Docker vs Kubernetes: Key Differences#

Docker and Kubernetes serve different purposes in the containerization ecosystem but are often used together. Here’s a breakdown of their differences:

Docker#

• What It Is: A platform for building, packaging, and running containerized applications.
• Primary Focus: Containerization.
• Key Features:
  • Provides tools to create and manage containers.
  • Manages container images and allows seamless sharing (e.g., via Docker Hub).
  • Simple orchestration with Docker Compose for small-scale setups.
• Use Case: Ideal for local development, testing, and small-scale deployments.

Kubernetes#

• What It Is: An open-source container orchestration platform.
• Primary Focus: Container management at scale.
• Key Features:
  • Automates deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications.
  • Handles multi-container setups across clusters of machines.
  • Provides advanced features like self-healing, rolling updates, and service discovery.
• Use Case: Essential for managing large-scale, production-grade containerized applications.

Key Differences#

Feature	Docker	Kubernetes
Purpose	Containerization platform	Container orchestration
Focus	Building and running containers	Scaling and managing containers
Complexity	Simple setup	Requires more setup and configuration
Scaling	Limited to Docker Swarm	Highly scalable with advanced features
Ecosystem	Docker CLI, Docker Compose	Uses container runtimes like Docker, containerd, etc.

Relationship#

• Docker creates and manages containers.
• Kubernetes orchestrates those containers in distributed systems.
• Kubernetes can use Docker as its container runtime or alternatives like containerd.

TL;DR#

• Use Docker for container creation and lightweight setups.
• Use Kubernetes to manage complex, large-scale containerized environments.