Introduction
With the growing popularity of microservices, containerization has become a popular solution for developers and IT teams. Both Rancher and Docker Enterprise offer robust container management platforms that help organizations deploy, orchestrate, and manage containerized applications at scale.
But, which one is better for your organization? In this post, we will compare and contrast the features of Rancher and Docker Enterprise, so you can make an informed decision.
Architecture
Both Rancher and Docker Enterprise use Kubernetes as their core orchestration engine. Rancher, however, provides a simple and intuitive user interface that simplifies the management of Kubernetes clusters. On the other hand, Docker Enterprise offers extensive CLI support and has more advanced RBAC controls.
Scalability
When it comes to scalability, Rancher excels. Rancher provides built-in support for scaling infrastructure on AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. This feature allows Rancher to manage the infrastructure required for container orchestration seamlessly.
In contrast, Docker Enterprise doesn't provide any built-in support for infrastructure scaling. IT teams must use third-party tools or services to scale infrastructure.
Security
Both Rancher and Docker Enterprise offer robust security features that meet the requirements of enterprise organizations. But, Docker Enterprise has an edge over Rancher when it comes to security. Docker Enterprise comes with advanced security features such as UCP (Universal Control Plane) and DTR (Docker Trusted Registry) that provide granular access controls.
User Interface
As mentioned earlier, Rancher provides a simple and intuitive user interface that simplifies the management of Kubernetes clusters. The UI of Docker Enterprise is also easy to navigate, but it lacks some intuitive features that Rancher provides.
Pricing
Pricing is one of the significant factors when it comes to choosing a container management platform. Rancher is free and open source, while Docker Enterprise is a commercial product with a yearly subscription fee per node. Organizations of limited budgets may prefer Rancher, while large enterprises with a diverse IT estate may prefer Docker Enterprise.
Conclusion
Both Rancher and Docker Enterprise are robust container management platforms that come with their unique features. The choice between them comes down to specific requirements, budget, and organization's IT infrastructure.
In summary, Rancher is better suited for organizations with budget constraints and require built-in infrastructure scaling support, whereas Docker Enterprise is better suited for organizations that require advanced security, CLI support, and granular access controls.