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Docker Desktop vs Docker Engine: catalog facts
Docker Desktop	Docker Engine
Freemium Free for personal use, education, open source projects and small businesses. Larger…	Free Free to use.
Windows, macOS, Linux	Command line
Everything in one installer: engine, Compose, Kubernetes and a dashboard The reference implementation, so every tutorial assumes it	Standard runtime for container images Controlled from the command line and scriptable
Paid subscription required above a company size threshold Closed source, unlike the Docker engine itself	No graphical interface of its own Requires some command-line familiarity
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Closed source	Open source
License not stated	License not stated
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 23, 2026

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