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Docker Desktop vs Apple container: catalog facts
Docker Desktop	Apple container
Freemium Free for personal use, education, open source projects and small businesses. Larger…	Free The open-source software is available without a license fee. Hosting, hardware and…
Windows, macOS, Linux	macOS, Command line
Everything in one installer: engine, Compose, Kubernetes and a dashboard The reference implementation, so every tutorial assumes it	Uses OCI-compatible images and is optimized for Apple silicon.
Paid subscription required above a company size threshold Closed source, unlike the Docker engine itself	Requires a supported Apple silicon Mac and macOS release.
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Closed source	Open source
License not stated	License: Apache-2.0
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.