Why I Ditched Docker Desktop and You Should Too: A Complete Guide to Alternatives in 2025
After Docker Desktop crashed my M2 MacBook for the third time this week while eating 4GB of RAM to run a simple Node.js container, I finally had enough. That breaking point led me down a rabbit hole of Docker alternatives that honestly should have happened years ago.
Here’s what I discovered after testing every major Docker Desktop alternative, complete with performance benchmarks, migration headaches, and brutally honest takes on what actually works.
The Docker Desktop Problem (It’s Worse Than You Think)
Let me start with some uncomfortable truths about Docker Desktop that we’ve all just accepted:
Resource Usage: On my 16GB M2 MacBook Pro, Docker Desktop regularly consumed 3-4GB of RAM just sitting idle. Running a few containers? Easily 6-8GB. That’s half my memory gone before I even start coding.
Performance: File sharing between host and containers is painfully slow. A simple npm install that takes 30 seconds natively can stretch to 2-3 minutes inside a Docker Desktop container on macOS.
Reliability: Random crashes, especially when switching between projects or when the laptop goes to sleep. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had to restart Docker Desktop mid-development.
Cost: Docker Desktop now requires a paid license for companies with more than 250 employees or $10M revenue. That’s $5-21 per user per month for something that used to be free.
Kubernetes Overhead: The built-in Kubernetes cluster is convenient but adds significant overhead even when you’re not using it.
I wasn’t alone in these frustrations. A quick poll of my dev team revealed everyone had similar issues but just… dealt with it. Time to stop dealing with it.
The Alternatives That Actually Work
I spent two weeks testing every major Docker Desktop alternative. Here’s what I found:
OrbStack - The Game Changer (macOS Only)
Bottom line: This is what Docker Desktop should have been.
OrbStack completely blew me away. It’s built specifically for macOS and it shows. Container startup times are 2-3x faster than Docker Desktop, file sharing performance is dramatically better, and it uses about 60% less memory.
What impressed me:
- Containers start in under 2 seconds vs 8-10 seconds with Docker Desktop
- File sharing that actually feels native - no more waiting forever for npm installs
- Seamless Docker CLI compatibility - literally just change one environment variable
- Built-in Linux VMs if you need them
- Beautiful native macOS interface
The catch: It’s $8/month after a free trial, and it’s macOS only. But honestly, after using it for a week, I’d pay twice that.
Migration: Dead simple. Install OrbStack, export your existing containers, import them. Took me about 10 minutes.
Podman - The Open Source Darling
Bottom line: Powerful and free, but requires more setup work.
Podman has been gaining serious traction as the “Docker without Docker” solution. It’s daemonless, which means better security and resource usage, and it’s completely open source.
What works well:
- No background daemon eating resources
- Rootless containers by default (better security)
- Drop-in replacement for most Docker commands
- Works great on Linux, decent on macOS with Podman Desktop
What’s annoying:
- Initial setup is more involved, especially on macOS
- Some Docker Compose features don’t work perfectly
- Networking can be quirky compared to Docker
- The learning curve if you’re used to Docker’s behavior
Real talk: If you’re on Linux or don’t mind tinkering, Podman is fantastic. On macOS, it’s usable but not as polished as OrbStack.
Rancher Desktop - The Kubernetes-First Option
Bottom line: Great if you live in Kubernetes land, overkill if you don’t.
Rancher Desktop takes a different approach - it’s built around Kubernetes from the ground up, with container management as a secondary feature.
Strengths:
- Excellent Kubernetes integration
- Multiple container runtime options (containerd, dockerd)
- Cross-platform consistency
- Good for teams already using Rancher
Weaknesses:
- Heavier than necessary if you just want containers
- More complex than needed for simple Docker workflows
- Can be slow to start up
Best for: Teams already invested in the Rancher ecosystem or those who primarily work with Kubernetes.
Colima - The Minimalist Choice
Bottom line: Lightweight and fast, but bare-bones.
Colima (Container Linux Machines) is the minimalist approach. It’s basically just a lightweight Linux VM that runs Docker.
What I liked:
- Incredibly lightweight
- Fast startup times
- Simple CLI interface
- Free and open source
What’s missing:
- No GUI (terminal only)
- Limited configuration options
- Basic feature set compared to Docker Desktop
Perfect for: Developers who prefer command-line tools and don’t need the bells and whistles.
Back to Basics: Native Docker Engine
Bottom line: Sometimes the old ways are the best ways.
On Linux, you can just install Docker Engine directly without Docker Desktop. On macOS and Windows, this isn’t directly possible, but you can run Docker Engine in a lightweight VM.
Benefits:
- Maximum performance
- Complete control over configuration
- No licensing concerns
- Minimal resource usage
Drawbacks:
- More setup required
- No GUI
- Manual management of everything
Real Performance Comparison
I ran the same test across all alternatives: starting 5 containers (Node.js, PostgreSQL, Redis, Nginx, and a Python API) and running a typical development workflow.
Memory Usage (idle state):
- Docker Desktop: 3.2GB
- OrbStack: 1.1GB
- Podman Desktop: 1.8GB
- Rancher Desktop: 2.4GB
- Colima: 0.8GB
Container Startup Time (average):
- Docker Desktop: 8.3 seconds
- OrbStack: 2.1 seconds
- Podman: 4.7 seconds
- Rancher Desktop: 6.2 seconds
- Colima: 3.1 seconds
File Sharing Performance (npm install with 200 packages):
- Docker Desktop: 127 seconds
- OrbStack: 45 seconds
- Podman: 89 seconds
- Rancher Desktop: 112 seconds
- Colima: 67 seconds
The numbers don’t lie - Docker Desktop consistently performed worst in every category.
Migration Reality Check
Switching isn’t always smooth sailing. Here are the real issues I encountered:
Docker Compose Quirks: Some alternatives handle Docker Compose differently. Podman required adjusting a few service definitions, and Rancher Desktop had networking issues with our multi-service setup.
Volume Mounts: Path handling varies between alternatives. What worked in Docker Desktop sometimes needed tweaking elsewhere.
Environment Variables: Some alternatives handle environment variable expansion differently in docker-compose files.
IDE Integration: VS Code’s Docker extension works well with most alternatives, but some features are Docker Desktop-specific.
Team Consistency: Getting the whole team to switch at once is ideal but not always practical.
My Honest Recommendations
For macOS developers: Go with OrbStack. Yes, it costs money, but the performance gains and reliability improvements pay for themselves in saved time and frustration.
For Linux users: Native Docker Engine or Podman. Both work excellently on Linux without the overhead of Desktop.
For Windows users: Podman Desktop has improved significantly, or consider Rancher Desktop if you’re doing Kubernetes work.
For teams with mixed environments: Podman offers the most consistent experience across platforms, though expect some initial setup overhead.
For budget-conscious developers: Colima on macOS, native Docker Engine on Linux. Free and performant, just less user-friendly.
What I’m Using Now
I’ve settled on OrbStack for my daily development work and Podman for CI/CD environments. OrbStack’s performance improvements alone have made me more productive, and not having Docker Desktop randomly crash during demos is worth the monthly cost.
For our team’s CI pipelines, Podman’s security model and resource efficiency make it the clear winner.
The Migration Strategy That Actually Works
If you’re convinced to make the switch, here’s how to do it without losing your sanity:
- Start with a side project - Don’t migrate your main work environment immediately
- Export existing containers and volumes - Most alternatives can import Docker Desktop artifacts
- Test your docker-compose files - Some adjustments are usually needed
- Update your team’s documentation - Include installation and setup instructions for the new tool
- Plan a gradual rollout - Have team members switch one at a time rather than all at once
Looking Forward
Docker Desktop served its purpose in making containers accessible to developers, but it’s showing its age. The alternatives have matured significantly and offer better performance, lower resource usage, and in many cases, better developer experiences.
The container ecosystem is healthier when we have real alternatives. Docker’s licensing changes, while frustrating, have accelerated innovation in this space, and we’re all better off for it.
Have you made the switch from Docker Desktop? Hit me up on Twitter @TheLogicalDev - I’m curious what alternative you chose and how the migration went.
Tested on: 2023 MacBook Pro M2 (16GB RAM), macOS Sonoma 14.3, with typical web development workloads. Results may vary based on your specific setup and use cases.