Docker Desktop vs Docker4Drupal

Docker Desktop brings container development and deployment tools together for developers and teams. It includes Docker Engine, Docker CLI, Docker Compose, Docker Build, and Docker Kubernetes, with support for building images and Compose workflows. Its built-in Kubernetes environment lets users deploy, scale, test, and manage containerized applications locally without an external cluster. Docker Debug offers command-line diagnostics for containers and images, including slim containers, while Extensions allow third-party tools for debugging, testing, security, and networking. Downloads cover macOS with Apple Silicon or Intel, Windows with AMD64 or ARM64, and Linux; web is also listed as a platform. Docker Personal is free. Pro is $9 a month, Team is $15 a month, and Business is $24 a month. Paid-plan allowances and user limits differ. Business lists VDI support and additional security controls. Commercial use at companies with more than 250 employees or more than $10 million in annual revenue requires a paid subscription.

Docker4Drupal is a local Drupal environment built from Docker images and a preconfigured Compose setup. It lists images for Drupal CMS 2 and vanilla Drupal 11 and 10, with a stack that includes Nginx, Apache, PHP, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, Valkey, Redis, Memcached, Varnish, Node.js, Solr and OpenSearch. Optional tools include Mailpit, Gotenberg, Webgrind, Xhprof viewer, Adminer, phpMyAdmin, Selenium Chrome and Traefik. You can use the bundled Drupal setup or mount an existing codebase. Traefik supports routing multiple projects through a shared port or separate ports; Mailpit catches outbound email by default, and OpenSMTPD can be enabled for delivery. Documentation covers Xdebug for web and command-line debugging and IDE configuration such as PHPStorm. Docker is required, with Docker Compose also required on Linux. Database volumes persist by default, with bind mounts recommended when data should stay attached across restarts. It is free at free under the MIT license, for local development; the project directs server deployment users to Wodby’s Drupal stack.