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AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK) vs Docker comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 14, 2024

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 Cloud Development Kit (...
Ranking in Development Platforms
4th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
5
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 Cloud Development Kit (CDK) is 7.8%, down from 9.6% compared to the previous year. 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

Jigneshkumar Gadhavi - PeerSpot reviewer
Easy and quick to deploy but plugins could be improved
The most valuable features of the AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK) are its speed and ease of deployment. We can quickly deploy infrastructure by writing code At the beginning, there were some issues regarding different plugins. We have been using AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK) for 6-8 months.…
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

"You can use AWS CDK to write code to provision infrastructure."
"AWS CDK has notably streamlined the deployment process compared to other methods, primarily by defining cloud infrastructure as code."
"The most valuable features of the AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK) are its speed and ease of deployment."
"The setup process is very straightforward."
"One of the most valuable aspects of CDK is its ability to integrate various components seamlessly, such as Lambda functions, API Gateway, DynamoDB, and EventBridge."
"AWS CDK offers seamless integration, which was a significant factor in choosing it for cloud computing."
"The solution is easy to install."
"Kubernetes is the primary container orchestration tool I use with this solution. Docker provides a complete solution for deploying and managing workloads across multiple nodes. Container orchestration has significantly impacted my workload by automating tasks and streamlining operations. The availability of systems like Kubernetes is crucial for planning and managing complete clusters and computing environments. Every client's needs are different, and not one solution fits all."
"When used in conjunction with Kubernetes, it is seamless because it integrates very well."
"The most valuable feature is that it is cost-saving."
"In our line of work, we've been involved in various sectors, such as industrial products, transportation, client engineering, telecom, and medical. For instance, we're currently developing an IT platform. One key use case we're tackling is device management."
"The solution's customer service is good."
"There are ways of using Docker where you have absolutely no dependencies on the environment that you work in. This allows us to deploy Docker anywhere anytime and this has been most valuable."
"Docker is convenient and easy to use."
 

Cons

"There is room for improvement in the use of EventBridge and the initial setup of CDK, which can be a bit challenging."
"Using AWS CDK requires some knowledge of popular programming languages."
"The primary issue we've encountered is pricing. Some customers find the pricing to be somewhat high. Additionally, there's a discrepancy between the promised resource utilization and the actual utilization. The resource utilization calculations don't align with the provided guidelines. So, the pricing and resource utilization calculations could be refined."
"They could allow combining multiple languages, such as JavaScript and Python for the platform. At present, we can use only one language."
"There are some issues with different plugins."
"There is room for improvement in the use of EventBridge and the initial setup of CDK, which can be a bit challenging."
"They should provide proper documentation to understand the solution's cgroup process."
"Unfortunately, base images are not currently available."
"We are facing multiple issues with the solution's stability."
"The runtime and security could improve in Docker. Security is paramount in the cloud and important."
"One of the challenges I face with Docker is debugging containers within the infrastructure. It can be tricky to debug applications inside containers, which is a common issue among developers. If easier tools or methods were available to debug applications within Docker containers, it would be very beneficial."
"In terms of communication between services, perhaps the configuration within networks between containers could be improved."
"Sometimes, we have sync-up issues where the build doesn't get processed due to these sync issues, causing the build to fail. That's one of the drawbacks I see. When we did a huge sync-up, we faced a couple of issues. It takes some time for us to complete the sync-up. For frequent, smaller updates, we haven't had any issues. However, challenges can arise for those who prefer doing everything in one go. This might not necessarily be due to the tool itself but because of the approach of doing everything in a single batch."
"We'd like knowledge transfer to be easier."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Since AWS CDK is an open-source solution, it's free to use."
"Pricing is based on the number of users."
"The solution offers an open-source version that is free and includes a lot of functionality."
"This is an open-source solution, so there are no licensing costs."
"The pricing of the solution is fairly cheap."
"The product is a free open-source tool."
"It's free."
"Docker is a free open-source solution."
"The current cost for us is nothing as an open source."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about AWS CDK?
The most valuable features of the AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK) are its speed and ease of deployment.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for AWS CDK?
Over time, I expect AWS to become more cost-efficient and resilient. Although the pricing is currently high, I hope they continue to improve their system, which will lead to cost reductions.
What needs improvement with AWS CDK?
There is room for improvement in the use of EventBridge and the initial setup of CDK, which can be a bit challenging. The IAM policies could be simplified to make the setup process more straightfor...
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

 

Sample Customers

Expedia, Intuit, Royal Dutch Shell, Brooks Brothers
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK) vs. Docker and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
864,155 professionals have used our research since 2012.