Docker Compose vs Kubernetes vs Skaffold

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Docker Compose

21.4K
15.9K
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Kubernetes

58.7K
50.4K
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677
Skaffold

88
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Docker Compose vs Kubernetes vs Skaffold: What are the differences?

Introduction

Docker Compose, Kubernetes, and Skaffold are popular tools used in the deployment and management of containerized applications. While they all serve similar purposes, there are key differences that set them apart from each other.

  1. Deployment Scope: Docker Compose is ideal for small to medium-sized deployments on a single host, making it simpler and more suitable for local development. Kubernetes, on the other hand, is designed for large-scale deployments across multiple hosts, providing advanced features for scalability and fault tolerance. Skaffold sits in between, offering a streamlined development workflow for deploying applications to Kubernetes.

  2. Orchestration Abilities: Kubernetes excels in orchestration capabilities, providing features like automatic scaling, self-healing, service discovery, and load balancing. Skaffold primarily focuses on automating the development workflow rather than full-fledged orchestration. Docker Compose lacks the advanced orchestration capabilities of Kubernetes but is easier to set up and use for basic container deployments.

  3. Environment Management: Kubernetes offers robust environment management with features like namespaces, resource quotas, and network policies for fine-grained control over the application environment. Skaffold simplifies environment management through its declarative configuration files. Docker Compose provides a basic level of environment management by defining services, networks, and volumes within a single docker-compose file.

  4. Extensibility and Ecosystem: Kubernetes has a vast ecosystem of plugins, tools, and community support for extending its functionality and integrating with other systems. Skaffold also has a growing ecosystem but is more tailored towards Kubernetes-based workflows. Docker Compose, while versatile, has a more limited ecosystem compared to Kubernetes and Skaffold.

  5. Learning Curve: Docker Compose has a relatively low learning curve, making it easy for developers to get started with containerized applications. Kubernetes, on the other hand, has a steeper learning curve due to its complex architecture and extensive features. Skaffold falls in between, offering a balance of ease of use and scalability, making it accessible for developers with varying levels of expertise.

  6. Monitoring and Logging: Kubernetes provides robust monitoring and logging capabilities through integrations with tools like Prometheus, Grafana, and ELK stack. Skaffold integrates with existing monitoring and logging solutions available in the Kubernetes ecosystem. Docker Compose lacks built-in monitoring and logging features, requiring users to rely on external tools for this functionality.

In Summary, Docker Compose is suitable for simple deployments, Kubernetes excels in large-scale orchestration, while Skaffold offers a balanced workflow for developing and deploying applications to Kubernetes environments.

Advice on Docker Compose, Kubernetes, and Skaffold

Hello, we have a bunch of local hosts (Linux and Windows) where Docker containers are running with bamboo agents on them. Currently, each container is installed as a system service. Each host is set up manually. I want to improve the system by adding some sort of orchestration software that should install, update and check for consistency in my docker containers. I don't need any clouds, all hosts are local. I'd prefer simple solutions. What orchestration system should I choose?

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Replies (1)
Mortie Torabi
Recommends
on
Docker SwarmDocker Swarm

If you just want the basic orchestration between a set of defined hosts, go with Docker Swarm. If you want more advanced orchestration + flexibility in terms of resource management and load balancing go with Kubernetes. In both cases, you can make it even more complex while making the whole architecture more understandable and replicable by using Terraform.

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Decisions about Docker Compose, Kubernetes, and Skaffold
Michael Roberts

We develop rapidly with docker-compose orchestrated services, however, for production - we utilise the very best ideas that Kubernetes has to offer: SCALE! We can scale when needed, setting a maximum and minimum level of nodes for each application layer - scaling only when the load balancer needs it. This allowed us to reduce our devops costs by 40% whilst also maintaining an SLA of 99.87%.

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Simon Reymann
Senior Fullstack Developer at QUANTUSflow Software GmbH · | 30 upvotes · 8.9M views

Our whole DevOps stack consists of the following tools:

  • GitHub (incl. GitHub Pages/Markdown for Documentation, GettingStarted and HowTo's) for collaborative review and code management tool
  • Respectively Git as revision control system
  • SourceTree as Git GUI
  • Visual Studio Code as IDE
  • CircleCI for continuous integration (automatize development process)
  • Prettier / TSLint / ESLint as code linter
  • SonarQube as quality gate
  • Docker as container management (incl. Docker Compose for multi-container application management)
  • VirtualBox for operating system simulation tests
  • Kubernetes as cluster management for docker containers
  • Heroku for deploying in test environments
  • nginx as web server (preferably used as facade server in production environment)
  • SSLMate (using OpenSSL) for certificate management
  • Amazon EC2 (incl. Amazon S3) for deploying in stage (production-like) and production environments
  • PostgreSQL as preferred database system
  • Redis as preferred in-memory database/store (great for caching)

The main reason we have chosen Kubernetes over Docker Swarm is related to the following artifacts:

  • Key features: Easy and flexible installation, Clear dashboard, Great scaling operations, Monitoring is an integral part, Great load balancing concepts, Monitors the condition and ensures compensation in the event of failure.
  • Applications: An application can be deployed using a combination of pods, deployments, and services (or micro-services).
  • Functionality: Kubernetes as a complex installation and setup process, but it not as limited as Docker Swarm.
  • Monitoring: It supports multiple versions of logging and monitoring when the services are deployed within the cluster (Elasticsearch/Kibana (ELK), Heapster/Grafana, Sysdig cloud integration).
  • Scalability: All-in-one framework for distributed systems.
  • Other Benefits: Kubernetes is backed by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), huge community among container orchestration tools, it is an open source and modular tool that works with any OS.
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Pros of Docker Compose
Pros of Kubernetes
Pros of Skaffold
  • 123
    Multi-container descriptor
  • 110
    Fast development environment setup
  • 79
    Easy linking of containers
  • 68
    Simple yaml configuration
  • 60
    Easy setup
  • 16
    Yml or yaml format
  • 12
    Use Standard Docker API
  • 8
    Open source
  • 5
    Go from template to application in minutes
  • 5
    Can choose Discovery Backend
  • 4
    Scalable
  • 4
    Easy configuration
  • 4
    Kubernetes integration
  • 3
    Quick and easy
  • 164
    Leading docker container management solution
  • 128
    Simple and powerful
  • 106
    Open source
  • 76
    Backed by google
  • 58
    The right abstractions
  • 25
    Scale services
  • 20
    Replication controller
  • 11
    Permission managment
  • 9
    Supports autoscaling
  • 8
    Cheap
  • 8
    Simple
  • 6
    Self-healing
  • 5
    No cloud platform lock-in
  • 5
    Promotes modern/good infrascture practice
  • 5
    Open, powerful, stable
  • 5
    Reliable
  • 4
    Scalable
  • 4
    Quick cloud setup
  • 3
    Cloud Agnostic
  • 3
    Captain of Container Ship
  • 3
    A self healing environment with rich metadata
  • 3
    Runs on azure
  • 3
    Backed by Red Hat
  • 3
    Custom and extensibility
  • 2
    Sfg
  • 2
    Gke
  • 2
    Everything of CaaS
  • 2
    Golang
  • 2
    Easy setup
  • 2
    Expandable
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    Cons of Docker Compose
    Cons of Kubernetes
    Cons of Skaffold
    • 9
      Tied to single machine
    • 5
      Still very volatile, changing syntax often
    • 16
      Steep learning curve
    • 15
      Poor workflow for development
    • 8
      Orchestrates only infrastructure
    • 4
      High resource requirements for on-prem clusters
    • 2
      Too heavy for simple systems
    • 1
      Additional vendor lock-in (Docker)
    • 1
      More moving parts to secure
    • 1
      Additional Technology Overhead
      Be the first to leave a con

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      - No public GitHub repository available -
      - No public GitHub repository available -

      What is Docker Compose?

      With Compose, you define a multi-container application in a single file, then spin your application up in a single command which does everything that needs to be done to get it running.

      What is Kubernetes?

      Kubernetes is an open source orchestration system for Docker containers. It handles scheduling onto nodes in a compute cluster and actively manages workloads to ensure that their state matches the users declared intentions.

      What is Skaffold?

      Skaffold is a command line tool that facilitates continuous development for Kubernetes applications. You can iterate on your application source code locally then deploy to local or remote Kubernetes clusters. Skaffold handles the workflow for building, pushing and deploying your application. It can also be used in an automated context such as a CI/CD pipeline to leverage the same workflow and tooling when moving applications to production.

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      What companies use Docker Compose?
      What companies use Kubernetes?
      What companies use Skaffold?

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      What tools integrate with Docker Compose?
      What tools integrate with Kubernetes?
      What tools integrate with Skaffold?

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      What are some alternatives to Docker Compose, Kubernetes, and Skaffold?
      Docker
      The Docker Platform is the industry-leading container platform for continuous, high-velocity innovation, enabling organizations to seamlessly build and share any application — from legacy to what comes next — and securely run them anywhere
      Docker Swarm
      Swarm serves the standard Docker API, so any tool which already communicates with a Docker daemon can use Swarm to transparently scale to multiple hosts: Dokku, Compose, Krane, Deis, DockerUI, Shipyard, Drone, Jenkins... and, of course, the Docker client itself.
      Helm
      Helm is the best way to find, share, and use software built for Kubernetes.
      Ansible
      Ansible is an IT automation tool. It can configure systems, deploy software, and orchestrate more advanced IT tasks such as continuous deployments or zero downtime rolling updates. Ansible’s goals are foremost those of simplicity and maximum ease of use.
      Portainer
      It is a universal container management tool. It works with Kubernetes, Docker, Docker Swarm and Azure ACI. It allows you to manage containers without needing to know platform-specific code.
      See all alternatives