Docker is a very popular application when it comes to virtual containers. It is the most used by the developers but many reports have started to come in regarding the security of the application. Since many important data use Docker, security is a major threat to such developers.
That’s why I have listed down 5 of the best Docker alternatives that are very safe to use and handle data containers perfectly well!
What are the best docker alternatives?
| Name | Best For | Price | Our Rating | Website |
| Artifactory Docker Registry | Container | $98 | 4/5 | https://www.jfrog.com/confluence/display/JFROG/Docker+Registry |
| LXC (Linux) | Container | Price not revealed | 3.5/5 | https://linuxcontainers.org/ |
| Hyper-V and Windows Containers | Container | [$1,323 – $3,607] | 3/5 | https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/virtualization/windowscontainers/quick-start/set-up-environment |
| rkt | Container | Price not revealed | 3.5/5 | https://github.com/rkt/rkt |
| Podman | Container Engine | $20 | 3/5 | https://podman.io/ |
1. Artifactory Docker Registry
Artifactory Docker Registry is a great Docker alternative. It is a secure application that uses Docker images. This helps you in giving remote access to Docker containers registry with the inclusion of integration to the ecosystem.
Artifactory Docker Registry lets you have unlimited Docker registries, remote and virtual Docker repositories.
Price of Artifactory Docker Registry
Artifactory Docker Registry costs about $98 Dollars/ month. It also offers a free trial.
Features of Artifactory Docker Registry
- Access to Docker Hub
- Docker Images
Pro and Cons of Artifactory Docker Registry
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅Good application | ❌Free and open source versions lacks some features |
| ✅Easy for developers | ❌Expensive plan |
Review on Artifactory Docker Registry
Artifactory Docker Registry is a good application to use, it is provided by JFrog itself which means it is coming from a good brand and has a secure connection.
Rating on Artifactory Docker Registry
Artifactory Docker Registry gets a rating of 4/5 stars.
2. LXC (Linux)
LXC is another great Docker alternative that can act as a Docker substitute. LXC (Linux) is known for containers that are low-level. It was founded by Canonical, the company that help make Ubuntu.
Price of LXC (Linux)
The price of LXC hasn’t been mentioned.
Features of LXC (Linux)
- Multiple processes can be run at the same time
- Low-level container
Pro and Cons of LXC (Linux)
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅Great UI | ❌Files save as default root files |
| ✅Easy to use |
Review on LXC (Linux)
Linux Containers have become quite popular because of their ease of use and their simple UI. It is a great docker replacement.
Rating on LXC (Linux)
LXC gets a rating of 3.5/5 stars.
3. Hyper-V and Windows Containers
Microsoft introduced two new container technologies when it released Windows 2016 server. The container technologies were Hyper-V and Windows Containers. Windows Containers has a similar abstraction technique compared to Docker.
Hyper-V on the other hand is a better container technology as they showcase better and easier portability and sharing. Hyper-V also has better security attached to it.
Price of Hyper-V and Windows Containers
Hyper-V and Windows Containers price the following:
Standard Plan: $1,323 for up to 16 cores
Datacenter Plan: $3,607 for up to 16 cores
Features of Hyper-V and Windows Containers
- Better security
- Faster sharing
Pro and Cons of Hyper-V and Windows Containers
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅Faster than other containers | ❌Expensive plans |
| ✅Better security | ❌Higher infrastructure footprint |
Review on Hyper-V and Windows Containers
Hyper-V and Windows containers offer different sets of features but they are both great container tools and should be tried if you are looking for Docker alternatives.
Rating on Hyper-V and Windows Containers
Hyper-V and Windows Containers get a rating of 3/5 stars
4. Rkt
rkt was previously known as CoreOs Rocket. It is now considered one of the best Docker alternatives available right now. rkt is an open-source application and has very good secure technology attached to it.
Price of rkt
rkt hasn’t provided any price plans for its product.
Features of rkt
- Secured application
- Fast application
Pro and Cons of rkt
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅Good control over containers | ❌No price info released |
| ✅Good security |
Review on rkt
rkt provides you with some great control over your containers and is also a really fast and secured application to use.
Rating on rkt
rkt gets a rating of 3.5/5 stars
5. Podman
Podman is not exactly a container application like Docker but it is an open-source virtual container engine. It basically performs more or less like Docker’s engine. Podman also has a similiar command-line interface to Docker.
Price of Podman
Podman costs about $20 Dollars.
Features of Podman
- Container engine
- Self-suffiecient containers
- More secured
Pro and Cons of Podman
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅Fairly cheap | ❌Open-source container engine |
Review on Podman
Podman can be a good Docker alternative as it almost performs the same role as Docker engine. It is more secured application and it also runs on non-root access, unlike Docker.
Rating on Podman
Podman gets a rating of 3/5 stars.
Final note
Those are some of the best Docker alternatives you can use today. Docker has become an industry-standard now but there are also many other Docker alternatives available that are much secure than Docker and quite easy to use for many developers.
Along with that some of the applications listed above are also fairly cheap when compared to Docker. Hope you got what you were looking for.
