16GB reduces swap usage a lot over 8GB for Docker

Yes, significantly.

8GB is tight if you’re running 5–10 containers alongside a desktop environment, browser tabs, and an IDE. Each container has its own overhead (the OS, runtime, dependencies), and databases or caching layers eat memory fast. Once you hit the wall, Linux starts swapping heavily, and your development grind slows to a crawl.

16GB gives you a comfortable buffer. Even with moderate containers (Node, Python, a couple of Postgres or Redis instances), you’ll stay well under the limit. Swap usage drops from constant to nearly zero. The difference is night and day – containers stay snappy, rebuilds finish faster, and your laptop fans stop screaming.

If your workflow involves heavy services (like Elasticsearch, multiple databases, or build pipelines), 16GB still helps but you might eventually want