Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

RVM VS Docker

Compare RVM VS Docker and see what are their differences

RVM logo RVM

Ruby Version Manager. RVM is a command-line tool which allows you to easily install, manage, and work with multiple ruby environments from interpreters to sets of gems.

Docker logo Docker

Docker is an open platform that enables developers and system administrators to create distributed applications.
  • RVM Landing page
    Landing page //
    2020-07-08
  • Docker Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-25

RVM

Website
rvm.io
Pricing URL
-
$ Details
Release Date
-

Docker

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

RVM features and specs

  • Ruby Version Management
    RVM allows users to easily install, manage, and work with multiple Ruby environments and versions on a single machine.
  • Gemset Management
    It provides the ability to create and manage gemsets, which helps in isolating gems and their dependencies for different projects.
  • Project Isolation
    RVM ensures that each project can have its specific Ruby version and gemset, reducing conflicts between dependencies of different projects.
  • Convenience and Ease of Use
    The tool is user-friendly and simplifies tasks like upgrading Ruby versions or switching between them without complex configurations.
  • Community Support
    Being widely used, RVM has strong community support, which means abundant resources for troubleshooting and learning.

Possible disadvantages of RVM

  • Environment Overhead
    RVM installs binaries and libraries within the user’s home directory, which can lead to increased usage of disk space.
  • Performance Impact
    Switching between Ruby versions or gemsets may introduce performance delays as environments are activated.
  • Complexity with System Ruby
    There can be complexities and potential conflicts when using RVM alongside the system's default Ruby installation.
  • Dependency on Bash
    RVM heavily relies on Bash, which may not be ideal for users who prefer or require different shell environments.
  • Learning Curve for Beginners
    New users to Ruby programming might experience a learning curve in understanding how to effectively use RVM.

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.

Analysis of Docker

Overall verdict

  • Docker is considered a strong choice for containerization due to its robust feature set, community support, and ecosystem. It is praised for making applications more portable and for reducing 'it works on my machine' issues. However, like any technology, it has a learning curve and may not be necessary for simpler projects.

Why this product is good

  • Docker is a widely-used platform that simplifies and accelerates the process of developing, testing, and deploying applications by using containerization technology. It allows developers to package applications and their dependencies into lightweight, portable containers that can run consistently across any environment. This greatly enhances efficiency, scalability, and collaboration within development teams.

Recommended for

  • Developers seeking to streamline application deployment across multiple environments
  • Teams looking for consistency in application performance and operations
  • Organizations that require scalable solutions for microservices architectures
  • Projects that benefit from CI/CD practices and need automation in deployment pipelines

RVM videos

TEKKEN 500 rvm - review on off

More videos:

  • Review - Review: Etnies RVM
  • Tutorial - How to Talk to 5,000 Sellers in Seconds with RVM

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

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to RVM and Docker)
Programming Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
6 6%
94% 94
Programming
100 100%
0% 0
Containers As A Service
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

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

RVM Reviews

We have no reviews of RVM yet.
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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

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Docker should be more popular than RVM. It has been mentiond 74 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.

RVM mentions (28)

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Docker mentions (74)

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What are some alternatives?

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

asdf-vm - An extendable version manager

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

Homebrew - The missing package manager for macOS

Rancher - Open Source Platform for Running a Private Container Service

RubyGems - RubyGems. org is the Ruby community's gem hosting service. Instantly publish your gems and then install them. Use the API find out more about available gems. Become a contributor and improve the site yourself.

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