop and see what are their differences

FreeBSD Jails logo FreeBSD Jails

Jails on the other hand permit software packages to view the system egoistically, as if each package had the machine to itself.

Docker Desktop logo Docker Desktop

Docker Desktop is a one-click-install application that lets you to build, share, and run containerized applications and microservices.
  • FreeBSD Jails Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-12-19
Not present

FreeBSD Jails features and specs

  • Isolation
    FreeBSD Jails provide process isolation, allowing multiple processes to run independently without affecting each other.
  • Security
    Jails offer an added layer of security by restricting the resources and access of applications, reducing potential attack surfaces.
  • Resource Management
    Jails allow for fine-grained control over resource allocation, enabling administrators to manage CPU, memory, and network usage per jail.
  • Simplicity
    Compared to full virtualization solutions, jails are lightweight and simple to set up, making them easier to deploy and manage.
  • Compatibility
    Running on the FreeBSD operating system, jails are inherently compatible with FreeBSD applications and services.

Possible disadvantages of FreeBSD Jails

  • Limited Isolation
    While jails provide process isolation, they share the same kernel, which may lead to using kernel-level exploits to escape the jail.
  • FreeBSD Specific
    Jails are specific to FreeBSD, meaning they cannot natively run software designed for other operating systems without adaptation.
  • Complex Networking
    Configuring networking in jails can be complex and may require careful setup to ensure proper isolation and performance.
  • Resource Contention
    Since all jails run on the same host system, high resource usage by one jail can affect the performance of others if not managed properly.
  • Lack of GUI and Advanced Features
    FreeBSD Jails focus on providing a command-line environment with limited graphical support, which may not be suitable for all applications.

Docker Desktop features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    Docker Desktop is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, allowing developers to work in their preferred environment with a consistent toolset.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    Docker Desktop provides a graphical user interface that simplifies the process of managing containers, making it accessible to both new and experienced developers.
  • Integrated Tools
    It includes Docker Compose, Docker CLI, Kubernetes, and other useful tools bundled in one package, streamlining the workflow for container management and orchestration.
  • Easy Installation
    Docker Desktop offers a straightforward installation process that abstracts away the complexity of setting up Docker and its components from scratch.
  • Consistent Development Environment
    It helps maintain consistency between development, testing, and production environments, reducing potential discrepancies and deployment issues.

Possible disadvantages of Docker Desktop

  • Performance Overhead
    Running Docker Desktop can introduce performance overhead, especially on Windows and macOS, due to the virtualization layer required by these operating systems.
  • Resource Usage
    Docker Desktop can be resource-intensive, consuming significant amounts of CPU and memory, which might impact the performance of other applications.
  • Licensing Costs
    For businesses, Docker Desktop may require a paid subscription depending on the company size, which can be a financial consideration.
  • Limited in Headless Environments
    Docker Desktop is primarily designed for development environments with a graphical interface and may not be suitable for headless server environments.
  • System Integration Issues
    Some users might face integration issues with specific system setups, especially on less common or older platforms.

FreeBSD Jails videos

20 Years of FreeBSD Jails (2019)

More videos:

  • Demo - FreeBSD Jails Brief demo

Docker Desktop videos

Docker Desktop Overview

More videos:

  • Review - Docker Desktop for macOS Setup and Tips

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to FreeBSD Jails and Docker Desktop)
Developer Tools
56 56%
44% 44
Containers As A Service
52 52%
48% 48
DevOps Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Cloud Computing
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using FreeBSD Jails and Docker Desktop. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, FreeBSD Jails seems to be a lot more popular than Docker Desktop. While we know about 32 links to FreeBSD Jails, we've tracked only 1 mention of Docker Desktop. 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.

FreeBSD Jails mentions (32)

  • Why do I run FreeBSD for my home servers
    I understand what you mean re: Arch wiki (I'm a fan of it even though not an arch user) but I genuinely suggest you go over and read some of the FreeBSD Handbook. It is a cohesive whole which can be read from start to finish (it is an actual book). This is also how the whole system feels as well (as others have commented). Things are integrated and coherent. Example: freebsd has its own libc, and the kernel... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • Its possible to install FreeBSD ina External USB HDD?
    You can install FreeBSD on an external disk. The FreeBSD Handbook answers the other questions. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • FreeBSD docs a good start to start the journey?
    I have an veeery old notebook (Toshiba tecra s2) and wanted to give this machine a new life. Learning about unix and so on. Are the docs on https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/handbook/ a good start for this? Or does someone has any recommendations? Source: about 2 years ago
  • how well would freebsd perform on a development / study laptop?
    In the official handbook read chapters 1-5, 13, & 19 to get oriented. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Distro for a Software Engineer.
    The system that exhibits the best software engineering in its development and in the software packaging process is undoubtedly FreeBSD -- it wouldn't hurt to look at it more carefully. I build all of my desktop (Gnome/Plasma/XFCE) and math and programming languages / editors from source code on FreeBSD using the latest stable operating system release (13.1, soon to be 13.2). See the FreeBSD Journal to get an... Source: over 2 years ago
View more

Docker Desktop mentions (1)

  • Getting Started with .NET and Docker Tutorial
    First, you need to download and install Docker Desktop from the Docker website. You can leave all of the default options checked during the installation process. Once it’s downloaded, sign in using your Docker Hub account. If you don’t have an account, you can sign up at hub.docker.com. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing FreeBSD Jails and Docker Desktop, you can also consider the following products

Apache Mesos - Apache Mesos abstracts resources away from machines, enabling fault-tolerant and elastic distributed systems to easily be built and run effectively.

Portainer - Simple management UI for Docker

rkt - App Container runtime

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

Docker Hub - Docker Hub is a cloud-based registry service

Rancher - Open Source Platform for Running a Private Container Service