Podman Desktop
Free container manager with a normal window and buttons. The usual replacement for Docker Desktop on Linux.
Our verdict
Podman Desktop is the free container app most Linux users land on. It gives you the same kind of window Docker Desktop does, with lists of containers, images and volumes and buttons to start and stop them, so you are not left with a terminal.
It is not a copy of Docker Desktop. Things sit in different places and a few of Docker's paid extras have no equivalent. It does talk to Docker as well as Podman, so images and containers you already have keep working.
The install comes from the Linux app store as a Flatpak, or as a download from the project's own site. There is no account to make and no licence to buy, which is the main practical difference for anyone who hit Docker Desktop's paid tiers at work.
What's good
- Free with no subscription tiers and no sign-in
- Works with Podman and with Docker, so existing containers and images are still usable
- Installs from the Linux app store as a Flatpak, or as a plain download from the project site
- Open source under Apache 2.0, backed by a Cloud Native Computing Foundation project
What to know first
- The window and menus are laid out differently from Docker Desktop, so expect some hunting
- Some Docker Desktop extras have no direct match here
- Still assumes you know what a container and an image are
The details
- Cost
- Free
- Open source
- Yes (Apache-2.0)
- How you install it
- App store (Flatpak)
Windows apps it can replace
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