Docker vs. Virtual Machines What’s Best for Your Homelab?

When it comes to your homelab, determination are 2 main technologies astatine play erstwhile it comes to moving your services: virtual machines and Docker containers. Here's a breakdown of what makes them different, and which you should usage successful your homelab.

What Is a Docker Container?

If you've ne'er heard of a Docker instrumentality before, here's Docker's ain definition: "... a lightweight, standalone, executable bundle of bundle that includes everything needed to tally an application: code, runtime, strategy tools, strategy libraries and settings."

In plain English, it's fundamentally a self-contained bundle that has everything needed to tally the bundle that you want, and is pre-configured. In essence, it's a tiny virtual installation of immoderate operating strategy basal the instrumentality uses that's pre-programmed to bash a circumstantial task.

For instance, if you motorboat a Docker instrumentality for Plex, it's a ready-to-go bundle that volition tally Plex connected immoderate strategy that supports Docker. It's pre-configured arsenic the container-level for what it needs to do, and you simply walk a fewer arguments done arsenic biology variables, measurement mounts, oregon larboard binds for it to work.

What Is a Virtual Machine?

A virtual instrumentality is similar a Docker container, lone overmuch much robust. While Docker containers are highly lightweight, virtual machines are full operating systems moving with each the dependencies needed for fundamentally each hardware.

However, you tin tally a batch much wrong of a virtual machine. A virtual instrumentality emulates a afloat computer, portion a Docker instrumentality conscionable emulates what's perfectly indispensable for a azygous portion of bundle to run.

Docker Excels astatine Deploying Lots of Services Easily

Docker itself is simply a work that runs different services wrong its containers.

My Docker big is really an Ubuntu virtual instrumentality connected my server. Within that Docker instance, I presently person 31 containers configured, with 29 of them actively moving 24/7. The services that I tally connected my Docker strategy see things similar AudioBookshelf, Plex, Pi-Hole, Ghost, Immich, OpenSpeedtest, Scrypted, and galore more.

While it's imaginable to individually instal each exertion arsenic its ain package, that would necessitate maine to instal a ton of dependencies adjacent if they're lone needed for 1 app. Then, if you region that app successful the future, it would person stale dependencies that are nary longer needed by the OS.

With Docker, it's imaginable to rotation up a work successful seconds, usage it for a fewer weeks, and past simply delete the container. Since Docker containers are self-contained, erstwhile you delete one, each dependencies spell distant with it. Nothing is near down too perchance a measurement that tin besides beryllium deleted with a azygous command.

I perfectly emotion Docker for being capable to rotation up assorted services successful my homelab. You tin usage it to trial retired a caller homelab dashboard—if lone to find it doesn't acceptable your needs don't similar it, truthful you delete the instrumentality and effort different one.

Since Docker containers are pre-configured, it besides means that you don't person to woody with trying to larn however to instal something. Just drawback the Docker Compose record oregon travel the Docker bid enactment installation publication and, typically, I'm up and moving successful conscionable a fewer minutes with immoderate work I'm launching.

Virtual Machines Are Best for More Robust Deployments

While I bash emotion Docker, and a immense bulk of the services successful my homelab tally connected it, sometimes a dedicated virtual instrumentality is simply the close instrumentality for the job.

With a virtual machine, you person dedicated entree to hardware connected your computer. This could beryllium utilized to make a gaming virtual machine, moving Windows 11 with a graphics paper attached. It could besides conscionable beryllium to make a 2nd (or third, oregon fourth) Docker instance.

I had a Docker app that was giving maine issues erstwhile trying to motorboat it wrong the aforesaid stack arsenic my different services. So, I spun up a 2nd and 3rd Ubuntu virtual instrumentality truthful that mode the services could tally arsenic if they were connected antithetic computers, adjacent though they're each hosted connected the aforesaid superior server.

Virtual machines are besides large if you privation to effort retired a full-on operating system. For instance, you could instal Ubuntu desktop connected a virtual instrumentality to poke astir with it alternatively of installing it connected a dedicated computer. I did this, and, partially due to the fact that of the virtual machine, I'll present beryllium installing Ubuntu connected 1 of my desktops truthful that mode I tin truly springiness it a effort and play with it.

Simply put, virtual machines are much robust than Docker containers, but besides necessitate much resources to run.

Which Should You Use successful Your Homelab?

Whether you should usage a Docker instrumentality oregon a virtual instrumentality is truly going to beryllium connected a case-by-case basis.

In my opinion, 99 percent of the time, you'll beryllium conscionable good with a Docker container. Docker containers are smaller and much lightweight than virtual machines, and necessitate acold little configuring. I tin rotation up 10 Docker containers (maybe more) successful the clip it takes maine to instal Ubuntu server connected a virtual machine.

On the different hand, determination are decidedly circumstances wherever going the way of a virtual instrumentality is simply better. I cognize radical who tally Windows 11 virtual machines connected their servers to crippled from. I besides personally tally 3 virtual machines that grip assorted Docker tasks. One is my superior Docker server, past the different 2 tally idiosyncratic Dockers for the Pterodactyl crippled server arsenic it runs champion connected dedicated computers.

Since I don't person a ton of dedicated computers, moving Pterodactyl connected abstracted virtual machines is arsenic bully arsenic it gets. To the bundle (which is tally connected Docker), it's connected abstracted computers. However, it's each tally disconnected the aforesaid system, which wouldn't beryllium imaginable without virtual machines.