Key differences, specifications and fit guidance for Docker and Kubernetes, compiled from official documentation and the iThub profiles.
Docker makes Docker Engine (open source), Docker Desktop for macOS, Windows and Linux, the Docker Hub registry, Docker Scout, Hardened Images, Build Cloud and Model Runner. Desktop is free for small businesses and personal use; larger organizations need a paid plan.
Kubernetes automates deployment, scaling, and management of containerized workloads across clusters of machines, using a declarative, desired-state model.
Docker and Kubernetes are not direct alternatives: use Docker to build container images and run them on a machine, and add Kubernetes when those containers must be scheduled, scaled and recovered across a cluster of nodes. Most teams use both, building images with Docker and deploying them to Kubernetes. A small application on one or a few hosts can stay with Docker Engine, Docker Compose or the built-in Swarm mode. Kubernetes fits teams running many services that need self-healing, rolling updates and autoscaling, and that can take on the work of operating a cluster.
Choose Docker ifUse Docker for container images, local development and straightforward container execution where cluster orchestration is unnecessary.
Choose Kubernetes ifUse Kubernetes when workloads require a cluster control plane, scheduling, service discovery, rollout control and reconciliation.
| Aspect | Docker | Kubernetes |
|---|---|---|
| Product scope | Docker is a platform for building, sharing and running containers. It packages an application into an image and runs it as an isolated container on a host. | Kubernetes is an open source platform for managing containerized workloads across a cluster of nodes, using declarative configuration and automation. It is not an all-inclusive PaaS. |
| Image building | Docker builds images, stores them in registries such as Docker Hub and runs containers from them. Image creation is the core of the Docker workflow. | Kubernetes does not deploy source code and does not build your application. It runs images that were built elsewhere, often with Docker, and pulled from a registry. |
| Control architecture | Docker uses a client-server architecture: the Docker CLI sends commands over a REST API to the Docker daemon, which builds, runs and distributes containers. | Kubernetes uses independent control processes that continuously move the current state of the cluster towards the desired state you declare through its API. |
| Multi-host orchestration | Docker Engine includes Swarm mode for managing a cluster of Docker daemons. The swarm manager replaces failed replicas to keep the declared number running. | Kubernetes places containers on nodes based on their CPU and memory requests, restarts failed containers and rolls changes out at a controlled rate. |
| Scaling approach | On a single host you start more containers yourself or with Docker Compose. In Swarm mode you declare the number of replicas for each service. | You scale an application with a command, from a UI, or automatically based on CPU usage, and Kubernetes load balances traffic across the running Pods. |
| Licence and cost | Docker Engine is open source under the Apache License 2.0. Docker Desktop needs a paid subscription for commercial use in companies above 250 employees or $10 million in annual revenue. | Kubernetes is open source under the Apache License 2.0 and is hosted by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation. The project itself has no paid plans. |
| Local development | Docker Desktop runs on Mac, Windows and Linux and bundles the daemon, the CLI, Docker Compose and an optional local Kubernetes cluster. | Kubernetes runs the same on a laptop as in the cloud. Docker Desktop, for example, can start a local single-node kubeadm cluster or a multi-node kind cluster. |
| Where it runs | Docker containers run on a developer laptop, physical or virtual machines in a data center, or cloud providers, with the same image across environments. | Kubernetes runs on Ubuntu, RHEL and other distributions, on-premises, on major public clouds or in hybrid setups. |
From the iThub profiles. “Not recorded” means the profile does not confirm it. Confirm prices and editions with each vendor.
| Attribute | Docker | Kubernetes |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free edition or plan ↗ | Free edition or plan |
| API | Yes ↗ | Yes |
| Founded | 2013 | 2014 |
| Headquarters | Palo Alto, California, USA | CNCF Project |
| GitHub stars | Not recorded | 128.9K ↗ |
| Documentation | Official docs ↗ | Official docs ↗ |
DockerDocker is a family of developer tools and services for building, sharing and running applications in containers, made by Docker, Inc. The core pieces are Docker Engine, the container runtime and daemon; the Docker CLI and Docker Compose; Docker Desktop, a desktop application that bundles these tools for macOS, Windows and Linux; and Docker Hub, the container image registry. The company page states that Docker is used by more than 20 million developers. Docker Engine 0.1.0 was released on March 23, 2013, according to the Engine release notes, and the subscription agreement lists Docker, Inc. at an address in Palo Alto, California.
Around these tools Docker sells and operates further products. Docker Scout analyzes image composition and vulnerabilities, Docker Hardened Images provides minimal, signed images with SBOMs and SLSA Build Level 3 provenance, and Docker Build Cloud runs docker buildx build on remote BuildKit builders with a shared cache. Docker Offload runs containers on cloud infrastructure, Testcontainers Cloud runs Testcontainers workloads remotely, and Docker Model Runner pulls and serves AI models from Docker Hub, OCI registries or Hugging Face. Newer AI products include Docker Sandboxes (microVM isolation for coding agents), an MCP Toolkit and Gateway, AI Governance and the Gordon assistant.
KubernetesKubernetes, also known as K8s, is an open source system for automating deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. It builds on 15 years of experience running production workloads at Google, combined with ideas and practices from the community. The project is hosted by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation and is listed there as a graduated project.
Kubernetes groups the containers of an application into logical units. It places containers according to their resource requests and constraints, restarts containers that crash, replaces Pods where needed, and rolls out changes progressively while monitoring application health, rolling back if something goes wrong. Pods get their own IP addresses and a single DNS name for a set of Pods, with load balancing across them.
Docker packages and runs containers; Kubernetes orchestrates containerized workloads across infrastructure. They address different layers and are frequently used together.
Define whether the problem is building and running containers or scheduling, networking and recovering services across a cluster.
Package the application with Docker first. Introduce Kubernetes only after demonstrating a concrete requirement such as multi-node scheduling, rollout control, self-healing or standardized platform APIs.
Read the editorial guide for use cases, trade-offs and recommendations →
No. Docker builds container images and runs containers on a host, while Kubernetes schedules and manages containerized workloads across a cluster of nodes. Kubernetes does not build your application, so teams usually build images with Docker and deploy them to Kubernetes. They work at different layers and are often used together.
Yes. A common workflow is to build an image with Docker, push it to a registry and run it on a Kubernetes cluster. Docker Desktop also includes a standalone Kubernetes server and client, so developers can test Kubernetes deployments on their own machine, and Docker's free Personal plan lists Docker Engine plus Kubernetes.
Kubernetes removed its built-in Docker Engine integration, called dockershim, in release 1.24. Clusters now use a container runtime through the Container Runtime Interface, and Docker Engine can still be used as the runtime through the cri-dockerd adapter. Images built with Docker remain usable, since Kubernetes runs any application that can run in a container.
Docker Engine is open source under the Apache License 2.0 and built from the Moby project. Docker Desktop is free for personal use, but commercial use within companies above 250 employees or $10 million in annual revenue requires a paid subscription. Paid Pro, Team and Business plans add features such as more Docker Hub capacity and administration controls.
Yes. Kubernetes is open source under the Apache License 2.0 and is hosted by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation. It builds on experience from running production workloads at Google. The software has no licence fee, and you can run it yourself on-premises, in a public cloud or in hybrid environments.
Not always. Docker Compose runs multi-container applications from one file, and Docker Swarm mode is built into Docker Engine for managing a cluster of Docker daemons without extra software. Kubernetes becomes worth its operating effort when you need features such as CPU-based autoscaling, self-healing across many nodes and controlled rollouts. Docker's own docs point Kubernetes users to Docker Desktop's integrated Kubernetes.
Facts on this page come from these official pages, checked on , and from the iThub profiles. Vendors change plans and features: confirm with them before buying.
