Docker Swarm vs Kubernetes

Docker is just a containerization platform. Docker Swarm is a container orchestration platform, the same as Kubernetes.

What’s the difference between Docker and Kubernetes?
Docker and Kubernetes are complementary. Docker provides an open standard for packaging and distributing containerized applications, while Kubernetes provides for the orchestration and management of distributed, containerized applications created with Docker. In other words, Kubernetes provides the infrastructure needed to deploy and run applications built with Docker.

Container orchestration is the process that can typically deploy multiple containers to implement an application through automation. Platforms like Kubernetes and Docker Swarm are the container management and container orchestration engines that enable users to guide container deployment and automate updates, health monitoring, and failover procedures.

A feature summary compiled from multiple online articles -

Docker Swarm Kubernetes
Developed By Docker Inc Google
Year Released 2013 2014
When to use Use Docker if,

You are looking to initiate with a tool without spending much time on configuration and installation;

You are looking to develop a basic and standard application which is sufficient enough with default docker image;

Testing and running the same application on the different operating system is not an issue for you;

You want zdocker API experience and compatibility.
Use Kubernetes if:

You are looking for mature deployment and monitoring option

You are looking for fast and reliable response times

You are looking to develop a complex application and requires high resource computing without restrictions

You have a pretty big cluster
Controller Manager Master
Storage Volumes Persistent and Ephermal
Compatibility Less extensive and customizable More extensive and highly customizable
Installation Easy to set up Takes time for installation
Tolerance ratio Low Fault Tolerance High fault tolerance
Large Clusters Speed is considered for the strong cluster states Provides container deployment and scaling even in large clusters without considering the speed
Load Balancing Provides load balancing when pods in the container are defined as service Provides automated internal load balancing through any node in the cluster
Deployment unit Task Pod
Port Published Port Endpoint
Network Overlay Flat Networking space
Community Active user base that regularly updates images for various application Enjoys strong support from open source communities and big companies like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM
Weakness No certification plan for vendors. Most organization need commercially certified version Inclined towards developers than central IT
Strengths Mostly controlled by a single vendor who can decide product direction Clear market leader; largest adoption and interest
Slave Worker Nodes
Container set up Functionality is provided and limited by Docker API Client API and YAML are unique in Kubernetes
Scalability Quick container deployment and scaling even in large containers Provides strong guarantees to the cluster states at expense of speed
Constraints - An application which is designed to run in a Docker container on Windows can’t run on Linux and vice versa. Installation process is tedious if any public cloud provider like Azure, Google or AWS is not used.

Docker Enterprise Edition manages Kubernetes and Swarm transparently, side by side

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