Docker Review 2026: Deep Dive for Solo Devs & Small Teams
Free tier limits, real costs per team size, and honest "not for" warnings. Everything you need to decide if Docker fits your stack.
Quick Summary
💰 Monthly Cost by Team Size
🚫 Not Recommended For
- Simple static sites (not needed)
- Resource-constrained machines
- Very simple apps (adds complexity)
Docker Pricing (2026)
| Plan | Price | Billing |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Forever |
| Pro | $5/mo | monthly |
| Team | $9/mo | monthly |
| Business | $24/mo | monthly |
Pros & Cons
✅ What We Like
- Industry standard — every cloud supports Docker
- Docker Engine is 100% free and open source
- Compose makes multi-container apps simple
- Consistent dev/prod environments
- Massive ecosystem of pre-built images
❌ What Could Be Better
- Docker Desktop requires license for large businesses
- Resource-heavy on macOS/Windows
- Learning curve for beginners
- Networking can be complex
- Image bloat if not optimized
Feature Breakdown
🏆 Our Verdict
Docker scores 4.7/5 in our evaluation. Solo Dev Score: 9/10. It's best suited for Every development team (it's the standard), Microservices architecture, Consistent dev environments. We recommend it as a top choice in its category.
📝 Editor's Note
Docker is the industry standard for containerization. The open source Engine is free forever. Docker Desktop's licensing only affects large companies (250+ employees).
💡 Pricing Verdict: Free for solo devs and small companies. Pro at $5/mo adds Docker Scout scanning. Team at $9/mo adds admin features. Most solo devs never need to pay.
🔄 Switching Tips: From VMs: Docker containers start in seconds vs minutes. Budget 1-2 weeks to containerize an existing application. Start with Docker Compose for multi-service apps.
See how it compares:
Try Docker Free →Frequently Asked Questions
Is Docker worth the price in 2026?
Docker starts at Free / $5/mo. Based on our evaluation, it scores 4.7/5 overall. Whether it's worth it depends on your team size and feature requirements — read our detailed breakdown above.
What are the main alternatives to Docker?
Several tools compete with Docker in its category. Check our comparison section above for head-to-head matchups with the top alternatives.
Does Docker offer a free plan?
Check our pricing section above for the most up-to-date information on Docker's free tier and paid plans.
Is Docker good for small businesses?
Docker can work for small businesses depending on your budget and requirements. Review our "Best For" section to see if it matches your use case.