Docker

Overview

Docker, which says it changed how the world ships software, is trusted by more than 20 million developers; its leadership includes chief executive Don Johnson and chief technology officer Tushar Jain^[11]. Its products include Docker Desktop for building and running containers locally, Docker Hub for discovering and sharing images, and build and security services, and the company now positions itself around building and running AI applications and agents securely^[11].

Subscriptions are per user. Personal is free; Pro costs US$9 per month on annual billing (US$11 monthly); Team costs US$15 annually (US$16 monthly); and Business costs US$24 per user per month, with monthly billing for Business arranged through sales^[10]. Business adds security, control and compliance features for enterprises^[10]. Docker’s container format is the foundation for Kubernetes deployments and most CI pipelines. Organisations should check the licensing terms that determine which companies need a paid subscription for Docker Desktop, which are set out in Docker’s pricing FAQ rather than on the pricing page.

What Docker does

• Docker Desktop
• Docker Hub image registry
• Build services
• Security and compliance controls (Business)
• AI agent tooling

Docker pricing

Personal: free. Pro: US$9/user/month annual (US$11 monthly). Team: US$15 annual (US$16 monthly). Business: US$24/user/month.

Docker strengths and limitations

Appears in

• Best DevOps Tools in 2026 #8

Docker alternatives and competitors

Alternatives to Docker: companies ranked in the same lists.

• OpenAI Whisper
• GitLab
• Microsoft Azure AI Speech
• Jira Service Management
• Jenkins
• Harness
• CircleCI
• Kubernetes
• Argo CD
• HCP Terraform
• RHRed Hat Ansible Automation Platform
• Datadog