{"data":{"slug":"podman","name":"Podman","tagline":"Apache-2.0 daemonless OCI containers and pods","category":"devops","categoryName":"DevOps","url":"https://podman.io","github":"https://github.com/podman-container-tools/podman","pricing":"open-source","hook":"Podman is rootless, daemonless Docker-compatible containers when you do not want a privileged dockerd.","whatsGood":"Apache-2.0. CLI familiar to Docker users (`podman run`, Compose-compatible flows via podman-compose / Docker Compose support), pods that map cleanly toward Kubernetes, Buildah/Skopeo in the same CNCF-adjacent toolkit family. Desktop app available. Works with Kind, VS Code, and CI runners that speak OCI.","theCatch":"Vs Docker (encyclopedia): Podman wins on rootless/daemonless defaults, not on Desktop marketplace polish or every Compose edge case. Some tutorials still assume dockerd socket quirks. Image/build UX splits across Podman/Buildah depending on workflow.","verdict":"Apache-2.0 OCI engine. Free forever; pick it when rootless daemonless is the point.","addedAt":"2026-09-09","featured":false,"domain":"DevOps","subSpecialty":"Infrastructure","subcategory":"Containers","tags":["self-host","permissive","containers","active"],"capabilities":[],"surfaces":["Self-host"],"ecosystem":["Multi-platform"],"licenseModel":"Apache-2.0","githubStars":33072,"starsPerWeek":71,"access":"free","archived":false,"repo":{"createdAt":"2017-11-01","pushedAt":"2026-10-18","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/podman","html":"/gems/podman","markdown":"/gems/podman.md","category":"/api/gems?category=devops","categoryPage":"/stacks/devops"}}