Docker vs Spacelift comparison

Docker and Spacelift are both solutions in the AI Software Development category. Docker is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.9, while Spacelift is ranked #18 with an average rating of 8.0. Docker holds a 0.4% mindshare in ASD, compared to Spacelift’s 0.4% mindshare. Additionally, 98% of Docker users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Spacelift users who would recommend it.

Docker

Read 57 Docker reviews

2,794 Views
168 Comparison Views

98% willing to recommend

Spacelift

Read 5 Spacelift reviews

605 Views
188 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Docker

Spacelift

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 11, 2025

Docker and Spacelift compete in the infrastructure management category. Docker seems to have the upper hand with its cost-effectiveness, ease of use, and extensive community support.

Features: Docker provides security, detailed documentation, and ease of use. It includes an internal DNS and offers container orchestration through Docker Swarm, which is noted for being simpler than Kubernetes. Another feature is its ability to create portable and containerized environments, which enhances its scalability and deployment speed. Spacelift integrates efficiently with Terraform, offers compliance-focused policies, and streamlines the deployment process. Its modern infrastructure management features make it suitable for DevOps practices.

Room for Improvement: Docker users suggest improvements in security vulnerability reporting, stability, and a more intuitive command line interface. Managing firewalls is also highlighted as a complex area. Spacelift needs better synchronization across versions of tools like Kubernetes, improved notifications, and more streamlined integration with various cloud services.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Docker's versatility across deployment environments includes on-premises and multiple clouds. Its free open-source nature and strong community support are valuable, although specialized assistance requires a subscription. Spacelift mainly deploys in public clouds, and its users commend the technical support despite encountering challenges in the absence of premium support features.

Pricing and ROI: Docker's open-source option appeals to cost-conscious users, with enterprise versions incurs additional costs. Users experience high ROI through efficient deployment and resource management. Spacelift, while considered expensive, offers ROI by achieving cost savings compared to other solutions, justified by its effective team utilization.

To learn more, read our detailed Docker vs. Spacelift Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Docker vs. Spacelift

December 2025

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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

Ranking in AI Software Development

7th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Development Platforms (1st), Container Management (4th), Software Supply Chain Security (3rd)

Spacelift

Ranking in AI Software Development

18th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Cloud Management (20th)

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the AI Software Development category, the mindshare of Docker is 0.4%. The mindshare of Spacelift is 0.4%. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

AI Software Development Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Docker	0.4%
Spacelift	0.4%
Other	99.2%

AI Software Development

Featured Reviews

reviewer2787357

Site Reliability Engineer at Granicus Inc.

Containerization has standardized deployments and drives faster, more reliable delivery

As Docker is already a very mature tool, there are areas where it can be improved based on real-world usage. One area I consider is the Windows container experience. The pain point here is that Windows containers are heavier and slower than Linux containers because I have worked in both environments and felt that Windows containers are heavier and slower than Linux containers. This also limits the ecosystem and tooling maturity compared to Linux containers. Improvements could include performance optimization and better parity with Linux container features. Apart from that, observability and debugging is another area. The pain point is the limited native metrics available and limited logging and tracing features. Improvements could include adding a good amount of metrics, logging, and tracing, as well as better built-in observability features and easier container introspection. Network complexity is also present. I face issues with Docker networking that can become confusing in complex setups, and debugging container-to-container issues is not always intuitive. Improvements can be made with simpler networking abstractions and better built-in troubleshooting tools. Docker is excellent for containerization and CI/CD, but it can be improved in areas of built-in security, network simplicity, and observability. These points should be kept in mind and worked on.

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Sudheer Kumar Jamjam

Technical Lead Cloud DevOps Engineer at Deloitte

Everything can be visibly managed, scheduling and state management features are pretty good

We've integrated it with source control management tools like GitLab and Bitbucket. The scheduling and state management features are pretty good using Spacelift. It integrates with tools like Terraform and Kubernetes for policies, but we haven't worked on the compliance part. Spacelift streamlines collaboration among our development and operations teams. We use it for CI/CD as well. It can handle automation strategies. Whenever you put your YAML files and integrate them with Spacelift, it will scan the code and show where you need to make changes.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution is easy to deploy for clients so it saves a lot of hassle."

"The lift and shift creates a lightweight image."

"We find the auto scaling and auto healing functionality of this solution very good."

"The most valuable feature of Docker is its integration with other solutions, such as KVM and AlmaLinux."

"Docker's containerization property is its main selling point."

"The most valuable features of Docker are its security, detailed documentation, and ease of use, and the Docker Swarm is not as complex as Kubernetes."

"Docker offers a resilient system with minimal failure chances and optimized performance"

"The stability is excellent."

More Docker pros

"Spacelift is like an extension of Terraform, where everything can be visibly managed."

"A valuable feature of Spacelift is that you can attach labels, and it is a modernized tool for infrastructure deployments. It is pull request-based, and you can see all the Terraform plan and apply logs on the pull request itself, which is not available across any other CI/CD tools."

"Knowing the HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL) makes it easier to use without issues."

"One key feature is the Spacelift policies, which we can attach to deployments to ensure compliance with our standards."

"I appreciate that I just have to connect to my AWS account with my credentials, and Spacelift handles the rest."

Cons

"The learning curve with Docker is huge and extensive"

"However, I have deducted 1.5 points because there are still some gaps around security, observability, and networking simplicity that can be addressed."

"The product does not have an extensive documentation. The tool does not have good scenarios. We have to go through the GitHub repository and investigate similar scenarios. Also, if you are copying multiple things, then you can jeopardize the copy number. The copying aspect also lacks a UI part. We also need to limit the memory."

"The solution is not easy to manage and it is one of the reasons why people introduce orchestration tools to manage it."

"Sometimes, it can become heavy and cause performance issues."

"We'd like knowledge transfer to be easier."

"They should provide proper documentation to understand the solution's cgroup process."

"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."

More Docker cons

"In the free version, there's no straightforward way to be notified once a deployment is finished."

"Spacelift currently lacks features that can help with complex type deployments and coordination for major deployments."

"Synchronization can be difficult when using older and newer versions with Kubernetes and HashiCorp."

"If you are a small enterprise organization, below 500 people, I would not recommend it."

"The self-hosted version does not have a lot of features compared to the SaaS version, such as cloud integrations for Azure and GCP."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I would rate the pricing of Docker as ten out of ten"

"I use the solution's open-source version."

"Since Docker is an open-source solution, it is free of cost."

"The current cost for us is nothing as an open source."

"We use the open-source version."

"The pricing of the solution is fairly cheap."

"Docker is a free open-source solution."

"Docker is cost-effective and open-source."

More Docker pricing and cost advice

"It is a bit expensive product."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

15%

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

University

Financial Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Computer Software Company

Educational Organization

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	22
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	35

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Docker?

We are using Docker to host applications.

See all answers

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.

See all answers

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.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Spacelift?

I've never checked the pricing because I enjoy using it for free. Besides the notification feature, I haven't needed any paid features.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Spacelift?

There are a few areas for improvement. For instance, getting notification webhooks is not easy. In the free version, there's no straightforward way to be notified once a deployment is finished. Spa...

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What is your primary use case for Spacelift?

I use Spacelift to deploy my applications, particularly AWS applications and infrastructure to my personal AWS account.

See all answers

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Compared 7% of the time

Codespaces vs Docker

Compared 7% of the time

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Compared 50% of the time

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Compared 32% of the time

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Compared 9% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Docker

January 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Spacelift

January 2026

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Overview

Docker provides a robust containerization platform, enabling identical environments across machines. With features like portability, fast deployment, and minimal resource consumption, Docker supports development, facilitating multitier architectures and integrating seamlessly with Kubernetes.

Docker offers an advanced containerization solution that enhances application management through automation and security measures. By isolating environments and managing dependencies, Docker supports platforms for scalable application development. Its integration with orchestration tools like Kubernetes and independence from host operating systems enable developers to create lightweight applications effectively. Although known for its cost efficiency and flexibility, Docker could improve in areas such as stability, command-line usability, and Windows performance integration. Users also point out the need for enhanced documentation, simplified management tools, and better persistence storage options, along with stronger marketing and easier user adoption.

What important features does Docker provide?

Containerization: Creates consistent environments across machines.
Portability: Runs on different hosts with ease.
Fast Deployment: Speeds up application launches and updates.
Security: Offers isolation and management of dependencies.
Scaling: Supports application scaling and multitier architectures.

What benefits should users look for when evaluating Docker?

Cost Efficiency: Reduces resource usage with lightweight containers.
Flexibility: Integrates with orchestration tools like Kubernetes.
Performance: Enhances resource utilization and onboarding.
On-premises Management: Simplifies managing cloud and local setups.

Industries leverage Docker for application packaging, deploying microservices, and CI/CD processes. It supports DevOps, enhances backend service management, and enables resource-efficient development environments. Docker's compatibility with tools such as Jenkins ensures seamless integration and orchestration in modern IT workflows.

Docker

Spacelift provides a sophisticated infrastructure management platform with key features such as Drift Detection and Terraform integration, simplifying complex deployments and enhancing user workflows through an intuitive interface.

Spacelift excels in modernizing infrastructure management by integrating smoothly with Terraform, using a pull request-based approach for visibility into logs. It automates change detection using GitOps from GitHub and supports AWS connectivity with credential management. Despite its strengths, some users find room for improvement in supporting smaller enterprises and offering more seamless cloud integrations with self-hosted versions. Handling of HashiCorp Vault secrets and cumbersome notification webhooks may require additional setup effort.

What are the most valuable features?

Drift Detection: Ensures user edits are managed effectively, reducing configuration discrepancies.
Terraform Integration: Seamless compatibility with Terraform for robust infrastructure management.
GitOps: Automates change detection from GitHub, ensuring efficient workflows.
Compliance Policies: Helps maintain infrastructure within regulatory guidelines.
Stack Execution: Enables runs with label attachments for organized operations.

What benefits or ROI can users expect?

Improved Deployment Control: Default plan prompts support structured and controlled deployments.
Streamlined Terraform Management: Enhanced visibility into logs aids in transparent and efficient operations.
Efficient AWS Interactions: Credential management simplifies connections, making operations more fluid.
Dynamic Infrastructure Handling: Supports significant projects by replacing tools like Terraform Enterprise.

In specific industries, Spacelift is primarily utilized for infrastructure management and deployment across platforms like AWS, Azure, and GCP. In banking architecture, it replaces Terraform Enterprise, ensuring secure and efficient operations. Projects like Google Fiber benefit from its capability to import and manage data effectively, engaging users with HashiCorp Language and GitHub for CI/CD integration.

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