Docker Swarm vs Rancher

Overview

Rancher

Stacks952

Followers1.5K

Votes644

Docker Swarm

Stacks779

Followers990

Votes282

Docker Swarm vs Rancher: What are the differences?

Key Difference 1: Scalability and High Availability - Docker Swarm is a native clustering and scheduling tool for containers, allowing multiple Docker hosts to be grouped into a swarm. It provides high availability and scalability by distributing containers across several Docker hosts. On the other hand, Rancher is a complete container management platform that supports Docker Swarm as one of its orchestrators. Rancher incorporates additional features like load balancing and service discovery to enhance scalability and high availability.
Key Difference 2: Ease of Deployment and Management - Docker Swarm is relatively easy to deploy as it is included in the Docker Engine. It can be managed using the Docker swarm CLI or API. Rancher, on the other hand, provides a user-friendly web-based interface for managing containers and orchestrators. It simplifies the deployment and management of Docker Swarm clusters by providing a centralized control plane and a graphical user interface.
Key Difference 3: Multi-Orchestrator Support - Docker Swarm is designed specifically for orchestrating Docker containers. It does not support other orchestrators besides its native Swarm mode. In contrast, Rancher supports multiple orchestrators, including Docker Swarm, Kubernetes, and Mesos. This multi-orchestrator support allows users to choose the most suitable orchestrator for their specific requirements and easily switch between them if needed.
Key Difference 4: Flexibility and Extensibility - Docker Swarm provides a straightforward and simple approach to container orchestration, making it suitable for smaller-scale deployments. It focuses on simplicity and ease of use, sacrificing some advanced features and flexibility. Rancher, on the other hand, offers a more comprehensive and extensible platform with advanced networking, storage, and security features. It is well-suited for larger and more complex container deployments that require additional customization and flexibility.
Key Difference 5: Integrations and Ecosystem - As a native Docker component, Docker Swarm integrates seamlessly with other Docker tools and services. It benefits from the extensive Docker ecosystem and community support. Rancher, on the other hand, offers a broader range of integrations and ecosystem support. It has built-in integrations with external logging, monitoring, and CI/CD tools, providing a more holistic container management solution.
Key Difference 6: Maturity and Adoption - Docker Swarm has been part of the Docker ecosystem since version 1.12 and has gained significant adoption. It is a mature and stable technology with a large user base. Rancher, on the other hand, is a relatively newer platform that supports multiple orchestrators, including Docker Swarm. While Rancher has gained popularity and adoption, it may not have the same level of maturity and community support as Docker Swarm.

In Summary, Docker Swarm offers simplicity, scalability, and native integration within the Docker ecosystem, while Rancher provides a more comprehensive container management platform with multi-orchestrator support, advanced features, and a broader range of integrations.

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Advice on Rancher, Docker Swarm

Simon

Senior Fullstack Developer at QUANTUSflow Software GmbH

Apr 27, 2020

Decidedon

GitHub

GitHub Pages

Markdown

Our whole DevOps stack consists of the following tools:

@{GitHub}|tool:27| (incl. @{GitHub Pages}|tool:683|/@{Markdown}|tool:1147| for Documentation, GettingStarted and HowTo's) for collaborative review and code management tool
Respectively @{Git}|tool:1046| as revision control system
@{SourceTree}|tool:1599| as @{Git}|tool:1046| GUI
@{Visual Studio Code}|tool:4202| as IDE
@{CircleCI}|tool:190| for continuous integration (automatize development process)
@{Prettier}|tool:7035| / @{TSLint}|tool:5561| / @{ESLint}|tool:3337| as code linter
@{SonarQube}|tool:2638| as quality gate
@{Docker}|tool:586| as container management (incl. @{Docker Compose}|tool:3136| for multi-container application management)
@{VirtualBox}|tool:774| for operating system simulation tests
@{Kubernetes}|tool:1885| as cluster management for docker containers
@{Heroku}|tool:133| for deploying in test environments
@{nginx}|tool:1052| as web server (preferably used as facade server in production environment)
@{SSLMate}|tool:2752| (using @{OpenSSL}|tool:3091|) for certificate management
@{Amazon EC2}|tool:18| (incl. @{Amazon S3}|tool:25|) for deploying in stage (production-like) and production environments
@{PostgreSQL}|tool:1028| as preferred database system
@{Redis}|tool:1031| 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.

12.8M views12.8M

Comments

Pavel

Jan 27, 2021

Needs adviceon

Linux

Windows

Docker

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?

199k views199k

Comments

Detailed Comparison

Rancher	Docker Swarm
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.	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.
Manage Hosts, Deploy Containers, Monitor Resources;User Management & Collaboration;Native Docker APIs & Tools;Monitoring and Logging;Connect Containers, Manage Disks, Deploy Load Balancers;Docker App Catalog; Included Kubernetes Distribution;Included Docker Swarm Distribution; Included Mesos Distribution;Infrastructure Management	-
Statistics
Stacks 952	Stacks 779
Followers 1.5K	Followers 990
Votes 644	Votes 282
Pros & Cons
Pros 103 Easy to use 79 Open source and totally free 63 Multi-host docker-compose support 58 Simple 58 Load balancing and health check included Cons 10 Hosting Rancher can be complicated	Pros 55 Docker friendly 46 Easy to setup 40 Standard Docker API 38 Easy to use 23 Native Cons 9 Low adoption
Integrations
Jenkins Datadog Google Compute Engine Docker Compose Amazon EC2 DigitalOcean GitHub Docker Kubernetes Drone.io	Docker

What are some alternatives to Rancher, Docker Swarm?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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 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

Simple Docker App management for Mac OS X

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.

Related Comparisons

Docker Swarm vs Rancher: What are the differences?

Key Difference 1: Scalability and High Availability - Docker Swarm is a native clustering and scheduling tool for containers, allowing multiple Docker hosts to be grouped into a swarm. It provides high availability and scalability by distributing containers across several Docker hosts. On the other hand, Rancher is a complete container management platform that supports Docker Swarm as one of its orchestrators. Rancher incorporates additional features like load balancing and service discovery to enhance scalability and high availability.
Key Difference 2: Ease of Deployment and Management - Docker Swarm is relatively easy to deploy as it is included in the Docker Engine. It can be managed using the Docker swarm CLI or API. Rancher, on the other hand, provides a user-friendly web-based interface for managing containers and orchestrators. It simplifies the deployment and management of Docker Swarm clusters by providing a centralized control plane and a graphical user interface.
Key Difference 3: Multi-Orchestrator Support - Docker Swarm is designed specifically for orchestrating Docker containers. It does not support other orchestrators besides its native Swarm mode. In contrast, Rancher supports multiple orchestrators, including Docker Swarm, Kubernetes, and Mesos. This multi-orchestrator support allows users to choose the most suitable orchestrator for their specific requirements and easily switch between them if needed.
Key Difference 4: Flexibility and Extensibility - Docker Swarm provides a straightforward and simple approach to container orchestration, making it suitable for smaller-scale deployments. It focuses on simplicity and ease of use, sacrificing some advanced features and flexibility. Rancher, on the other hand, offers a more comprehensive and extensible platform with advanced networking, storage, and security features. It is well-suited for larger and more complex container deployments that require additional customization and flexibility.
Key Difference 5: Integrations and Ecosystem - As a native Docker component, Docker Swarm integrates seamlessly with other Docker tools and services. It benefits from the extensive Docker ecosystem and community support. Rancher, on the other hand, offers a broader range of integrations and ecosystem support. It has built-in integrations with external logging, monitoring, and CI/CD tools, providing a more holistic container management solution.
Key Difference 6: Maturity and Adoption - Docker Swarm has been part of the Docker ecosystem since version 1.12 and has gained significant adoption. It is a mature and stable technology with a large user base. Rancher, on the other hand, is a relatively newer platform that supports multiple orchestrators, including Docker Swarm. While Rancher has gained popularity and adoption, it may not have the same level of maturity and community support as Docker Swarm.

Docker Swarm vs Rancher

Overview