Compare software

Podman Compose vs Docker Compose: catalog facts
Podman Compose	Docker Compose
Free Free and open source under the GPL 2.0 licence.	Free Free to use.
Command line	Command line
Runs existing docker-compose.yml files Rootless and daemonless	Whole stack described in one readable file Starts and stops multiple containers together
Needs a Podman network backend with DNS resolution Older Podman versions require the legacy 0.1.x branch	Needs Docker installed to run Aimed at single hosts rather than clusters
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-2.0	License not stated
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

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