What is the exact difference between Docker EE (Enterprise Edition), Docker CE (Community Edition) and Docker (Custom Support)

Docker installation guides does contain three different ways of installing Docker. I want to know the exact difference between the three components.

Docker CE (Community Edition) is the simple classical OSS (Open Source Software) Docker Engine.

Docker EE (Enterprise Edition) is Docker CE with certification on some systems and support by Docker Inc.

Docker CS (Commercially Supported) is kind of the old bundle version of Docker EE for versions <= 1.13.

Take a look at this blog post and this other one about Docker CE & Docker EE.

"What is Docker Enterprise Edition?

Docker Enterprise Edition comes in three versions: basic, standard and advanced. The Basic edition comes with the Docker platform, support and certification, while the Standard and Advanced version add additional features such as container management (Docker Datacenter) and Docker Security Scanning.

Docker EE is supported by Alibaba, Canonical, HPE, IBM, Microsoft and by a network of regional partners. Those who want to test Docker EE can download a trial version for free from the official site.

Docker is also offering a certification program to help third-party vendors in ensuring their products work with Docker EE.

What is Docker Community Edition?

Docker Engine has been renamed to Docker Community Edition, and, as the name suggests, it’s a do-it-yourself, community supported version of Docker that’s available for free of cost.

The community edition will be available in two versions: Edge and Stable. Edge will be released each month with the latest features. Stable will be released on a quarterly basis. While Edge will receive security updates and bug fixes for the current release, the stable version will get similar updates for four months after the initial release. This update cycle will give users a big enough window to plan upgrades from older versions.

While the two versions are targeted at different audiences, there isn’t much, or any, difference at source code level. “Both Docker EE and CE are based on the open source Docker project, which is developed in the open with Docker’s community of partners and contributors, and this forms the open, modular core of all Docker CE and EE editions,” said Messina."

• From CIO.com

Also, take a look at the resources here and the official Docker documentation.

TL;TR;

We are currently dealing with two editions of Docker: Docker Community Edition (CE) and Docker Enterprise Edition (EE).

Docker EE comes with additional features that can help enterprises launch, manage, and secure their containers more efficiently, but what is worth emphasizing is that the two editions offer the same core features.

The main differences are that Docker CE is a free to use for everybady and open source and, on the other hand, Docker EE in the basic plan costs $1,500 per node, per year...

Another important difference is the operating systems on which we can run them. Docker CE can run on Windows 10 and Mac, on Azure and AWS, as well as CentOS, Debian, Fedora, and Ubuntu and Docker EE can run on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES), Oracle Linux, Ubuntu, Windows Server 2016, as well as Azure and AWS.

Thus, in most private and commercial cases of Docker use, Docker CE should be sufficient.

For an in-depth look at all the differences, I encourage you to visit:
Docker Community Edition or Docker Enterprise Edition - Everything You Need to Know

> Docker CE vs EE: An Overview

Docker CE is a free and open source containerization platform. It is a rebranded version of the Docker open source solution that has been freely available since the launch of Docker in 2013.

CE can run on Windows 10 and Mac, on Azure and AWS, as well as CentOS, Debian, Fedora, and Ubuntu. CE can be downloaded directly from the Docker Store.

Docker EE, on the other hand, is a premium version of CE. Docker EE is an integrated, fully supported, and certified container platform that runs on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES), Oracle Linux, Ubuntu, Windows Server 2016, as well as Azure and AWS.

Docker CE vs EE: How They’re the Same First things first, it’s important to note that Docker CE is not a ‘watered down’ version of Docker EE. Both CE and EE have the same core features and functions:

Both editions are updated quarterly (although Docker CE users can expect “Edge” updates, discussed further herein), and both are available on a wide range of popular operating systems and cloud infrastructures, giving enterprises the freedom to run containerized applications on their favorite infrastructure—without lock-in.

> Docker CE vs EE: How They’re Different

While both editions offer the same core features, Docker EE comes with additional features that can help enterprises launch, manage, and secure their containers more efficiently.

Here’s a summary of what companies can do when using Docker Enterprise Edition:

Gain access to certified Docker images and plugins View your container clusters in a single pane view Access controls for cluster and image management Receive official same-day support from Docker Run vulnerability scans on your Docker images Run Docker EE engine with FIPS 140-2 certification Advanced image and container management, LDAP/AD user integration, and role-based access control (formerly available only through Docker Datacenter, which is now part of the Docker EE plan) Continuous vulnerability monitoring and Docker Security Scanning (formerly available only through Docker Datacenter, which is now part of the Docker EE plan) Understanding Docker’s Versioning Format

As you research Docker CE and Docker EE, you may wonder about the platform’s versioning format. On the release of both CE and EE, Docker decided to change the way they versioned their product. Before March 2017, the latest version of Docker that was available at the time was v1.13. After the rollout of CE and EE, the new version was referred to as 17.03.

From the outside, it seemed as if Docker had skipped past 16 versions, but in actuality, Docker had changed their versioning scheme to YY.MM (year and month), similar to the scheme used by Canonical for Ubuntu..

> How Often Are Docker CE and Docker EE Updated?

Docker CE comes with two release channels: “edge” and “stable”.

The edge channel releases a new version every month, and you gain the advantage of getting new features with each release. As for the stable channel, a new release becomes available every quarter.

If you decide to go for the stable option, you will have to wait longer to get the new features; however, on the plus side, the stable channel is much easier to maintain since you only need to install an update every quarter, as previously mentioned. The edge channel is suitable for those who want access to the latest features quicker.

In terms of support for both channels, the edge channel only releases bug fixes and security patches during the version’s current month. The stable channel releases patches for security issues and bug fixes for 4 months after the initial release, giving users a one-month window to upgrade to the latest release while still receiving fixes.

With Docker EE, a new version is released every quarter, and each release is supported for a full calendar year. Both bug fixes and security patches are backported to all supported versions.

Source: Docker

Docker CE vs EE: Pricing Docker CE is free to use and download. The overall experience of CE can be enhanced through a range of free and paid add-ons from Docker Cloud at your own discretion.

Docker EE is a premium version that is available through three pricing tiers:

Basic: With Basic Docker EE, you get the Docker platform for certified infrastructure, along with support from Docker Inc. You also gain access to certified Docker Containers and Docker Plugins from Docker Store. Standard: Comes with the same features as the Basic tier but with added advanced image and container management (single pane view), LDAP/AD user integration, and role-based access control (Docker Datacenter). Advanced: Comes with added Docker Security Scanning and continuous vulnerability monitoring. The general pricing for each tier is usually based on cost per node per year:

Basic: $1,500 per node, per year with Business Critical support Standard: $3,000 per node, per year for Business Critical support Advanced: $3,500 per node, per year for Business Critical support Docker EE is also available as a one-month free trial. To activate your Docker EE free trial subscription, log into The Docker Store and navigate to the Docker EE page.