Best Docker Engine Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 platforms from container engines ranked against Docker Engine on the same published basis.
- 1Docker Engine vs LXD
- 2Docker Engine vs Docker Desktop
- 3Docker Engine vs BuildKit
- 4Docker Engine vs Incus
- 5Docker Engine vs Apptainer
- 6Docker Engine vs gVisor
- 7Docker Engine vs youki
- 8Docker Engine vs SingularityCE
- 9Docker Engine vs Buildah
- 10Docker Engine vs containerd
- 11Docker Engine vs crun
- 12Docker Engine vs Podman
- 13Docker Engine vs Kata Containers
- 14Docker Engine vs Mirantis Container Runtime
- 15Docker Engine vs Moby
- 16Docker Engine vs CRI-O
- 18Docker Engine vs ocijail
- 19Docker Engine vs runc
- 20Docker Engine vs Sysbox
- 21Docker Engine vs Apple container
Docker Engine alternatives compared
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LXD | 7.7 | Free plan | $2.08/mo | API, Linux, self-hosted, Web |
| 2 | Docker Desktop | 7.5 | Free plan | $9/mo | Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 3 | BuildKit | 7.4 | Free plan | Free | API, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Windows |
| 4 | Incus | 7.4 | Free plan | Free | API, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Windows |
| 5 | Apptainer | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | API, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Windows |
| 6 | gVisor | 7.1 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted |
| 7 | youki | 7.1 | Free plan | Free | Linux |
| 8 | SingularityCE | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted |
| 9 | Buildah | 6.9 | Free plan | Free | API, Linux, self-hosted |
| 10 | containerd | 6.9 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted, Windows |
| 11 | crun | 6.9 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted |
| 12 | Podman | 6.9 | Free plan | Free | API, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Windows |
| 13 | Kata Containers | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted |
| 14 | Mirantis Container Runtime | 6.3 | No | $93.75/mo | API, Linux, self-hosted, Windows |
| 15 | Moby | 6.3 | No | — | API, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Windows |
| 16 | CRI-O | 6.1 | No | — | API, Linux, self-hosted |
| 18 | ocijail | 6.1 | No | — | self-hosted |
| 19 | runc | 5.9 | No | — | Linux, self-hosted |
| 20 | Sysbox | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted |
| 21 | Apple container | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Mac, self-hosted |
Make your platform an alternative to Docker Engine
See the priceThe sponsored alternative slot on this page is labelled Sponsored.
Questions about Docker Engine alternatives
What is the best alternative to Docker Engine?
LXD, number 1 in container engines with a score of 7.7 out of 10. The others here: Docker Desktop, BuildKit, Incus and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to Docker Engine?
LXD is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 15 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on.