Top 10 Docker Container That Every Developer Should Know

Docker is a popular tool that helps developers package apps so they can run anywhere, on any computer or in the cloud. But there are so many

In this article, you will learn the few best Docker containers that every developer should know. These tools can help you build, test, and run your apps faster, easier, and with fewer problems.

What are Docker Containers?

A Docker Container is a tool that helps developers package their applications so they can run anywhere: whether it's on Windows, Linux, or in the cloud.

Think of it like a box that holds everything your app needs to work: the code, tools, settings, and libraries. This makes it easy to move the app from one system to another without breaking anything.

The main benefits of using Docker containers are:

• They’re portable: you can run them on any computer.
• They’re lightweight: they use less space than traditional virtual machines.
• They’re easy to set up: you can deploy apps faster and more consistently.

Top 10 Docker Containers

There are multiple Docker containers that are used by the developers but some of the Docker containers make the development efficient by its features. Some of the top 10 Docker containers are mentioned below:

1. Alpine

Alpine is a lightweight Docker container image based on Alpine Linux, a small and secure Linux distribution. It is widely used by developers who want to build fast and efficient applications with minimal size.

What is Alpine Used for?

Alpine is mainly used as a base image for other Docker containers. It provides just the essential tools needed to run applications, which makes it perfect for:

• Building lightweight applications
• Running in production environments
• Creating secure and fast containers

Because of its tiny size (around 5 MB), Alpine loads quickly and reduces the size of your Docker image: which is great for performance and storage.

Key Features

• Small Size: Just around 5 MB, helping keep Docker images compact
• Secure: Built with security in mind to reduce vulnerabilities.
• Fast and Efficient: Starts quickly and uses fewer resources
• Customizable: Add only what you need for better control
• Package Support: Access to a full package repository for installing extra tools.

2. Nginx

Nginx is a popular open-source tool used inside Docker to help manage web traffic. It works as a:

• Reverse Proxy Server – Sends user requests to the right server in the background.
• Web Server – Hosts websites and web applications.
• Load Balancer – Shares traffic evenly across multiple servers to prevent overload.

What is Nginx Used for?

Nginx is used by developers and DevOps teams to:

• Run and test websites or apps inside containers.
• Handle large amounts of web traffic smoothly.
• Build other Docker images based on Nginx.

It supports many operating systems like macOS, Linux, Solaris, BSD, and even has test support for Windows.

Key Features

• Helps serve websites or apps quickly and efficiently
• Balances traffic across severs for better performance
• Redirects user requests to the correct server
• Can be used as a base image for building more complex applications
• Easy for developers to test and run their apps in a container

3. BusyBox

BusyBox is a tiny and lightweight Docker container, usually between 1 to 5 MB in size. It combines many basic UNIX/Linux tools into one small executable file. It's like a mini-toolbox with just the essential.

What is BusyBox Used For?

BusyBox is mostly used in:

• Minimal or embedded systems where space is limited
• Testing and building simple Docker containers
• Situations where you need basic Linux commands without full operating system overhead

It helps developers create lightweight and fast container environments.

Key Features

• Very Small Size: Saves space and loads fast
• Built-In Tools: Includes basic UNIX tools like ls, cp, mv, echo, and more
• Efficient: Ideal for minimal or embedded environments
• Works like GNU tools: Though smaller, it behaves similarly to standard Linux commands
• Great for scripting & Debugging: Useful for quick tasks and testing in Docker.

4. Redis

Redis is a free and open-source database that stores data in memory, which makes it very fast. It's often used as a cache or a temporary databases for storing data that need to be accessed quickly.

What is Redis Used For?

Redis is commonly used to:

• Store user profile info like login history and session data
• Speed up applications by caching data
• Support real-time features like chat apps, leaderboards, or video streaming services
• Handle data for millions of users at once

It’s perfect for local development and large-scale applications.

Key Features

• In-Memory Storage: Keeps data in RAM for ultra-fast access
• Durable: Can save data to disk if needed
• Highly Available: Works well even in large distributed systems
• Great for Caching & Real-time Data: Speeds up access to frequently used data.
• Works very well and stays up almost all the time (99.9% availability).

5. Apache httpd

Apache HTTPD is a popular open-source web server software. It helps websites load and work by handling user requests and sending them web pages, images, and other content.

What is Apache httd used for:

• Hosting websites and web applications
• Serving static content like HTML, images, and CSS
• Running websites inside Docker containers for easier development and deployment

Key Features

• Open-Source and Free to Use
• Handles Web traffic efficiently
• Easy to configure and manage
• Serves static content like HTML files
• Works well in Docker for building lightweight container
• Supports integration with other platform like OpenShift

6. Memcached

Memcached is a fast, open-source memory caching system. It temporarily stores data in RAM to make things load faster.

What is Memcached used for

Memcached is used to speed up websites and applications by saving frequently used data, so it doesn’t have to be loaded from the database every time. It is commonly used for

• Caching database query results
• Storing web page data
• Caching API responses
• Saving user session data
• Temporary storage for files, images, and metadata

Key Features

• Very Fast because it stores data in memory
• Automatically clears old data when full
• Simple design that’s easy to set up and use
• Works across many servers to handle large workloads
• Reduces load on your database and backend systems

Memcached is a great tool for developers who want to make their apps quicker and more responsive by reducing the time it takes to access data.

7. MariaDB

MariaDB is a popular open-source database server created by the same people who built MySQL. It is designed to be a replacement for MySQL with more features and better performance.

What MariaDB is used for:

MariaDB is used in many areas like:

• E-commerce websites
• Data Storage and reporting (Data warehousing)
• Enterprise-level applications
• Log management systems

Key Features

• Cloud-ready: Supports cloud-managed database setups.
• Scalable: Can handle small to large amount of data
• Compatible with MySQL: You can switch from MySQL to MariaDB easily
• Rich in features: Offers more tools and options than MySQL

MariaDB is great for businesses that need a reliable, flexible, and powerful database to support important apps and services.

8. RabbitMQ

RabbitMQ is an open-source message broker—a tool that helps applications send and receive messages between each other. It’s like a middleman that safely delivers messages from one app to another.

What It’s Used For:

RabbitMQ is used when different parts of a system need to communicate without being directly connected. It helps in handling tasks like:

• Sending notifications
• Managing background jobs
• Connecting services in microservice architectures

Key Features:

• Message Queuing: Uses Advanced Message Queuing Protocol (AMQP) to organize and manage messages
• Plug-in Support: Easily extended to support extra features like MQTT, WebSockets.
• Node-Based Storage: Stores data based on node names (usually the hostname)
• Built for Reliability: Designed with clustering and failover in mind to keep messages safe and ensure delivery even if a part of the system goes down
• Cross-Platform Support: Works well with many programming languages and systems

RabbitMQ helps build scalable, reliable, and loosely connected applications, especially in large and distributed systems.

9. Traefix

Traefik is a modern reverse proxy and load balancer designed to manage and route web traffic in dynamic environments like microservices, Docker, and Kubernetes.

What It’s Used For:

• Routing Traffic to Microservices: Automatically directs incoming traffic to the right application or container.
• Load Balancing: Distributes incoming traffic evenly across multiple services to avoid overload.
• Service Discovery: Detects new services and updates routing rules automatically—ideal for container-based apps.
• SSL Management: Automatically handles HTTP with Let’s Encrypt.
• Gateway for APIs: Acts as a secure entry point to APIs and applications.

Key Features:

• Auto-Configuration: Automatically detects and configures routes for Docker, Kubernetes, and other services.
• Built-in Load Balancing: Distributes traffic to keep services fast and responsive.
• HTTPS Made Easy: Supports automatic SSL certificate generation with Let’s Encrypt.
• Minimal Setup: Easy to deploy with little manual configuration needed.
• Dashboard: Comes with a web UI to monitor traffic and services.
• Supports Multiple Backends: Works with Docker, Kubernetes, Consul, and more.

10. Python

Python is a high-level, open-source programming language known for its simplicity and readability.

What It’s Used For:

Python is widely used for developing web applications, automating tasks, analyzing data, building APIs, and creating scripts. In Docker, Python containers are used to package and run Python applications easily across different environments.

Key Features:

• Easy-to-read syntax, great for beginners and experts
• Supports dynamic typing, object-oriented programming, and high-level data structures
• Works well as a scripting or extension language
• Docker-compatible, with many official and custom Python images on Docker Hub
• Ideal for building microservices, automation scripts, and data-driven applications
• Frequently used in DevOps, machine learning, and backend development

Conclusion

The Docker container is used to allow the developers to commit the changes to the Docker images and the version control them effectively. Therefore a right Docker container has many advantages and using the correct Docker container can make the work flexible for the developers. Thus in this article a detailed information has been provided about the Docker containers and the top 10 docker containers which are mainly used by the developers.