Introduction

Containerization has become a popular way to test, build, and deploy applications in a streamlined manner. Docker has been the most popular container management engine on the market for a long time. However, as containerization became the norm in the DevOps world, competitors like Podman emerged. This article will compare two container management engines - Docker and Podman. It will also help you choose the right engine for your needs.

Definitions

Docker

Docker is a popular platform for creating, deploying, and managing containers. Docker containers allow developers to apply a system-agnostic approach to software deployment. Since Docker runs the same docker containers on any OS, containerized applications are cross-platform.

Podman

Podman is a daemonless, rootless container engine developed by RedHat, designed as an alternative to Docker. The modular design allows Podman to use individual system components only when needed. Its rootless approach to container management allows containers to be run by non-root users.

Comparison

Daemon

Docker uses the Docker daemon, while Podman uses a daemonless architecture.

Root

Docker runs containers as root only, while Podman runs containers as root and as non-root.

Images

Docker can build container images, while Podman uses Buildah to build container images.

Monolithic platform

Docker is a monolithic platform, while Podman is not.

Docker-swarm

Docker-swarm is supported by Docker, but not by Podman.

Docker-compose

Docker-compose is supported by both Docker and Podman.

Architecture

Docker utilizes client-server architecture, while Podman manages containers using the fork-exec model.

Operating System

Docker runs natively on Linux, macOS, and Windows, while Podman runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows (with WSL).

Conclusion

In conclusion, both Docker and Podman have their own strengths and weaknesses. Docker is a more user-friendly platform with a larger ecosystem, while Podman is more lightweight and secure. If you are looking for a container management engine that is easy to use and has a large community, Docker is the way to go. However, if you are looking for a more secure and lightweight container management engine, Podman is the better choice.