Comparison

CRI-O vs Docker

On the evidence we track, Docker leads this comparison with a composite score of 70/100. Scores are only directly comparable because these tools share a category; the full breakdown and every source is below.

CRI-O full profile →Docker full profile →

Machine formatsMarkdownJSONGraphQLMarkdown is open. JSON and GraphQL need a free key.

CRI-O55

★Docker70

Attribute comparison across 2 tools
Attribute	CRI-O	DockerLeader
vioscaleAI score	55 / 100low · 32%	70 / 100medium · 61%
Pricing
Free tierpricing.free_tier	-	✓
Modelpricing.model	commercial	open_source
Price levelpricing.price_level	free	free
Transparentpricing.transparent	-	✓
Security
Disclosure policysecurity.disclosure_policy	-	✓
Gdprsecurity.gdpr	-	✓
Iso27001security.iso27001	-	✓
Scorecardsecurity.scorecard	8.4	9.1
Soc2security.soc2	-	✓
Trust centersecurity.trust_center	-	https://www.docker.com/blog/eu-ai-act-compliance/
Vulnerabilitiessecurity.vulnerabilities	Count: 13 · Source: https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=github.com%2Fcri-o%2Fcri-o&per_page=100 · Last 12m: 0 · Max severity: HIGH	Count: 13 · Source: https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=github.com%2Fmoby%2Fmoby&per_page=100 · Last 12m: 4 · Max severity: HIGH
Reliability
Status pagereliability.status_page	✓	✓
Adoption
Dependent reposadoption.dependent_repos	61	1,657
Github starsadoption.github_stars	5,678	72,148
Activity
Commits last 30dactivity.commits_last_30d	87	100
Release
Cadence daysrelease.cadence_days	-	2
Historyrelease.history	20 items	20 items
License
Spdxlicense.spdx	Apache-2.0	Apache-2.0
Language
Primarylanguage.primary	Go	Go
Market
Availabilitymarket.availability	-	Available worldwide · Popular in US
Content
Faqcontent.faq	5 items	7 items

Score

vioscaleAI score

CRI-O55 / 100low · 32%

Docker70 / 100medium · 61%

Pricing

Free tier

CRI-O–

Docker✓

Model

CRI-Ocommercial

Dockeropen_source

Price level

CRI-Ofree

Dockerfree

Transparent

CRI-O–

Docker✓

Security

Disclosure policy

CRI-O–

Docker✓

Gdpr

CRI-O–

Docker✓

Iso27001

CRI-O–

Docker✓

Scorecard

CRI-O8.4

Docker9.1

Soc2

CRI-O–

Docker✓

Trust center

CRI-O–

Dockerhttps://www.docker.com/blog/eu-ai-act-compliance/

Vulnerabilities

CRI-OCount: 13 · Source: https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=github.com%2Fcri-o%2Fcri-o&per_page=100 · Last 12m: 0 · Max severity: HIGH

DockerCount: 13 · Source: https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=github.com%2Fmoby%2Fmoby&per_page=100 · Last 12m: 4 · Max severity: HIGH

Reliability

Status page

CRI-O✓

Docker✓

Adoption

Dependent repos

CRI-O61

Docker1,657

Github stars

CRI-O5,678

Docker72,148

Activity

Commits last 30d

CRI-O87

Docker100

Release

Cadence days

CRI-O–

Docker2

History

CRI-O20 items

Docker20 items

License

Spdx

CRI-OApache-2.0

DockerApache-2.0

Language

Primary

CRI-OGo

DockerGo

Market

Availability

CRI-O–

DockerAvailable worldwide · Popular in US

Content

Faq

CRI-O5 items

Docker7 items

Capabilities

Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for container orchestration tools. “-” means undocumented, not absent.

Capability comparison for Container Orchestration Tools
Capability	CRI-O	Docker
Core
Orchestration scope	Kubernetes	Swarm / Compose
Deployment
Hosting	Self-hosted only	Cloud + self-hosted
Standards
OCI / CRI compliant	✓	-
CNCF Certified Kubernetes conformant	✓	-
Security
Rootless operation	-	✓
Architecture
Daemonless architecture	-	-
Platform
Windows containers	-	✓
ARM architecture support	✓	-
Workloads
GPU scheduling	-	-
Stateful workloads	-	-
Networking
Built-in networking / CNI	✓	✓
Ops
Vendor-managed control plane	-	-
Ecosystem
CNCF maturity	-	-
UX
GUI dashboard	-	✓

Core

Orchestration scope

CRI-OKubernetes

DockerSwarm / Compose

Deployment

Hosting

CRI-OSelf-hosted only

DockerCloud + self-hosted

Standards

OCI / CRI compliant

CRI-O✓

Docker-

CNCF Certified Kubernetes conformant

CRI-O✓

Docker-

Security

Rootless operation

CRI-O-

Docker✓

Architecture

Daemonless architecture

CRI-O-

Docker-

Platform

Windows containers

CRI-O-

Docker✓

ARM architecture support

CRI-O✓

Docker-

Workloads

GPU scheduling

CRI-O-

Docker-

Stateful workloads

CRI-O-

Docker-

Networking

Built-in networking / CNI

CRI-O✓

Docker✓

Ops

Vendor-managed control plane

CRI-O-

Docker-

Ecosystem

CNCF maturity

CRI-O-

Docker-

GUI dashboard

CRI-O-

Docker✓

What each one is

The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.

CRI-O

CRI-O is an open-source container runtime that implements the Kubernetes Container Runtime Interface, allowing Kubernetes clusters to launch and manage containerized workloads on Linux infrastructure.

Independently observed

Docker

Leader

An open-source project providing toolkit components for containerization, designed for engineers and developers to modify, experiment with, and build container-based systems. It includes container build tools, registries, orchestration, runtimes, and other components that work together but can be independently swapped.

Independently observed

Pricing

List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.

CRI-O

Open source

as of 2026-08-13verify ↗

Docker

Leader

from $9/moHybridFree tier

From free (Personal tier) to $24/seat/month (Business). Docker Hardened Images starting at $5k/repo (Select tier).

Docker PersonalFree
- Docker Desktop
- Docker Engine + Kubernetes
- Docker Hub
- Docker Scout
- Docker Debug
Docker Pro$9/seat/month (monthly billing) or $11/seat/month (annual billing)
- Docker Build Cloud
- Testcontainers Cloud
- Synchronized File Shares
- Docker Scout health scores visibility
- 5 business day support
Docker Team$15/seat/month (monthly billing) or $16/seat/month (annual billing)
- Add users in bulk
- Audit logs
- Docker Hub role-based access control
- 2 business day support
Docker BusinessContact sales
- Hardened Docker Desktop
- Single Sign-On (SSO)
- SCIM user provisioning
- Image and Registry Access Management
- Desktop Insights Dashboard
- +3 more

as of 2026-08-05verify ↗

Platform & deployment

Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.

Platform and deployment support comparison
Supports	CRI-O	Docker
WindowsPlatforms	✗	✓
LinuxPlatforms	✓	✓
CLIPlatforms	✗	✓
Self-hostedDeployment	✓	✓
On-premiseDeployment	✓	✗

Platforms

Windows

CRI-O✗

Docker✓

Linux

CRI-O✓

Docker✓

CLI

CRI-O✗

Docker✓

Deployment

Self-hosted

CRI-O✓

Docker✓

On-premise

CRI-O✓

Docker✗

Still deciding?

CRI-O or Docker: which one depends on you

A composite score cannot know your constraints. Describe them and both get re-weighted against what you actually need, with the evidence behind every position.

Free to run, no account needed to start. How the evaluation works

Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.