Docker
The dominant container runtime — packages an app with its dependencies into an image that runs the same anywhere.
Definition
Docker builds, ships, and runs application containers. An image is a layered filesystem plus metadata; a container is a running instance. Docker Hub is the default public registry. For automation work, Docker is the standard way to self-host n8n, Ghost, Postgres, Redis, and most other services. Docker Compose orchestrates multi-container stacks declaratively.
When to use
See also
- Docker Compose — Tool for defining and running multi-container Docker applications from a single YAML file.
- Docker Desktop — The official Docker GUI for macOS, Windows, and Linux — bundles the engine, CLI, Compose, and a Kubernetes node.