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Lima vs Vagrant: catalog facts
Lima	Vagrant
Free Free and open source under Apache 2.0, a CNCF project.	Free Free to download and use. The source is available under the Business Source License, which…
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
Automatic file sharing and port forwarding, so the VM feels like part of the host Runs containerd, Docker, Podman and Kubernetes, not just one of them	One file reproduces an identical development machine for everyone Works across VirtualBox, VMware, Hyper-V, libvirt and Docker providers
Command-line only; there is no graphical management interface Linux guests only	Source is under the Business Source License with use restrictions, not open source Still needs a hypervisor installed and enough memory for real machines
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Closed source
License: Apache-2.0	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 22, 2026

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