Why teams are moving beyond Docker
Docker’s widespread adoption has made it the de facto standard for containerization. However, a growing ecosystem of alternative container runtimes, image stores, and tooling has emerged, and each offers unique features for specific use cases and production requirements.
Moreover, most container platforms adhere to Open Container Initiative (OCI) specifications, which define standards for container images, runtimes, and registries. This compatibility allows you to reuse OCI-compliant images across different platforms and makes it easy to switch from Docker to an alternative platform without rebuilding your existing Docker images.
Top 5 Docker alternatives to look into
Now, let’s explore five popular Docker alternatives that can enhance your container management, strengthen security, and improve scalability across development and production environments:
1. Podman
Podman is an OCI-compliant, open-source alternative to Docker. It provides a Docker-compatible command-line interface (CLI) and a graphical interface, which allow developers to transition from Docker with minimal friction. And since Podman’s CLI mirrors Docker’s, you can use Podman as a drop-in replacement for most Docker commands, such as podman run or podman build. It also supports Docker Compose files.
Additionally, the Podman Desktop app offers features like launching local Kubernetes clusters, which make it well-suited for development environments.
Overall, Podman is a great Docker alternative for developers who don’t want to give up their experience with container management using Docker. It’s also daemon-less, meaning there’s no background process consuming resources or exposing privileged sockets. This architecture eliminates the risk of accidentally exposing a root-level container daemon to the network.
Key features:
Docker-compatible CLI: Offers a Docker-compatible CLI to minimize the learning curve for Docker users
Daemonless architecture: Improves security posture while reducing resource usage
Podman Desktop: Provides a GUI replacement for Docker Desktop with support for local Kubernetes clusters
Rootless containers: Improves security in complex container environments
Limitations:
Requires third-party orchestration platforms
Provides limited support for Windows-based containers since it relies on Windows Subsystem for Linux
The Kubernetes Security Best Practices Cheat Sheet
This guide shows you how to secure Kubernetes with advanced techniques, enforce admission policies to block risks, and protect data, identities, and networks using real-world configs.
2. Docker Swarm
Docker Swarm is a built-in orchestration feature within the Docker Engine that lets you manage containerized applications across a cluster of machines. While docker run launches containers on a single node, Swarm allows you to define services that are running across multiple containers in a Docker-managed cluster.
Swarm mode simplifies container orchestration with features like declarative service definitions, horizontal scaling, rolling updates, and built-in load balancing.
Key features:
Built-in orchestration: Integrates directly into the Docker Engine so you don’t need to install any other components
Declarative management with rolling updates: Automatically maintains desired service states and enables rolling updates for minimal downtime
Service discovery and load balancing: Discovers services automatically and distributes traffic evenly across healthy containers
Simple CLI experience: Builds on existing Docker CLI knowledge
Limitations:
Lacks Kubernetes’ extensibility, ecosystem, and advanced features
Falls short for complex or business-critical workflows
3. Rancher Desktop
Rancher Desktop is a user-friendly container management platform that bundles everything that’s necessary for running containers and Kubernetes workflows into a single, easy-to-use tool.
It comes with two container engines: containerd (default) and dockerd (Docker daemon). You can also scan container images for vulnerabilities using nerdctl, a Docker-compatible command-line tool that comes with Rancher. If you use dockerd, Rancher will function as a direct alternative to Docker Desktop.
Key features:
Built-in container engines: Offers a choice between containerd (with nerdctl) or traditional dockerd (with the Docker CLI)
Integrated Kubernetes: Can launch lightweight Kubernetes clusters with a click, which is ideal for local development
Image scanning: Scans container images using Trivy, an open-source vulnerability scanner
Cross-platform support: Offers a consistent development experience across macOS, Windows, and Linux
Limitations:
Lags behind Kubernetes in orchestration capabilities
Falls short for production use cases that require advanced orchestration features
A Comprehensive Guide to Securing Container Registries
Actionable steps and best practices to ensure your registry is fully protected, whether you’re using a cloud-based service or managing a private registry.
4. Heroku
Heroku is a platform as a service tool that enables you to deploy containers without managing infrastructure or orchestration tools yourself. It’s a great option when you don’t need the complexity of Kubernetes or Docker Swarm and just want to get your app running quickly.
However, Heroku isn’t a direct Docker alternative since it lacks the container runtime that Podman provides. Instead, it leverages services like container registry and app pipelines to deploy your Docker containers.
Its simple, declarative configuration makes it easy to take your ideas from code to a live app in minutes. You can also push pre-built container images to Heroku’s container registry (as with Docker Hub) to streamline delivery and reduce your security footprint.
Key features:
Fully managed: Handles networking, infrastructure, and scaling so you can focus on shipping code
Integrated container registry: Supports pushing pre-built OCI images for faster deployment
Managed add-ons: Offers one-click integrations for databases, caching, observability, and more
Limitations:
Provides limited control over low-level infrastructure
Increases costs for large-scale container workloads
5. LXC
LXC (from Linux Containers) is an operating system–level containerization platform that uses the Linux kernel. Unlike Docker containers, which focus on running isolated application processes, LXC containers behave more like lightweight virtual machines (VMs).
LXC shares the host system’s kernel with containers, which allows them to retain their full Linux functionality while keeping the containers relatively lean. Additionally, you can use it to host long-running container instances since LXC containers, unlike Docker, aren’t ephemeral.
Key features:
OS-level containerization: Runs containers as standalone Linux systems to provide a near-VM experience
Persistent containers: Runs multiple workloads in a single container and preserves state across reboots
Granular control: Offers a higher level of granular control for container environments
Limitations:
Requires the same kernel as the host system, which limits portability
Increases the risk surface due to closer interaction with the host OS
Requires OCI image conversion to run Docker container images
Additional Docker alternatives
Docker is a great starting point because it simplifies building, testing, and running containers. However, for production environments that require orchestration, scalability, and high availability, you may need a few specialized tools.
The below tools aren’t direct Docker alternatives themselves, but developers often use them to run containers in production and host isolated workloads:
6. Kubernetes
Kubernetes is a powerful orchestration platform that manages containers across distributed systems. It uses a declarative model to define infrastructure and workloads and addresses key production challenges like auto-scaling, rescheduling, and load balancing.
A Kubernetes cluster consists of multiple compute nodes (physical machines or VMs) that run your containers as pods. You can scale workloads during high traffic by increasing the number of pods (horizontal scaling) or allocating more resources to nodes (vertical scaling). DevOps teams also benefit from built-in features like role-based access control (RBAC) and resource quotas.
Key features:
Declarative workload: Automatically maintains the desired state for services and infrastructure after you define it
Built-in autoscaling: Provides out-of-the-box support for both horizontal and vertical scaling
Self-healing: Automatically reschedules failed containers and replaces unhealthy nodes
RBAC and namespace isolation: Enables access control and decoupling of different environments within the same cluster
Limitations:
Requires a separate container engine, like Docker or Podman, to build images
Involves a steep learning curve and operational complexity
The top 11 open-source Kubernetes security tools
It’s a good idea to consider a range of Kubernetes security tools. Open source solutions can greatly improve the security of your Kubernetes clusters, so this section explores the top 11 open-source Kubernetes security tools that can help to safeguard your Kubernetes environment.
Read more
7. Virtual machines
VMs are a strong alternative to containers for workloads that demand strict isolation, compatibility with legacy systems, or tightened security. They can also handle persistent storage and complex networking with fewer workarounds.
Tools like KVM and VirtualBox allow you to run full-fledged operating systems on a single physical machine, each with its own kernel and system libraries.
Key features:
Complete system isolation: Increases security by consolidating workloads into an independent operating system
Operating system diversity: Runs different operating systems side by side on the same host
Persistent storage and networking: Supports disk persistence, advanced networking, and custom hardware emulation
Limitations:
Requires more system resources than containers
Takes more time to start and offers lower performance than containers
The Container Security Buyer's Guide
Ensure the container security solutions you're considering can deploy the full set of capabilities required to secure the entire CI/CD lifecycle.
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How to choose a container tool
Choosing the right container tool can be tricky. In order to do so, you need to assess each tool’s strength against your specific use case and infrastructure requirements.
To make a more informed decision, consider the following key metrics so you can evaluate how well the tool you choose aligns with your team’s needs, tooling demands, and long-term goals:
Migration and compatibility: Look for alternatives that support OCI standards and allow you to reuse existing Docker container images and Dockerfiles. The tool should also integrate seamlessly into CI/CD pipelines, registries, and infrastructure tooling.
Security and isolation: Choose rootless containers and daemonless runtimes to minimize attack surfaces. VMs or LXC, for instance, provide stricter isolation, which is necessary in multi-tenant or regulated environments.
Developer experience: Evaluate how easily your team can adopt the new tool. Rancher Desktop, for example—which features CLIs and graphical interfaces that are compatible with Docker—reduce the learning curve and accelerate onboarding.
Performance and scalability: Use Docker or Podman for local development. For production, consider using Kubernetes or Swarm mode for features like scaling, failover, and load balancing.
Selecting the right Docker alternative ultimately involves making trade-offs. For instance, some teams may prioritize developer adoption, while others may need strict isolation or cloud native orchestration features. But the good news is that you can mix and match most container tools as your application evolves.
Container Security Best Practices
8 no-brainer container security best practices + the key components of container architecture to secure
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Beyond Docker alternatives: Securing your containers
Docker isn’t the only container tool on the market, and as you’ve seen, it may not be the best fit for every use case. Most teams benefit from combining their container tools—for example, using Docker to build images and then deploying them with Kubernetes or another platform. The key is picking the right tool for each phase of your container lifecycle.
Regardless of the stack you choose, container security remains critical since misconfigurations, old or vulnerable Docker images, and supply chain risks can expose your entire environment. That’s why you need built-in security from day one.
Wiz helps you with just that. Our platform continuously scans container images, infrastructure configurations, and cloud services for vulnerabilities and misconfigurations. It also provides the real-time visibility and insights your team needs to ship faster without compromising security.
Ready to take your container security a step further? Download our Container Security Best Practices Cheat Sheet for more actionable tips and proven techniques to help you secure your containerized workloads.
