Kubernetes dominates the container orchestration conversation, but it is not the only option and it is not always the best one. For smaller teams, simpler architectures, or specific workload types, alternatives like Docker Swarm and HashiCorp Nomad offer compelling advantages. At Nexis Limited, we evaluate orchestration platforms based on the client's specific context rather than defaulting to the most popular choice.
Docker Swarm: Simplicity as a Feature
Docker Swarm is built directly into the Docker Engine, which means any team already using Docker can enable Swarm mode with a single command. There is no separate control plane to install, no etcd cluster to manage, and no steep learning curve. A Docker Compose file that works on a developer's laptop can be deployed to a Swarm cluster with minimal modifications using docker stack deploy.
Swarm handles service discovery, load balancing, rolling updates, and secret management out of the box. For applications with fewer than 20 services running on fewer than 10 nodes, Swarm provides everything most teams need without the operational complexity of Kubernetes. Its networking model using overlay networks is straightforward to understand and debug.
Swarm Limitations
Swarm's simplicity comes at a cost. It lacks Kubernetes' extensibility through Custom Resource Definitions and operators. Auto-scaling is not built in and requires external tooling. The ecosystem of third-party tools, monitoring integrations, and community knowledge is substantially smaller. Docker's investment in Swarm has diminished over the years, raising questions about long-term viability. For teams that anticipate significant growth in service count or operational complexity, starting with Kubernetes may prevent a costly migration later.
HashiCorp Nomad: Flexibility and Performance
Nomad takes a different approach to orchestration. While Kubernetes is opinionated and specifically designed for containers, Nomad is a general-purpose workload orchestrator that can schedule Docker containers, raw binaries, Java applications, and even batch jobs on the same cluster. Its architecture is simpler than Kubernetes: a single binary runs as either a server or client node, and the control plane requires only three to five servers for high availability.
Nomad excels at scheduling performance. It can handle clusters with tens of thousands of nodes and schedule millions of containers with subsecond allocation times. Its integration with the HashiCorp ecosystem, including Consul for service discovery, Vault for secrets management, and Terraform for provisioning, is seamless. Organizations already using HashiCorp tools find Nomad a natural addition.
Comparison: Making the Right Choice
Choose Docker Swarm when your team is small, your architecture is simple, and you want to get to production quickly without hiring Kubernetes specialists. Choose Nomad when you need to orchestrate mixed workloads, require extreme scheduling performance, or are already invested in the HashiCorp ecosystem. Choose Kubernetes when you need the richest ecosystem, plan to operate at large scale, or require advanced features like custom controllers and operator patterns.
Managed Services and Hybrid Approaches
Managed Kubernetes services like EKS, GKE, and AKS eliminate much of the operational burden that makes self-managed Kubernetes daunting. If your objection to Kubernetes is operational complexity rather than conceptual complexity, a managed service may be the right middle ground. HCP Nomad provides a similar managed experience for Nomad clusters. Evaluate managed offerings before ruling out a platform based on self-managed complexity.
Migration Paths Between Orchestrators
Containerized applications are inherently portable between orchestrators. If you start with Docker Swarm and outgrow it, migrating to Kubernetes requires writing new deployment manifests and configuring a new cluster, but your container images and application code remain unchanged. The key investment to protect is containerization itself. Regardless of which orchestrator you choose, well-built container images serve you on any platform.
Choosing the right orchestration platform depends on your team's size, expertise, workload characteristics, and growth trajectory. At Nexis Limited, we help organizations evaluate these trade-offs and implement the platform that best fits their needs. Discover our approach through our services, or contact us for a tailored recommendation.