How is containerization different from virtualization?
While virtualization is a general strategy for getting more out of in-house hardware resources, containerization is a specific type of hardware virtualization. Containerization has emerged as an alternative to a traditional kind of virtualization that uses hypervisors to split physical resources into virtual machines.
Instead of creating virtual machines and partitioning hardware resources that way, containerization seeks to construct various data containers at an operating system level. That means the containers will share an operating system, unlike virtual machines, each of which has a cloned operating system to itself.
In some cases, containerization can be a more accessible or easy form of virtualization. It can be easier to set up the containers than to try to split resources like CPU and memory between many virtual machines. Containerization tools like Docker assist managers in creating container virtualization systems. Now, IT professionals debate whether containerization or hypervisor virtualization is the superior method. Some call containers a kind of "thin client" approach to virtualization, because they may be deployed with less bulk than virtual machines.
Tags
Written by Techopedia Staff

At Techopedia, we aim to provide insight and inspiration to IT professionals, technology decision-makers and anyone else who is proud to be called a geek. From defining complex tech jargon in our dictionary, to exploring the latest trend in our articles or providing in-depth coverage of a topic in our tutorials, our goal is to help you better understand technology - and, we hope, make better decisions as a result.
More Q&As from our experts
- What does the mobile network state mean?
- With more big data solutions moving to the cloud, how will that impact network performance and security?
- What is the difference between cloud computing and web hosting?
Related Terms
- Virtualization
- Software Container
- Hardware Virtualization
- Application Virtualization
- Container
- Cloud Computing
- Virtual Reality Modeling Language
- Virtual Appliance
- Desktop Virtualization
- Operating System Virtualization
Related Articles

Virtualization Versus the Cloud

Do You Really Understand Virtualization?

How Network Virtualization is Used as a Security Tool
Tech moves fast! Stay ahead of the curve with Techopedia!
Join nearly 200,000 subscribers who receive actionable tech insights from Techopedia.
- The CIO Guide to Information Security
- Robotic Process Automation: What You Need to Know
- Data Governance Is Everyone's Business
- Key Applications for AI in the Supply Chain
- Service Mesh for Mere Mortals - Free 100+ page eBook
- Do You Need a Head of Remote?
- Web Data Collection in 2022 - Everything you need to know