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AWS App Runner vs Docker comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

AWS App Runner
Ranking in Development Platforms
6th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Docker
Ranking in Development Platforms
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
56
Ranking in other categories
Container Management (5th), Software Supply Chain Security (6th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Development Platforms category, the mindshare of AWS App Runner is 1.4%. The mindshare of Docker is 43.4%, up from 40.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Development Platforms
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer2677686 - PeerSpot reviewer
Automated processes have led to significant cost savings and efficiency improvements
There are too many technical details for a single developer to know, making it overwhelming. It would benefit from a roadmap wizard or templates to guide developers. AWS App Runner should have a wizard and templates to simplify creating a REST service. Developers need clearer guidance to avoid spending excessive time understanding the system.
GurpreetSingh4 - PeerSpot reviewer
It's beneficial in bridging the gap between monolithic and serverless platforms, making it easier to scale and manage applications
As for improving Docker, I would like to see enhancements in its user interface and documentation to make it even more user-friendly and accessible. I believe Docker will expand its scope and reduce limitations to support more applications, both online and offline. For instance, in scenarios like deployments on ships or during upgrades, Docker can continue to offer software services and container-based intelligence.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"Our company realized tremendous cost savings by eliminating the need for a separate DevOps team."
"I like that the solution is easy to start with."
"We are using Docker to host applications."
"The capability of the solution to convert an application into a Docker image is a vital functionality"
"The solution helps save costs."
"Docker offers a resilient system with minimal failure chances and optimized performance"
"The most valuable feature of Docker is its portability, ease of security management, and low resource usage."
"The most valuable feature is that it gives you the same environment as on a developer machine as well as a production machine relevant to specifications."
"Docker creates lightweight applications that are easy to manage and scale."
"The most valuable feature of Docker is that it provides a containerized environment. The isolation between the environments is beneficial. Additionally, the solution is easy to use."
 

Cons

"There are too many technical details for a single developer to know, making it overwhelming."
"When you try to deploy some code that you've written and tested on other platforms, you should also tell the system what your configuration would be."
"Owing to a few shortcomings in its stability, I would say that its stability can be improved."
"We'd like knowledge transfer to be easier."
"There may not be much room for improvement with Docker as it has greatly evolved. However, one area that could be improved upon is the documentation on their website which was once easy to follow but has become quite terrible with numerous versions being released. As an example, the installation process for Docker now requires more than just a one-line command, causing inconvenience. Additionally, based on my experience as a college instructor, teaching students to install Docker was a difficult task due to the lack of straightforward and easy-to-follow documentation. Docker should focus on improving their documentation to make it more user-friendly for all."
"Enhancing artificial intelligence capabilities and cluster management should be a priority. It should facilitate some security management."
"Stability is an area with a shortcoming."
"The solution could improve with a GUI instead of only a command line interface. Having to use the command line interface can be a hassle."
"Docker volumes. When I integrated volumes, I faced challenges. I have not essentially used add volumes to the existing instances."
"Sometimes there's a bug or defect in the solution. However, the Docker team works on fixing it."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"You pay as much as your infrastructure and provision are running."
"The product is not expensive."
"Docker is open source. To use a Docker enterprise model, we would need to pay for it."
"Since Docker is an open-source solution, it is free of cost."
"Pricing is based on the number of users."
"Its convenience edition is free of cost."
"Docker is a free tool."
"The solution is an open-source technology and not a commercial product. However, you will have to pay sometimes. The tool's pricing depends on the vendor."
"It's an open-source solution, so it doesn't cost anything"
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for AWS App Runner?
To get AWS App Runner up and running, significant resources and expertise are necessary. One individual must have sufficient knowledge, which can be costly for startups but feasible for larger comp...
What needs improvement with AWS App Runner?
There are too many technical details for a single developer to know, making it overwhelming. It would benefit from a roadmap wizard or templates to guide developers. AWS App Runner should have a wi...
What is your primary use case for AWS App Runner?
I use AWS App Runner as a development platform. I create a service locally with Docker containers, and then I'm able to start it up to test. If I need to make a backup, I just put it on a different...
What do you like most about Docker?
We are using Docker to host applications.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Docker?
Regarding the cost, Mirantis Container Cloud is cheaper than other solutions like Red Hat. The license costs around 10,000 Indian rupees per year.
What needs improvement with Docker?
Mirantis Container Cloud should have AI integration tools, which are not available right now. These tools should assist in app scalability and deployment error handling.
 

Comparisons

No data available
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about AWS App Runner vs. Docker and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
864,574 professionals have used our research since 2012.