Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

GitHub Pages VS Docker Swarm

Compare GitHub Pages VS Docker Swarm and see what are their differences

GitHub Pages logo GitHub Pages

A free, static web host for open-source projects on GitHub

Docker Swarm logo Docker Swarm

Native clustering for Docker. Turn a pool of Docker hosts into a single, virtual host.
  • GitHub Pages Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-19
  • Docker Swarm Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-11-01

GitHub Pages features and specs

  • Free Hosting
    GitHub Pages provides free hosting for static websites, making it an economical choice given no cost is involved.
  • Easy Integration with GitHub
    Direct integration with GitHub repositories allows for seamless deployment directly from a repository’s branches.
  • Custom Domains
    Users can use their own custom domains, providing greater control over their site's branding and URL structure.
  • Jekyll Integration
    Built-in support for Jekyll, a popular static site generator, allows for easy creation and management of content.
  • Version Control
    Since your website's source code is hosted on GitHub, you can use Git version control to manage changes and collaborate with others.
  • SSL for Custom Domains
    Free SSL certificates provided for custom domains enhance security and improve SEO performance for your website.
  • GitHub Actions
    Integration with GitHub Actions allows for advanced CI/CD workflows, automating the process of testing and deploying updates.
  • Community and Documentation
    Extensive documentation and a large community make it easier to troubleshoot issues and find examples or guides.

Possible disadvantages of GitHub Pages

  • Static Site Limitations
    GitHub Pages only supports the hosting of static content, which means no support for server-side scripting or dynamic content.
  • Resource Limitations
    Imposed restrictions on bandwidth and storage may not be suitable for high-traffic or large-scale websites.
  • Configuration Complexity
    Initial setup and configuration, especially when dealing with custom domains or SSL, can be complex for beginners.
  • Limited Customization Options
    While Jekyll is powerful, there are still limitations in terms of plugins and customization compared to more robust CMS solutions.
  • No Backend Support
    Inability to run backend processes or databases means that dynamic applications requiring real-time data and complex backend logic cannot be hosted.
  • Corporate Restrictions
    Enterprises or organizations with strict security or compliance policies may find GitHub Pages insufficient for their needs.
  • Dependent on GitHub
    Reliance on GitHub's platform means that any downtime or outages on GitHub can directly affect the availability of your website.

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.

Analysis of GitHub Pages

Overall verdict

  • Yes, GitHub Pages is a good option for hosting static websites, especially for those who are already familiar with GitHub. It provides a straightforward, reliable, and cost-effective solution for many small to medium-sized projects.

Why this product is good

  • GitHub Pages is a popular choice for hosting static websites because it's directly integrated with GitHub, making deployment seamless and efficient. It supports custom domain configurations, offers free hosting, and automatically integrates with GitHub's version control system. These features make it particularly appealing for developers looking for a simple and effective way to host project sites or personal blogs.

Recommended for

  • Developers and tech-savvy users who are comfortable with Git and GitHub.
  • Individuals or organizations looking to host static sites, such as blogs or project documentation.
  • Users interested in a free hosting solution with easy Version Control System (VCS) integration.
  • Open-source project maintainers who want to provide project documentation or demos.

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.

GitHub Pages videos

Intro to GitHub Pages

More videos:

  • Review - What is GitHub Pages?
  • Tutorial - How to Setup GitHub Pages (2020) | Data Science Portfolio

Docker Swarm videos

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

More videos:

  • Review - Roberto Fuentes – NodeJS with Docker Swarm

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to GitHub Pages and Docker Swarm)
Static Site Generators
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
72 72%
28% 28
Cloud Computing
92 92%
8% 8
DevOps Tools
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using GitHub Pages and Docker Swarm. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

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

GitHub Pages Reviews

Exploring alternatives to Vercel: A guide for web developers
GitHub Pages is a free hosting service provided by GitHub, primarily intended for hosting static sites directly from a GitHub repository. While it lacks some of the advanced features found in other platforms, its simplicity and integration with GitHub make it an attractive option for certain types of projects.
Source: fleek.xyz
Top 10 Netlify Alternatives
Static Site Generators — It is a good way for developers to build sites on GitHub pages with the help of site generators. Yes, it has the ability to publish and release any static file. But it is recommended to proceed with Jekyll.

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

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, GitHub Pages seems to be a lot more popular than Docker Swarm. While we know about 495 links to GitHub Pages, we've tracked only 3 mentions of 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.

GitHub Pages mentions (495)

View more

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 / 6 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

What are some alternatives?

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

Vercel - Vercel is the platform for frontend developers, providing the speed and reliability innovators need to create at the moment of inspiration.

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

Jekyll - Jekyll is a simple, blog aware, static site generator.

Rancher - Open Source Platform for Running a Private Container Service

surge.sh - Static website hosting for front-end developers.

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