Docker
Docker packages applications and their dependencies into portable container images that run identically anywhere. It underpins most modern CI pipelines and deployment workflows.
Pros
- Reproducible environments. An image runs identically on laptops, CI, and production servers. 1
- Fast startup. Containers share the host kernel, starting in milliseconds instead of minutes. 0
- Huge ecosystem. Docker Hub offers prebuilt images for nearly every database, runtime, and tool. 0
- Layered builds. Image layers cache unchanged steps, keeping repeat builds fast. 0
- Industry standard. OCI images work with Kubernetes, Podman, and every major cloud. 0
Cons
- Linux-first design. macOS and Windows run containers inside a VM, costing performance. 0
- Image bloat. Careless Dockerfiles produce multi-gigabyte images that slow deploys. 0
- Root daemon risk. The default daemon runs as root, widening the attack surface. 0
- Not full isolation. Shared-kernel containers isolate less strongly than virtual machines. 0