When to use Docker
Docker is the right tool when you are:
- Building and packaging applications: Docker lets you containerise your application and guarantee it behaves the same in every environment, from local development to production.
- Running local development and testing: Docker and Docker Compose let you spin up entire stacks, databases, APIs, and services, on your local machine without complex setup or environment management.
- Working with small or single-server deployments: If your application runs on one server and does not need complex scaling or high availability, Docker alone handles the job.
Docker is where every container journey starts. You cannot orchestrate containers you have not learned to build and run.