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OpenShift Local vs kind: catalog facts
OpenShift Local	kind
Free Free and developed in the open on GitHub.	Free Free to use.
Command line	Command line
Full OpenShift 4.x cluster on a single machine Choice of OpenShift, MicroShift or Podman presets	Creates a full Kubernetes cluster with one command Works with Docker, Podman or nerdctl
Intended for testing and development, not production A full OpenShift cluster needs substantial local resources	Designed for testing and development, not production clusters Still pre-1.0 according to the project
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

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