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Docker vs VMware Tanzu Platform comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 15, 2025

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 Development Platforms
1st
Ranking in Container Management
5th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
56
Ranking in other categories
Software Supply Chain Security (4th)
VMware Tanzu Platform
Ranking in Development Platforms
3rd
Ranking in Container Management
3rd
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
22
Ranking in other categories
Build Automation (13th), PaaS Clouds (13th), Cloud Management (24th), Service Mesh (8th), Agile and DevOps Services (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Development Platforms category, the mindshare of Docker is 42.8%, up from 40.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of VMware Tanzu Platform is 22.7%, up from 21.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Development Platforms Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Docker42.8%
VMware Tanzu Platform22.7%
Other34.5%
Development Platforms
 

Featured Reviews

Sunny Nair - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers application conversion to Docker image and a mature environment
The learning curve with Docker is huge and extensive. Adopting Docker is a bit difficult because it requires a lot of expertise and background, including an understanding of networking and security concepts. Many professionals are facing issues with the different architectures that interact with each other in Docker. Whenever in our company, we are working with the production environment, professionals are hesitant to adopt Docker due to the extensive learning curve, and most of the team members in our company are more accustomed to an environment like VMware instead of Docker. Docker runs on scripts, so if AI can automate most of the scripting process in Docker, it would be a great advantage in the future version of Docker. As of now, we can create scripts utilizing most of the functions within Docker, but that initial planning phase wherein to understand exactly how you will plan for the resources, how you will convert applications into a Docker-based image, and similar tasks needs to be simplified so that more professionals can adopt Docker.
DarshanChaudhari - PeerSpot reviewer
Empowers seamless connectivity and integration through APIs while offering robust auto-scaling
I am involved in IT services and we provide a solution to customers. We work with VMware, Nutanix, OpenShift, and Microsoft Hyper-V The Tanzu platform is highly available, scalable, and flexible. It offers native services for autoscaling and integrations through APIs, allowing seamless…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Docker allows you to create small applications and containerize them. You can create multiple such application containers that can run simultaneously on the Linux operating system. In a DevOps environment where multiple teams are creating applications, developing new versions, and deploying applications frequently, Docker is very helpful. The greatest benefit of the solution is that you can create applications and multiple versions of the same application, distributing them across various Linux platforms. Setting up Docker is very quick; whereas setting up a Linux operating system can take five to ten minutes, you can set up a Docker-based Linux OS container within minutes. For developers who frequently create and deploy applications, Docker makes it easy to quickly develop, deploy, and run the latest versions. The solution’s stability is great. I rate it a nine out of ten. Regarding scalability, Docker doesn't require any separate configuration for multiple users. If you are trying to create an application quickly for testing or development purposes, Docker is the best tool available."
"The stability is excellent."
"The most valuable feature is the simple containerization."
"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."
"The lift and shift creates a lightweight image."
"The ability to use an image with the software built into it, rather than just the software, is beneficial."
"We are using Docker to host applications."
"The most valuable feature is Docker has a fast learning curve."
"Tanzu Mission Control has quite a set of rich features when compared to OpenShift."
"We never experienced any problems with scalability."
"The Day 2 operations support is the most vital feature"
"There are a lot of services available in VMware Tanzu Application Service, such as databases and application servers. You have everything you need in one application and you do not need to search outside of the solution."
"The most valuable feature of VMware Tanzu Mission Control is the management functionality of the cluster life cycle. Additionally, the solution integrates well with other vendors, such as Velero for backups and Sonobuoy for compliance. Additionally, it works well in multi-cluster environments."
"The solution is integrated very well with a lot of other systems. Also, its GUI is very good."
"The Tanzu platform is highly available, scalable, and flexible."
"The observability platform and end-to-end service portal provided by Tanzu are the most valuable features."
 

Cons

"Docker could improve by having more advanced features."
"Docker can improve the integration with Microsoft Windows. It does not support native installations."
"Docker volumes. When I integrated volumes, I faced challenges. I have not essentially used add volumes to the existing instances."
"The Kubernetes blocks need improvement since Docker has many holes in it."
"Sometimes, it can become heavy and cause performance issues."
"Stability is an area with a shortcoming."
"The solution needs to be more scalable for local machines."
"They should provide proper documentation to understand the solution's cgroup process."
"Customers have noticed a considerable price increase after VMware's acquisition by Broadcom."
"The disaster recovery feature could be improved to provide better tracking of issues. I would also like to see the introduction of a dashboard view, for even further integration of all the areas that Mission Control looks at."
"Addressing the high upfront costs could improve the product. Implementing a subscription-based model with tiered service options could make it more accessible to a broader range of customers."
"Customers have noticed a considerable price increase after VMware's acquisition by Broadcom."
"Tanzu provides better manageability as compared to OCP, but when it comes to tagging it with other products, it's a bit rigid. If I have to bring in any new product or something out of the box from a different vendor, working with Tanzu becomes a little difficult. For example, if I want to use the F5 services, I have to add one more layer of Avi, but I don't want to do that. If I have a list of the products that I want to use, such as for firewall services, with Tanzu, I will have to go through another layer, which creates complexity."
"The implementation is not easy, it is very complex and can take a day or two to complete."
"The infrastructure is quite challenging."
"The product should support integration with Google Cloud Platform (GCP)"
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I would rate the pricing of Docker as ten out of ten"
"The pricing of the solution is fairly cheap."
"The current cost for us is nothing as an open source."
"Docker is a free open-source solution. However, there is the Docker Enterprise which is a paid solution."
"Docker is a free open-source solution."
"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."
"Its convenience edition is free of cost."
"The solution offers an open-source version that is free and includes a lot of functionality."
"The solution is bundled in with Cloud Foundry so the pricing is not independent."
"It is not the most expensive option, and I believe the capabilities align well with the value it provides."
"I would recommend that businesses look into the full price for their requirements. The price is high, but there are some open-source add-ons that can be used for customization while keeping costs down, although these might not be suitable for everyone."
"One of our Spanish customers told us that VMware Tanzu Service Mesh is a very expensive product for their data center."
"The price of VMware Tanzu Mission Control is greater than that of Red Hat's competitor solution"
"The least expensive licensing cost for VMware is around $350 per core."
"The licensing cost is expensive."
"Since we were at a large data center, the price might not have been a concern for us."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Financial Services Firm
16%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business22
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise34
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business10
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise9
 

Questions from the Community

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.
Which is better - OpenShift Container Platform or VMware Tanzu Mission Control?
Red Hat Openshift is ideal for organizations using microservices and cloud environments. I like that the platform is auto-scalable, which saves overhead time for developers. I think Openshift can b...
What do you like most about VMware Tanzu Mission Control?
It definitely gives the end customer a good overview and perspective of running applications in terms of overall workload footprint. TMC provides a very detailed description of your cloud-native ap...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for VMware Tanzu Mission Control?
The price of VMware Tanzu Mission Control is greater than that of Red Hat's competitor solution. I would rate the pricing of VMware Tanzu Mission Control as four out of ten.
 

Also Known As

No data available
Tanzu Application Catalog, Application Platform, Application Service, Hub, Mission Control, Service Mesh, Build Service, Concourse for VMware Tanzu
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Verizon, Cerner, Zipcar, Avarteq
Find out what your peers are saying about Docker vs. VMware Tanzu Platform and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
867,349 professionals have used our research since 2012.