Containerization is increasingly important in the development of applications giving DevOps professionals and developers an edge in deploying and managing stable applications.
“A container is a standard unit of software that packages up code and all its dependencies, so the application runs quickly and reliably from one computing environment to another. A Docker container image is a lightweight, standalone, executable package of software that includes everything needed to run an application: code, runtime, system tools, system libraries, and settings.” – Docker Website which can be easily hosted in any of the cloud computing services.
Docker comes with a lot of advantages like
- Easy Deployment
- Fast Delivery Cycle
- Instant Application Portability
- and Above all, they are cost-effective.
Despite these benefits, There are still a few limitations that come with using Docker in some cases;
- Prioritizing security.
- Developing GUI applications.
- Trying to boost speed
- Storing large chunks of data
Here, I will be sharing with you some Docker alternatives you can consider in 2023
Containerd
1.
Containerd is an open-source daemon that works as an interface between your container engine and container runtimes. It is supported by both Linux and Windows and is characterized by easy-to-manage container lifecycles.
However, Containerd does not build images or create volumes like Docker. It’s interesting to note that containerd is the default runtime for Docker, which is now an independent tool like runc.
Podman
2.
Podman is an all-in-one Linux native engine built by Redhat that monitors, allocates, isolates system resources, and runs containers using a bundled container runtime and also manages requests, verifies container images from a registry server, and
It lets users manage containers using a user interface that removes the difficulties of having to utilize rules and policies like Seccomp and SELinux.
Buildah
3.
Buildah focuses on allowing users to create OCI images, You can install buildah without having to install runtime or daemon to build OCI container images.
The images built can still be used on Docker and Kubernetes because their commands replicate the commands in a Dockerfile.
As opposed to running as a daemon, Buildah utilizes a lightweight fork-exec model.
4. Microsoft Azure Container Registry

Deploying, Running, and scaling applications on Microsoft Azure Container Registry utilizes container orchestrators like Kubernetes and Docker Swarm.
It offers rugged security features and allows users to manage their content without interference and there is a private Docker registry where you can access your container images with Command-Line Tools.
Additionally, You get runtime protection and your images are constantly checked for vulnerabilities
ZeroVM
5.
ZeroVM is based on the Chromium Native Client (NaCl) project and is designed to be a lightweight portable and secure tool that creates a virtual environment to run a single process at a time.
ZeroVM increases deployment speed and advances application security as they run via vulnerable code across different virtual environments and allows virtualization without using an operating system in an isolated environment.
How to choose the best Docker Alternative
The best Docker alternative is one that meets your specific needs. There are a number of different options available, so it’s important to consider what you need before making a decision.
Do you need something that’s easy to use? If you’re not familiar with using containers, you may want to choose an option that’s simpler to use.
Are you looking for something that’s more flexible? If you need to be able to customize your environment, you’ll want an option that gives you more control.
What about performance? If you’re looking for the best performance, you’ll want to choose an option that’s optimized for speed and efficiency.
Finally, consider your budget. There are a number of different Docker alternatives available, so you’ll want to choose one that’s affordable for your specific needs.
When you consider all of these factors, you’ll be able to choose the best Docker alternative for your specific needs.
Conclusion
There is a wide variety of options to pick from depending on your project requirements. Share in the comments what worked for you or recommend other ones and share this article with others.