No more typing reviews! Try our Samantha, our new voice AI agent.

Docker vs Nutanix Kubernetes Engine NKE [EOL] comparison

Why PeerSpot?
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 15, 2026

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

Docker
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
59
Ranking in other categories
Development Platforms (1st), Container Management (4th), Software Supply Chain Security (2nd), AI Software Development (15th)
Nutanix Kubernetes Engine N...
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
14
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Featured Reviews

ER
Senior QA and Developer
Local container testing has boosted development speed but still needs lower battery and memory use
The main thing that really frustrates me about Docker is how much battery power it consumes on a Macintosh. I really am not a fan of that, which leads me to not want to run Docker 24/7 because I do not want my laptop battery to be exhausted by Docker instances running or even the Docker CLI or UI being booted up. I tend to not have it running until I need it, and then I run it and close it. It would be really nice if it did not consume as much battery as it does currently. Docker can definitely be improved by reducing the battery and CPU load that it impacts on a Macintosh. If it were possible for me to run Docker without panicking about the battery running out, that would be excellent. I believe battery is the biggest issue with Docker. The other issue is memory. It seems to consume a lot of memory, and I am not a fan of that. This means that I need to have a really powerful, high-specification Macintosh with a lot of battery and a lot of memory for it to work reliably. I do not always have access to that. If Docker could consume less battery and less memory, that would be magnificent.
reviewer2741271 - PeerSpot reviewer
Nutanix Administrator at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
Has provided seamless upgrade experiences and robust technical support
I have heard there are many features added in NKP that are not available in Nutanix Kubernetes Engine NKE, such as load balancer features. The unified control plane feature is not being used in Nutanix Kubernetes Engine NKE. We are currently using a third-party tool for load balancing, but going forward, NKP will include load balancer, ingress, and egress features, making infrastructure management much easier. There is no auto-scaling feature in Nutanix Kubernetes Engine NKE; however, NKP offers it. In NKE, we created additional worker nodes and increased CPU and RAM capacity, but it required manual intervention. Concerning policy-driven governance in Nutanix Kubernetes Engine NKE, we have the ability to implement RBAC at the cluster level, which helps maintain security by not granting full admin privileges to every end user, thus restricting access effectively.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"We are using Docker to host applications."
"The tool helps us in code versioning. I think it's pretty much easy to use and very straightforward. Even if someone is new to the tool, they can easily start using it with a little guidance or theoretical knowledge. Go through the tool and start using it without much struggle."
"I think that with Docker, it is easy to deploy it on different platforms."
"When used in conjunction with Kubernetes, it is seamless because it integrates very well."
"Docker is highly scalable."
"Docker's containerization property is its main selling point."
"We use Docker to facilitate deployment, updates, and management."
"The lift and shift creates a lightweight image."
"The solution provides no downtime features. If we face issues, we create a new port, deploy it there, and then drop the existing one. This way, we avoid NKE downtime on our website."
"The product integrates well with our infrastructure."
"The solution is easy to manage. You can get everything in a single platform. It is also easy to work with Terraform as a code."
"My experience with Nutanix's technical support is excellent."
"I would recommend using this product, it's very good."
"The technical support is excellent."
"Nutanix's support is really good."
"We can add some add-ons and plugins to the product if we need to."
 

Cons

"Management can be improved with the necessary tools for orchestration."
"Docker can improve the integration with Microsoft Windows. It does not support native installations."
"One item that could be improved is the overall stability of Docker."
"I would like to see a single package image orchestration bundled together. Although Docker has ways to implement, it is not as flexible as Kubernetes."
"The solution’s documentation could improve a bit."
"The volumes for persistent storage could be more user friendly right out of the box."
"In my opinion, Docker could improve the experience of container management and monitoring by simplifying the configuration of complex environments and offering more intuitive tools, as I still sometimes feel the need to search for external sources despite its AI Copilot."
"We are facing multiple issues with the solution's stability."
"We need a backup of production clusters."
"GUI lacks sufficient information to help with understanding the installation and process."
"In the next release, I would like to have automatic dynamic scaling, both upscaling and downscaling."
"Nutanix has limitations compared to VMware, particularly in testing and industry tie-ups with different OEMs. Deploying virtual machines, especially for industrial automation, can be challenging due to compatibility issues."
"Areas for improvement in Nutanix Kubernetes Engine (NKE) include upgrading management capabilities and enhancing the user interface for improved usability."
"NKE could benefit from additional features that support more advanced Kubernetes functionalities and configurations."
"There have been cases where we've deployed with Karbon and haven't seen that it includes errors."
"I would like to have more nodes for availability and storage."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's free."
"The product is not expensive."
"Docker has made some changes and there is an enterprise version that is affordable."
"Its convenience edition is free of cost."
"I use the solution's open-source version."
"I would rate the pricing of Docker as ten out of ten"
"Docker is open source. To use a Docker enterprise model, we would need to pay for it."
"Docker is a free open-source solution. However, there is the Docker Enterprise which is a paid solution."
"I rate the product price a five on a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive."
"The product's licenses are included in the software version deployed in our data center."
"While deploying Kubernetes clusters on Nutanix is cost-effective, there may be additional costs for remote branch offices where Kubernetes is less common."
"I rate NKE's pricing a six out of ten."
"The platform is averagely priced. I rate the pricing as four out of ten."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Container Management solutions are best for your needs.
920,929 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
14%
Outsourcing Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Construction Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Government
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Computer Software Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business23
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise35
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business10
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise4
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Docker?
My experience with Docker's pricing, setup costs, and licensing as an architect involves mainly using the free community version for creating containers, while costs for enterprise environments dep...
What needs improvement with Docker?
In my opinion, Docker could improve the experience of container management and monitoring by simplifying the configuration of complex environments and offering more intuitive tools, as I still some...
What is your primary use case for Docker?
I have been using Docker since 2017, when I needed to create some APIs to carry out integrations between systems, specifically to create an API layer to use with two main tools: Salesforce and Sens...
What needs improvement with Nutanix Kubernetes Engine NKE?
In terms of features, I cannot comment technically, but the real value is the consolidated out-of-the-box solution that Nutanix offers. Nutanix has built great branding and a lot of credibility and...
What is your primary use case for Nutanix Kubernetes Engine NKE?
I have experience with OpenShift, Kubernetes, and Nutanix, as we are one of the largest Nutanix resellers in the Middle East. We handle Kubernetes on the cloud as well, so we manage most of the Kub...
What advice do you have for others considering Nutanix Kubernetes Engine NKE?
I don't have a technical role, but we are a system integrator, so we sell solutions such as OpenShift and Kubernetes as part of the sales team. We are a reseller called eSky IT, and I serve as the ...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Nutanix Karbon
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
JetBlue, International Speedway Corporation, SAIC Volkswagen
Find out what your peers are saying about Amazon Web Services (AWS), Red Hat, Kubernetes and others in Container Management. Updated: October 2026.
920,929 professionals have used our research since 2012.