podman-desktop
Podman Desktop is a cross-platform Electron/TypeScript desktop GUI for building, running, and managing containers, pods, images, and Kubernetes workloads. It installs and keeps Podman up to date, works across multiple container engines (Podman, Docker, Lima, crc), and is extensible through a plugin system.
Embed badge
[](https://opensources.dev/resource/podman-desktop)Apache-2.0Permissive — free to use in commercial and proprietary software, with attribution.View license →
Production readiness
4/5- Actively maintainedCommits in the last 6 months
- No known vulnerabilitiesNot yet scanned
- Clear, usable licenseApache-2.0 (permissive)
- Proven adoptionWidely used
- Has documentationDocumentation indexed
npm install podman-desktopOur analysis
A graphical desktop application that lets developers manage containers, images, pods, volumes, registries, and Kubernetes deployments locally, with built-in lifecycle management of the Podman engine and an extension architecture.
When to use podman-desktop
Use it when you want a free, open-source GUI alternative to Docker Desktop, especially if you prefer Podman's daemonless/rootless model, need to manage multiple container engines from one interface, or want to bridge local containers to local/remote Kubernetes clusters without licensing fees.
When not to
If you live entirely on the command line, prefer a TUI like lazydocker/k9s, or are deeply invested in the Docker ecosystem and tooling, a desktop GUI adds little. It's also not the right tool for production cluster operations or CI pipelines, where headless CLIs and orchestration tooling fit better.
Strengths
- Open source under Apache 2.0 with no licensing restrictions for enterprises
- Supports multiple container engines (Podman, Docker, Lima, crc) from a single UI
- Automatically installs and keeps the Podman engine updated
- Extension system to add capabilities (Compose, Kind, Minikube, etc.)
- Backed by Red Hat with an active community and regular releases
Trade-offs
- Electron-based, so it carries the typical memory/footprint overhead of a desktop GUI
- Primarily a desktop developer tool, not suited for headless/CI or production cluster management
- Kubernetes integration is convenience-focused and less powerful than dedicated tools like Lens or k9s
- Most polished experience is around Podman; other engines may have feature gaps
Maturity
Mature and actively maintained with frequent releases, strong corporate backing from Red Hat, ~7.7k GitHub stars, and a growing list of enterprise adopters; positioned as a production-ready Docker Desktop replacement.
Podman Desktop – A graphical tool for developing on containers and Kubernetes
Documentation
Overview
Podman Desktop is a graphical interface that enables application developers to seamlessly work with containers and Kubernetes.
Podman Desktop installs, configures, and keeps Podman up to date on your local environment. It provides a system tray, to check status and interact with your container engine without losing focus from other tasks. The desktop application provides a dashboard to interact with containers, images, pods, and volumes but also configures your environment with your OCI registries and network settings. Podman Desktop also provides capabilities to connect and deploy pods to Kubernetes environments.
Podman Desktop supports multiple container engines, and extends its capabilities through extensions!
Installation
Download from podman-desktop.io/downloads.
Usage
See the documentation for guides on managing containers, images, pods, Kubernetes clusters, and extensions.
Development
pnpm install && pnpm watch
See CONTRIBUTING.md for the full development guide.
Features
Containers and pods dashboard
Build, run, manage, and debug both containers and pods
Run Pods on your container engine or with Kubernetes
Convert your Pods to be running on Kubernetes
Manage multiple container engines
Multiple container engine support
Podman engine update support
Keep
podmanup-to-date on your PC by having Podman Desktop automatically install the newest version
System tray support
Manage your Container engine
Define your Kubernetes context
Enterprise capabilities
Proxy Support
OCI Image registries management
Bridge between local and remote environments
Connect and deploy to both local or remote Kubernetes environments
Change your Kubernetes context and pick your deployment environment
Join our early adopter program! (optional)
We are seeking developers who are interested in improving Podman Desktop!
Register your interest to join our Early Adopter Program by filling this form.
This is totally optional and does not change any Podman Desktop features.
Roadmap
All upcoming features are tracked with GitHub milestones.
Check out all our future features!
Contributing
Interested in fixing issues or contributing to Podman Desktop?
:checkered_flag: Read our contributing guide
:ok_hand: Review or contribute a pull request
Joining a community meeting is a great way to get involved and help shape the future of Podman Desktop.
Communication
For all bug and feature requests please file a GitHub issue.
Discussions are done using GitHub Discussions.
Chatting
General questions & development:
Note: All channels are bridged. Chat on either Discord, IRC, or Matrix, and your messages will appear on all three platforms!
Kubernetes questions & development:
#podman-desktop on the Kubernetes Slack
Social networks
Share Your Feedback
Are you using Podman Desktop at your company? We’d love to hear how you’re using (or planning to use) Podman Desktop. Spend 30 minutes chatting with us about your use case, and we’ll send you some Podman Desktop swag as a thank-you!
👉 Please complete this form, and we’ll be in touch to arrange a time.
Check out the growing list of companies already using Podman Desktop, and add your organization to be part of the community of adopters.
Your feedback is invaluable and will play a direct role in guiding the evolution of Podman Desktop. We greatly appreciate your time and perspective.
Code of Conduct
This project uses the Containers Community Code of Conduct.
Testing
License
Licensed under Apache 2.0.
On this page
- Podman Desktop – A graphical tool for developing on containers and Kubernetes
- Documentation
- Overview
- Installation
- Usage
- Development
- Features
- Containers and pods dashboard
- Multiple container engine support
- Podman engine update support
- System tray support
- Enterprise capabilities
- Bridge between local and remote environments
- Join our early adopter program! (optional)
- Roadmap
- Contributing
- Communication
- Chatting
- Social networks
- Share Your Feedback
- Code of Conduct
- Testing
- License