Watchtower vs kubernetes-deploy: What are the differences?

Introduction

Watchtower and kubernetes-deploy are two popular tools used in the deployment process for containerized applications. While both tools serve the purpose of automating deployment, there are several key differences between them.

1. Deployment Strategy: Watchtower focuses on continuous delivery by monitoring for changes to container images and automatically updating running containers. On the other hand, kubernetes-deploy is specifically designed for deploying to Kubernetes clusters, leveraging its declarative configuration approach to define desired state and manage deployments accordingly.

2. Compatibility: Watchtower supports various container runtimes and deployment environments, including Docker and Amazon ECS. It can be used independent of any specific orchestration platform. In contrast, kubernetes-deploy is tightly integrated with Kubernetes and specifically tailored for deployment within a Kubernetes cluster. It leverages Kubernetes-specific objects and APIs for managing application deployment.

3. Deployment Control: Watchtower operates at the container level and focuses on updating individual containers. It offers fine-grained control over which containers get updated and when, allowing for selective updates within a multi-container environment. Conversely, kubernetes-deploy operates at the application level and manages deployments as a whole. It ensures application consistency by deploying all the necessary components together.

4. Rollback Capability: Watchtower provides a rollback mechanism by storing the previous versions of container images and allowing for their restoration if necessary. However, the rollback process is limited to individual containers and lacks automated support. In contrast, kubernetes-deploy offers robust rollback capabilities by leveraging Kubernetes' native features such as rollout history and replica sets. It allows for easy rollback to a previous known good state at the application level.

5. Extensibility: Watchtower is a standalone tool with a narrower focus on container deployment and update automation. It provides less extensibility when compared to kubernetes-deploy, which benefits from the vast ecosystem of Kubernetes. Kubernetes provides a rich set of extensions and plugins for various use cases, allowing for more flexible customization of the deployment process.

6. Advanced Deployment Strategies: Kubernetes-deploy offers advanced deployment strategies like blue-green deployment and canary release, which allow for seamless and controlled rollouts of new versions. Watchtower, primarily focused on container update automation, lacks these advanced deployment strategies and primarily focuses on keeping containers up to date.

In Summary, Watchtower and kubernetes-deploy differ in their deployment strategies, compatibility, deployment control, rollback capability, extensibility, and support for advanced deployment strategies in Kubernetes.