Compare software

Podman vs nerdctl: catalog facts
Podman	nerdctl
Free The open-source software is available without a license fee. Hosting, hardware and…	Free Free and open source under the Apache 2.0 license.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	Linux, Command line
Rootless containers with no background daemon to run as root Command line is a near drop-in replacement for Docker	Same commands as docker, so existing habits carry over Runs Docker Compose files
Rootless networking and volume permissions behave differently from Docker and can surprise you Podman Desktop is a separate download from the engine	Requires containerd rather than working with an existing Docker daemon Many advanced features are optional extras that need separate setup
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: Apache-2.0	License: Apache-2.0
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

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