Is Portainer still the best Docker and Kubernetes Management Platform?
Video write-up
In this video, we take a deep dive into the latest features of Portainer, the popular Docker and Kubernetes management platform. We'll explore its recent rebranding, new functionalities for managing containers and clusters, and showcase how its Terraform provider can automate your deployments. Join me as we review these exciting updates and uncover some previously unexplored capabilities.
References
New Portainer UI & Branding
Portainer has rebranded with a fresh purple logo and modern UI, but the core experience remains the same. The CE version is still free and fully functional for most use cases.
Environment Management
You can add multiple environments—Docker Standalone, Swarm, Kubernetes, Podman, or ACI—using the Agent or Edge Agent. Swarm mode is now a first‑class citizen, making it easier to manage services and overlay networks.
Kubernetes Enhancements
Portainer now supports Helm charts with update/rollback, and you can manage native Kubernetes resources such as Services, Ingresses, CronJobs, Jobs, Service Accounts, and ClusterRoles. The UI still lacks some custom resources like Traefik Ingress, but most core objects are covered.
Terraform Provider
The new Terraform provider lets you provision Portainer stacks and other Docker/Kubernetes resources declaratively. The example in the video uses a simple nginx stack to illustrate stack_file_content, deployment_type, and network configuration.
Vendor Lock Considerations
While the Terraform provider is powerful, it ties you to Portainer for automation. Consider whether you want to rely on a single vendor for your infrastructure code.
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