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Docker Desktop vs Container Tools for Visual Studio Code: catalog facts
Docker Desktop	Container Tools for Visual Studio Code
Freemium Free for personal use, education, open source projects and small businesses. Larger…	Free The repository is licensed under MIT.
Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
Everything in one installer: engine, Compose, Kubernetes and a dashboard The reference implementation, so every tutorial assumes it	Builds, manages and deploys containerized applications from VS Code Includes a Docker Extension Pack for migration from the former Docker extension
Paid subscription required above a company size threshold Closed source, unlike the Docker engine itself	Requires Visual Studio Code
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Closed source	Open source
License not stated	License: MIT
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 October 8, 2026

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