Ledger / container development environment
Self-hosted alternatives to Docker Desktop
Read 2026-11-14 · 4 projects · 4 pass
We read the repository pages of 4 projects that people put forward as a replacement for Docker Desktop (container development environment). 4 pass all three checks: abiosoft/colima, lima-vm/lima, podman-desktop/podman-desktop, rancher-sandbox/rancher-desktop. Nothing failed a check on the read date.
| Project | License as read | License · Live · Active | Stars | Latest release / last push |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| abiosoft/colimaGo | MIT | licliveactive | 31,669 | v0.10.3 2026-06-04 release is old; active counts the push pushed 2026-10-13 |
What it says it is Container runtimes on macOS (and Linux) with minimal setup Install In the repository: Dockerfile README mentions Docker, Kubernetes, containerd, Linux, macOS | ||||
| lima-vm/limaGo | Apache-2.0 | licliveactive | 22,351 | v2.3.0 2026-11-06 pushed 2026-11-13 |
What it says it is Linux virtual machines, with a focus on running containers Install In the repository: Dockerfile README mentions Docker, Kubernetes, Podman, containerd, Linux, macOS, Windows, GUI | ||||
| podman-desktop/podman-desktopTypeScript | Apache-2.0 | licliveactive | 8,168 | v1.30.5 2026-10-13 pushed 2026-11-13 |
What it says it is Podman Desktop is the best free and open source tool to work with Containers and Kubernetes for developers. Get an intuitive and user-friendly interface to effortlessly build, manage, and deploy containers and Kubernetes — all from your desktop. Install No Dockerfile, compose file or Helm chart found in the top levels of the repository README mentions Docker, Kubernetes, Podman, Linux | ||||
| rancher-sandbox/rancher-desktopTypeScript | Apache-2.0 | licliveactive | 7,415 | v1.25.0 2026-11-05 pushed 2026-11-14 |
What it says it is Container Management and Kubernetes on the Desktop Install No Dockerfile, compose file or Helm chart found in the top levels of the repository README mentions Kubernetes, Linux, macOS, Windows | ||||
Checks per row: lic = one open-source license across the whole repository (a commercial option on request is allowed), live = not archived, active = a release or push within 90 days of 2026-11-14. A red x marks a failed check. Full definitions and limits: method.
How they differ
Mentioned in some READMEs and not others
- Docker: abiosoft/colima, lima-vm/lima, podman-desktop/podman-desktop
- Podman: lima-vm/lima, podman-desktop/podman-desktop
- containerd: abiosoft/colima, lima-vm/lima
- macOS: abiosoft/colima, lima-vm/lima, rancher-sandbox/rancher-desktop
- Windows: lima-vm/lima, rancher-sandbox/rancher-desktop
- GUI: lima-vm/lima
Main language
- Go: abiosoft/colima, lima-vm/lima
- TypeScript: podman-desktop/podman-desktop, rancher-sandbox/rancher-desktop
Install files
- In the repository: Dockerfile: abiosoft/colima, lima-vm/lima
- No Dockerfile, compose file or Helm chart found in the top levels of the repository: podman-desktop/podman-desktop, rancher-sandbox/rancher-desktop
From each README (first part) and file tree as read; a missing mention only means the README does not use the word.
Where people asked for this
- Ask HN: What alternatives to Docker Desktop are people using? 3 points, 9 comments
Thread titles and counts as collected 2026-11-09. The original product: Docker Desktop.