Skip to main content
TrustRadius
Portainer

Portainer

Overview

What is Portainer?

Portainer is a centralized container management platform for containerized apps and IoT device management. It helps accelerate container adoption and reduce time-to-value on Kubernetes, Docker, and Swarm with a management portal, allowing users to deliver and manage containerized applications from…

Read more
Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

Portainer has emerged as a valuable solution for managing Docker environments, assisting users in reducing effort and focusing on other …
Continue reading

Portainer, best choice!

10 out of 10
October 24, 2023
Incentivized
Allows me to manage everything myself without going through another provider. Can crash quickly if you make a mistake, but the community …
Continue reading
Read all reviews

Awards

Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards

Popular Features

View all 6 features
  • Cluster Management (69)
    8.2
    82%
  • Security and Isolation (77)
    8.0
    80%
  • Resource Allocation and Optimization (72)
    7.7
    77%
  • Analytics, Monitoring, and Logging (78)
    7.5
    75%

Reviewer Pros & Cons

View all pros & cons
Return to navigation

Pricing

View all pricing

Portainer Business - 3 Nodes Free

$0

Cloud

Home & Student

$149

Cloud
per year

Starter

$995

Cloud
per year

Entry-level set up fee?

  • Setup fee optional
For the latest information on pricing, visithttps://www.portainer.io/pricing

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services
Return to navigation

Product Demos

Putting a UI around Docker with Portainer

YouTube

RBAC: Portainer vs Kubernetes

YouTube

Portainer 2.5.1 Top 5 Features

YouTube

SSO Support & Authentication with Portainer

YouTube

Portainer Deployment - PGBlitz.com

YouTube

How to automate software delivery with simple GitOps integration in Portainer

YouTube
Return to navigation

Features

Container Management

Features commonly found in Container Management software.

7.8
Avg 7.9
Return to navigation

Product Details

What is Portainer?

Portainer is a centralized container management platform for containerized apps and IoT device management. It helps accelerate container adoption and reduce time-to-value on Kubernetes, Docker, and Swarm with a management portal, allowing users to deliver and manage containerized applications from the data center to the edge. Portainer helps -
  • Reduce the operational complexity associated with multi-cluster management
  • Bridge the skills gap and facilitate feature discovery and learning with its UI
  • Codify cloud-native best practices with design templates and default configurations
  • Consistently apply and centrally manage access, permissions and activity logging
Portainer can help with multiple use cases including -
Deploy containers
Troubleshoot apps
Platform management
Security & Compliance
Lifecycle Management
IoT Device Management

Portainer Business is built on Portainer's open-source foundation, which boasts more than 1M users. Portainer is presented as a solution to transition to Kubernetes or speed up the adoption of containers inside an organization.

Portainer Features

Container Management Features

  • Supported: Security and Isolation
  • Supported: Cluster Management
  • Supported: Storage Management
  • Supported: Resource Allocation and Optimization
  • Supported: Discovery Tools
  • Supported: Analytics, Monitoring, and Logging

Additional Features

  • Supported: Platform Access Control

Portainer Screenshots

Screenshot of Portainer is a universal container management platform to help adopt and manage Docker, Kubernetes, Nomad and Edge environments.

Portainer Videos

Portainer for Kubernetes - making multi-cluster container management easier
Introducing Portainer - Container Management

Portainer Technical Details

Deployment TypesSoftware as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo
Supported CountriesWorldwide

Frequently Asked Questions

Red Hat OpenShift, SUSE Rancher, and Mirantis Kubernetes Engine are common alternatives for Portainer.

Reviewers rate Cluster Management highest, with a score of 8.2.

The most common users of Portainer are from Small Businesses (1-50 employees).
Return to navigation

Comparisons

View all alternatives
Return to navigation

Reviews and Ratings

(190)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

Portainer has emerged as a valuable solution for managing Docker environments, assisting users in reducing effort and focusing on other projects. By offering an intuitive GUI interface, Portainer simplifies the management of Docker containers, eliminating the need for command-line interaction. Users have greatly benefited from the ability to easily view running containers and their logs across multiple machines, streamlining debugging and troubleshooting processes. Moreover, Portainer enables the creation of isolated and sandboxed instances of applications, effectively resolving issues related to version and dependency mismatches. It's particularly useful for small teams as it saves valuable time by eliminating the need to troubleshoot infrastructure software problems. Additionally, Portainer facilitates container management on a single node server, allowing users to conveniently start or stop stacks when problems arise. Its seamless implementation and management capabilities make it an ideal option for getting started with Docker in enterprise environments, offering an intuitive web interface. With its user-friendly design and straightforward usability, Portainer proves to be a valuable tool in managing stacks and services. It simplifies various container management tasks such as starting, stopping, and restarting containers, managing configurations, and monitoring performance. The integration with container registries like Docker Hub further simplifies image deployment. From managing internal and external ports to handling volume management and data organization, Portainer provides comprehensive features that enhance security while simplifying these processes. Suitable for both development and production environments, Portainer is widely used in overseeing Docker installations, facilitating easy cluster deployment and monitoring tasks. It also proves effective in managing Docker Swarm environments by streamlining updates, scaling processes, and providing a comprehensive view of the environment. Portainer's extensive functionalities are valued in organizing and managing databases, websites, storage solutions, and CRM systems with ease of access to stack and container details. Furthermore, it supports secure user authentication through OAuth implementation and allows for role-based access control with flexible user provisioning. The API integration enables seamless container deployment through CI/CD pipelines. Portainer's versatility extends beyond Docker, as it is also utilized in Windows environments for easy adoption of containerization and cost reduction. Overall, Portainer presents a user-friendly interface that simplifies the day-to-day management of Docker containers, enabling users to troubleshoot, configure, and manage containers effectively.

Intuitive and User-Friendly Interface: Users have consistently praised Portainer's intuitive and user-friendly interface, with many reviewers stating that it is easy to navigate and provides a positive user experience. The clean and organized layout of the interface has been particularly appreciated by users, as it allows for efficient management of multiple repositories and reduces incidents. Additionally, users have found the GUI design to be visually appealing and well-suited for users of all levels of expertise.

Seamless User Access Control: Reviewers have commended Portainer's RBAC feature, which integrates seamlessly with SAML IDP services like Azure and Okta. This functionality has received positive feedback from users who appreciate the flexibility it offers in terms of user access control. Furthermore, users value the support for various authentication options provided by Portainer, as it enhances security while ensuring a smooth login experience.

Simplified Management of Complex Clusters: Many users have highlighted Portainer's capability to manage complex clusters such as Swarm or Kubernetes as one of its standout features. With this functionality, deploying new applications, stacks, and clusters becomes simpler and more streamlined. The visualization of the overall infrastructure has also been highly regarded by reviewers, as it provides a comprehensive view of all components in one place, making management and monitoring tasks easier to handle.

Confusing User Interface: Some users have found the user interface of Portainer to be confusing and have expressed difficulties in completing tasks. They mentioned that navigating through the various menus and options can be overwhelming, leading to a steep learning curve.

Performance Issues: Users have frequently reported experiencing performance issues with Portainer. They have noticed that the software can feel slow, especially when working with large clusters or managing multiple containers simultaneously. This has resulted in delays and frustration during their workflow.

Lack of Additional Features: Many users have expressed the need for additional features in Portainer to enhance its functionality. Specifically, they would like to see more add-ons or extensions available that can extend the capabilities of the software. These additional features could potentially improve productivity and provide more flexibility in managing containerized applications.

Users have made several recommendations for Portainer based on their experience with the product. Firstly, many users find Portainer to be user-friendly and easy to use. They appreciate the fact that it has almost no learning curve and is easy to set up as a self-hosted instance. This makes it a great option for beginners who are new to Docker and Kubernetes management. Secondly, Portainer is highly recommended for managing multiple Docker hosts without using Kubernetes. Users find it effective in overseeing and controlling various Docker environments, making it a valuable tool for both beginners and experts. Lastly, users suggest that Portainer is ideal for rapid deployment of services and troubleshooting in Kubernetes clusters. They praise its ability to manage containers efficiently and consider it an excellent solution for Docker management. Many users highly recommend giving it a try for effective containerization. Overall, users recommend Portainer for its ease of use, flexibility in managing multiple hosts, and its ability to rapid deploy and troubleshoot services in Kubernetes clusters.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-3 of 3)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Portainer made it a lot easier to manage, monitor and update the docker containers we use for software development, allowing us to save time and avoid errors during devops operations. In the past we needed a devops specialist for trivial tasks as start or stop a container, and now those operations can be done by the developers themselves.
  • Integration with git
  • Docker container update
  • Log viewing
  • Lack of a config backup option in the interface
  • Automated config backup tool
  • A way to upgrade Portainer itself easily
Portainer is an excellent tool for software developers, either a solo developer, small ou big teams. I believe its also suitable for single project deployment on production servers.
For data centers, managing hundreds or thousands of containers from a lot of different users, i believe the interface is not the ideal.
Container Management (3)
83.33333333333334%
8.3
Security and Isolation
100%
10.0
Cluster Management
70%
7.0
Analytics, Monitoring, and Logging
80%
8.0
  • Time spent by developers on devops tasks related to docker reduced by at least 50%
  • Drastic reduction of number of devops support requests
Almost all resources are easy to find and understand without looking on documentation.
  • Docker container update and redeploy
  • Git integration
  • Container log viewing
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Portainer is currently used to manage our Docker Swarm environment where we are running multiple in-house and customer services. Portainer has taken the headache out of managing Docker updates by immediately showing you which containers are out of date and giving you a seamless updating capability. Scaling and HA with Docker Swarm is made so much simpler with Portainer, and showing us the environment status through a single pane of glass is cutting down on time spent to know what is going on in the environment.
  • Docker Swarm Management
  • Image updates
  • Integration with GitLab container registry
  • LDAP integration
  • Service deployments and service webhooks
  • Full scale Kubernetes cluster deployment and management
  • The API is hard to understand and you need to often "chain" API calls
Portainer is well suited for teams that want to move a micro-service architecture, quickly. Especially when coming from monolithic systems where deployments were handled by different teams. Portainer makes it easier for Developers to be in full control of deployment cycles, especially when integrated with systems like GitLab. Updating web services by using the webhook functionality in Portainer will make life so much easier for devs. It will help them focus on the thing they are paid to do: develop.
Container Management (5)
86%
8.6
Security and Isolation
80%
8.0
Cluster Management
90%
9.0
Resource Allocation and Optimization
80%
8.0
Discovery Tools
100%
10.0
Analytics, Monitoring, and Logging
80%
8.0
  • Saved time
  • Lowered the entry barrier into container and container-management
None, really. All searches pointed to Portainer every time.
3
Development and customer service deployment and support.
2
  • Deploying customer services in HA/clustered modes.
  • Quick time to repair
  • Building a development environment that devs can do rapid deployments and testing on
  • None as of yet
  • Deploy it for larger customers on site to manage Kubernetes clusters with.
No
  • Integration with Other Systems
  • Ease of Use
I would not really changed it. A lot of reading on real-world users (sysadmins and devs alike) pointed to Portainer being the best fit.
It is really easy. Just follow the documentation.
  • Implemented in-house
No
Change management was a minor issue with the implementation
When documented properly, users will find it very easy to use, even with integrated pipelines.
  • None
They were quick to respond. They are always friendly and willing to help whenever they are able to.
Yes. Because I wanted to have peace of mind in case I ran into weird issues.
Yes. We had an issue with how locally hosted GitLab shows images from the registry. We had one call to explain the issue, the engineers asked for a bit of time to investigate fully, came back 2 days later with a work-around and a week later gave us feedback on the internal discussions they had regarding our problem.
It is a clear UI, and it does what it sets out to do, very well.
  • Updating Containers to latest images
  • Deploying Stacks using stack templates
  • LDAP integration
  • Creating Services with Webhooks
  • Creating groups (especially when using LDAP)
Yes, but I don't use it
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
We needed lots of containers and database management, with Portainer running on Ubuntu Server, life got very easy, we were able to organize, manage our database, website and storage along with CRM. The interface is smooth, all the details on stacks and containers easy to find.

Managing internal and external ports along with volume management makes it very convenient to organize data. Managing resources for our internal Intranet site and sharing secured documents via secured access all made very easy with containers installed on Portainer.

Separate network for containers made port-opening secured on our interfaces.
  • Volume Management
  • New container install
  • OS management
  • Adguard
  • More cloud friendly features and integration with google, Microsoft.
  • Enabling advanced docker volume management
  • More pre configured templates
Its well suited for small business and IT individuals. Information well layed out with interface to manage containers. Further integration with AWS and Azure will make it even better.

Secured access to applications within the platform via separte network bridges, live data/resource monitoring makes it even more user friendly.


Internal and External database, querries and automation of containers makes it the best choice of docker/container managemen platform. Defintely giving users peace of mind with their day to day buisness management.
  • Database Mgnt
  • Ease to use
  • Secured
  • Scalable
  • Portable
Container Management (6)
100%
10.0
Security and Isolation
100%
10.0
Cluster Management
100%
10.0
Storage Management
100%
10.0
Resource Allocation and Optimization
100%
10.0
Discovery Tools
100%
10.0
Analytics, Monitoring, and Logging
100%
10.0
  • Saved us time
  • Made database management easy
  • Website and secured remote access of data
Azure Bot Service (Microsoft Bot Framework), AWS Auto Scaling
No
  • Cloud Solutions
  • Scalability
  • Integration with Other Systems
  • Ease of Use
Scalabilty and ease of use defintely tops the list. Secured access and easy navigation among menu items makes it super user friendly interface.
I would not hesistate to install and configure and refer to other business this management interface. Absuoltely awesome in every way.
So far, I haven't needed any support, the online documentation and wiki pages makes it super easy to configure and launch applications on any platform.
So far I have not needed support, all issues are easy to fix with the online documenation.
No
Initial email support when I installed it for the first time. Prompt replies and license key details.
Usability, stability and portability is best in its class, making docker application management super easy for even non-IT proffesionals.
  • Volume Management
  • Networking
  • Access control
  • none
Return to navigation