Comparison

Docker vs Podman

On the evidence we track, Docker leads this comparison with a composite score of 71/100. Scores are only directly comparable because these tools share a category; the full breakdown and every source is below.

Machine formatsJSONMarkdownGraphQLor send Accept: application/json
Docker71
Podman43
Score
Vioscale score
Docker71 / 100medium · 66%
Podman43 / 100medium · 50%
Pricing
Free tier
Docker
Podman
Model
Price level
Dockerlow
Podmanfree
Transparent
Docker
Podman
Integrations
Count
Docker
Podman7
Reliability
Status page
Docker
Podman
Adoption
Dependent repos
Docker1,657
Podman0
Github stars
Docker72,001
Podman10
Activity
Commits last 30d
Docker100
Podman
Release
Cadence days
Docker3
Podman1
History
Docker20 items
Podman7 items
License
Spdx
PodmanMIT
Language
Primary
DockerGo
PodmanGo
Market
Availability

Capabilities

Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for container orchestration tools. “-” means undocumented, not absent.

Core
Orchestration scope
DockerSwarm / Compose
PodmanNone / single-host
Deployment
Hosting
DockerCloud + self-hosted
PodmanSelf-hosted only
Standards
OCI / CRI compliant
Docker-
Podman
CNCF Certified Kubernetes conformant
Docker-
Podman-
Security
Rootless operation
Docker
Podman
Architecture
Daemonless architecture
Docker-
Podman-
Platform
Windows containers
Docker
Podman-
ARM architecture support
Docker-
Podman-
Workloads
GPU scheduling
Docker-
Podman-
Stateful workloads
Docker-
Podman
Networking
Built-in networking / CNI
Docker
Podman
Ops
Vendor-managed control plane
Docker-
Podman-
Ecosystem
CNCF maturity
Docker-
Podman-
UX
GUI dashboard
Docker
Podman-

What each one is

The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.

Docker

Leader

Docker provides a complete containerization ecosystem combining open-source components and tools (via the Moby project) with commercial products. It allows applications and their dependencies to be bundled into containers for consistent deployment across cloud and on-premise environments, with both managed and self-hosted deployment options.

Independently observed

Podman

Podman is an open-source tool for creating, configuring, and managing containerized applications on Linux, Windows, and macOS. It supports rootless operation, integrates with systemd and Kubernetes, and provides features for container image handling, volume management, and networking.

Independently observed

Pricing

List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.

Docker

Leader
from $9/moHybridFree tier

From free (Personal tier) to $24/seat/month (Business). Docker Hardened Images starting at $5k/repo (Select tier).

  • Docker PersonalFree
    • Docker Desktop
    • Docker Engine + Kubernetes
    • Docker Hub
    • Docker Scout
    • Docker Debug
  • Docker Pro$9/seat/month (monthly billing) or $11/seat/month (annual billing)
    • Docker Build Cloud
    • Testcontainers Cloud
    • Synchronized File Shares
    • Docker Scout health scores visibility
    • 5 business day support
  • Docker Team$15/seat/month (monthly billing) or $16/seat/month (annual billing)
    • Add users in bulk
    • Audit logs
    • Docker Hub role-based access control
    • 2 business day support
  • Docker BusinessContact sales
    • Hardened Docker Desktop
    • Single Sign-On (SSO)
    • SCIM user provisioning
    • Image and Registry Access Management
    • Desktop Insights Dashboard
    • +3 more
as of verify ↗

Podman

Open sourceFree tier
as of verify ↗

Platform & deployment

Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.

Platforms
Web
Docker
Podman
macOS
Docker
Podman
Windows
Docker
Podman
Linux
Docker
Podman
CLI
Docker
Podman
Deployment
Cloud / SaaS
Docker
Podman
Self-hosted
Docker
Podman

Integrations

What each product connects to. Counts come from the vendor's own integration directory where one exists.

Docker

Leader

Not documented yet.

Podman

7 total
  • Kubernetes
  • Docker Compose
  • systemd
  • Red Hat OpenShift
  • netavark
  • crun
  • conmon
Independently observed

Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.