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  1. Stackups
  2. Application & Data
  3. Container Registry
  4. Container Tools
  5. Docker Compose vs Portainer

Docker Compose vs Portainer

OverviewDecisionsComparisonAlternatives

Overview

Docker Compose
Docker Compose
Stacks22.3K
Followers16.5K
Votes501
GitHub Stars36.4K
Forks5.5K
Portainer
Portainer
Stacks507
Followers842
Votes146

Docker Compose vs Portainer: What are the differences?

Introduction

In this article, we will discuss the key differences between Docker Compose and Portainer, two popular tools used in the deployment and management of Docker containers.

  1. Deployment and Management: Docker Compose is a command-line tool that allows you to define and manage multi-container Docker applications. It uses a YAML file to specify the services, networks, and volumes required for the application. Portainer, on the other hand, is a web-based graphical user interface (GUI) that provides an easy-to-use interface for managing Docker containers, images, networks, and volumes. It allows you to deploy, start, stop, and manage containers without writing complex command-line instructions.

  2. User Interface: Docker Compose relies on a command-line interface (CLI) to define and manage Docker applications. It requires knowledge of YAML syntax and command-line usage. Portainer, on the other hand, provides a user-friendly web-based interface that requires no knowledge of command-line or YAML syntax. It offers an intuitive GUI with point-and-click functionality, making it more accessible to users who are new to Docker.

  3. Scalability: Docker Compose is primarily designed for single host deployments. It allows you to define and manage multiple containers on a single host, but it does not provide built-in support for scalability across multiple hosts. Portainer, on the other hand, provides features for managing multi-host Docker environments. It allows you to easily scale container deployments across multiple hosts, making it suitable for larger deployments.

  4. Advanced Features: Docker Compose provides a wide range of advanced features for defining and managing Docker applications. It supports environment variables, network configurations, volume mapping, dependency management, and more. Portainer, on the other hand, does not provide the same level of advanced features as Docker Compose. While it allows you to manage containers, images, networks, and volumes, it does not offer the same level of flexibility and customization as Docker Compose.

  5. Security: Docker Compose does not provide built-in security features. It does not have user access controls or authentication mechanisms. Portainer, on the other hand, provides advanced security features, including user authentication, role-based access control (RBAC), and support for LDAP and OAuth authentication providers. It allows you to control access to Docker resources based on user roles and permissions.

  6. Community Support and Ecosystem: Docker Compose is a core component of the Docker ecosystem and has strong community support. It is widely adopted and has an active community of developers contributing to its development and maintenance. Portainer, on the other hand, is a separate tool that complements Docker Compose. While it has its own community of users and contributors, it may not have the same level of community support and ecosystem as Docker Compose.

In summary, Docker Compose is a command-line tool used to define and manage Docker applications, while Portainer is a user-friendly web-based GUI for managing Docker containers, images, and networks. Docker Compose provides advanced features and flexibility, but requires knowledge of command-line usage and YAML syntax. Portainer, on the other hand, is easier to use and offers features for multi-host deployments and security, but may lack the same level of flexibility and community support as Docker Compose.

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Advice on Docker Compose, Portainer

Michael
Michael

CEO at asencis Ltd

Jan 5, 2021

Needs advice

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%.

272k views272k
Comments

Detailed Comparison

Docker Compose
Docker Compose
Portainer
Portainer

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.

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.

-
Docker management; Docker UI; Docker cluster management; Swarm visualizer; Authentication; User Access Control; Docker container management; Docker service management; Docker overview; Docker console; Docker swarm status; Docker image management; Docker network management; Docker dashboard; Remote HTTP API; Automation
Statistics
GitHub Stars
36.4K
GitHub Stars
-
GitHub Forks
5.5K
GitHub Forks
-
Stacks
22.3K
Stacks
507
Followers
16.5K
Followers
842
Votes
501
Votes
146
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • 123
    Multi-container descriptor
  • 110
    Fast development environment setup
  • 79
    Easy linking of containers
  • 68
    Simple yaml configuration
  • 60
    Easy setup
Cons
  • 9
    Tied to single machine
  • 5
    Still very volatile, changing syntax often
Pros
  • 36
    Simple
  • 27
    Great UI
  • 19
    Friendly
  • 12
    Easy to setup, gives a practical interface for Docker
  • 11
    Fully featured
Integrations
Docker
Docker
Docker Swarm
Docker Swarm
Docker Secrets
Docker Secrets
Auth0
Auth0
Kubernetes
Kubernetes
Docker
Docker

What are some alternatives to Docker Compose, Portainer?

Kubernetes

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.

Rancher

Rancher

Rancher is an open source container management platform that includes full distributions of Kubernetes, Apache Mesos and Docker Swarm, and makes it simple to operate container clusters on any cloud or infrastructure platform.

Docker Swarm

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.

Tutum

Tutum

Tutum lets developers easily manage and run lightweight, portable, self-sufficient containers from any application. AWS-like control, Heroku-like ease. The same container that a developer builds and tests on a laptop can run at scale in Tutum.

Codefresh

Codefresh

Automate and parallelize testing. Codefresh allows teams to spin up on-demand compositions to run unit and integration tests as part of the continuous integration process. Jenkins integration allows more complex pipelines.

CAST.AI

CAST.AI

It is an AI-driven cloud optimization platform for Kubernetes. Instantly cut your cloud bill, prevent downtime, and 10X the power of DevOps.

k3s

k3s

Certified Kubernetes distribution designed for production workloads in unattended, resource-constrained, remote locations or inside IoT appliances. Supports something as small as a Raspberry Pi or as large as an AWS a1.4xlarge 32GiB server.

Flocker

Flocker

Flocker is a data volume manager and multi-host Docker cluster management tool. With it you can control your data using the same tools you use for your stateless applications. This means that you can run your databases, queues and key-value stores in Docker and move them around as easily as the rest of your app.

Kitematic

Kitematic

Simple Docker App management for Mac OS X

Docker Machine

Docker Machine

Machine lets you create Docker hosts on your computer, on cloud providers, and inside your own data center. It creates servers, installs Docker on them, then configures the Docker client to talk to them.

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