Yes: Docker adds an enormous amount of overhead. Instead of your Python code you now have to manage a second operating system for the host (including things like not being able to debug or edit directly, having to debug networking, etc.) and whatever OS + deployment is happening in the actual container.

For deployment, Docker solves a lot of problems but there's a significant cost for local development.

I actually prefer to use Docker, especially on projects with multiple people. The amount of times people shipped code without adding dependencies, or on-boarding new people who wouldn't read the docs to install system dependencies was astounding. Now it's as easy as install Docker, and running `docker-compose up` and since our CI and servers use the same images it's virtually guaranteed to work. I've also noticed a huge productivity leap being able to use sql serves as containers rather than installing them on the system! so much easier to manage!

Less of a pain in the ass for rapid iteration, zero overhead, fewer dependencies = less complexity.

Virtualenv is literally a set of shims in your $PATH and some tooling to manage those sets. Pyenv is the same thing, but extends the concept out to your actual Python interpreter and lets you rapidly switch between them.

I wish you weren't getting downvoted for this. docker-compose is honestly no more complicated of a thing than virtualenv to use.

That said, main reason to do it is that python is a language of idioms and this is one. It's easier to take the trail than break your own.

I find virtualenv much easier to manage and use than docker. Unless you're changing dependencies and versions multiple times over a day, it's not a pain.

Docker is SLOW to build the image. Virtualenv is great for development.

Yes you don't need a whole linux distro for what's simply a set of libraries and a binary file

Docker container is just the lazy solution