A command-line tool from Apple for running Linux containers as lightweight virtual machines on Apple silicon Macs.
50.8K1.8KSwiftApache-2.0Updated 3 days ago
3 alternatives
Best open-source alternatives to Docker Desktop (2026)
Looking for a free, open-source alternative to Docker Desktop? These 3 projects can replace it. Each one passed our quality screening and is explained in plain words, so you can compare stars, license and maintenance at a glance.
Quick comparison
| Project | Stars | License | Last commit |
|---|---|---|---|
| apple/container | ★ 50.8K | Apache-2.0 | 3 days ago |
| smol-machines/smolvm | ★ 6.8K | Apache-2.0 | 3 hours ago |
| mrjackwills/oxker | ★ 2K | MIT | 2 months ago |
Embeddable, portable microVMs in Rust for running AI agents and untrusted code locally with hardware isolation.
6.8K333RustApache-2.0Updated 3 hours ago
A terminal UI (TUI) for viewing and controlling Docker containers, with live stats, logs and exec access.
2K51RustMITUpdated 2 months ago
FAQ
- Is there a free, open-source alternative to Docker Desktop?
- Yes. The most popular open-source alternatives to Docker Desktop on Repolode are container, smolvm, oxker.
- Which Docker Desktop alternative should I choose?
- container has the most GitHub stars and is released under Apache-2.0. Compare the license and last commit of each option in the table above before choosing.