{"data":{"slug":"containerd","name":"containerd","tagline":"Apache-2.0 CNCF container runtime under Kubernetes","category":"devops","categoryName":"DevOps","url":"https://containerd.io","github":"https://github.com/containerd/containerd","pricing":"open-source","hook":"containerd is the industry-standard container runtime: it pulls images, manages storage and networking hooks, and runs containers — the layer underneath Docker and most Kubernetes clusters.","whatsGood":"Apache-2.0, a graduated CNCF project (containerd/containerd), release v2.4.2. Stable, widely deployed and pluggable through snapshotters and runtime shims such as runc, gVisor and Kata. ★~21k.","theCatch":"It is a low-level daemon, not a developer tool: you drive it through Kubernetes, nerdctl or Docker rather than directly, and its own ctr CLI is meant for debugging. Vs docker (the full developer experience on top): reach for containerd directly only when building platforms or nodes.","verdict":"The runtime you are probably already using — interact with it through Kubernetes, nerdctl or Docker.","addedAt":"2026-10-16","featured":false,"domain":"AI Agents","subSpecialty":"Containers","subcategory":"Containers","tags":["self-host","permissive","kubernetes","containers","active"],"capabilities":["containers","runtime"],"surfaces":["Self-host"],"ecosystem":["Go"],"licenseModel":"Apache-2.0","githubStars":21427,"starsPerWeek":38,"access":"free","archived":false,"repo":{"createdAt":"2015-11-13","pushedAt":"2026-10-19","license":"Apache-2.0","archived":false,"checkedAt":"2026-10-19"}},"related":[{"slug":"github-actions","name":"GitHub Actions","tagline":"CI/CD that lives where your code does"},{"slug":"docker","name":"Docker","tagline":"Container runtime that changed deployment"},{"slug":"kubernetes","name":"Kubernetes","tagline":"Container orchestration at scale"},{"slug":"pulumi","name":"Pulumi","tagline":"Infrastructure as code in real languages"},{"slug":"fly-io","name":"Fly.io","tagline":"Deploy apps to VMs close to your users"}],"links":{"self":"/api/gems/containerd","html":"/gems/containerd","markdown":"/gems/containerd.md","category":"/api/gems?category=devops","categoryPage":"/stacks/devops"}}