Pumba
Pumba is a free, open-source chaos testing and network emulation tool for Docker, containerd, and Podman containers.
What Pumba is
Pumba is a free, open-source chaos testing and network emulation tool for Docker, containerd, and Podman containers. It can stop, kill, pause, remove, or restart containers, and inject network delay, packet loss, duplication, corruption, and rate limits through netem or iptables. Its stress command uses stress-ng to exercise CPU, memory, and I/O. You can target containers by name, regular expression, label, or random selection, and schedule disruptions at fixed intervals. Pumba supports Kubernetes, with deployment options documented for Docker, Kubernetes DaemonSets, and OpenShift. Linux is its primary platform; macOS binaries are intended to drive a remote Linux container VM. It requires privileged access to container runtimes, so its security guidance recommends controlled environments and restricted socket access. Pumba is self-hosted and available under the Apache License 2.0 at no charge. Released binaries and a GitHub Container Registry image are available; the project marks its Docker Hub image as deprecated. Windows is not supported or planned.
Good
- Injects several types of network faults.
- Stress command covers CPU, memory, and I/O.
- Supports Docker, containerd, and Podman.
- Targets can be selected by labels or names.
- Free and open source under Apache License 2.0.
Watch out
- Windows is not supported or planned.
- macOS binaries drive a remote Linux container VM.
- Requires privileged access to container runtimes.
- Docker Hub image is marked deprecated.
Who it suits
Pumba suits teams that need to exercise container behavior and network fault scenarios in Linux or Kubernetes environments. It is also relevant for teams that want scheduled experiments and control over which containers are targeted.
Verdict
Pumba covers container disruptions, network emulation, and resource stress testing with flexible targeting and scheduling. Its privileged runtime access and Linux-centered support make deployment context and socket access important considerations.
Plans and prices
From Pumba's own pricing page, checked 8 Oct 2001.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Pumba | Free | Open-source container chaos testing tool · Apache License 2.0 |
The facts
Each one read from Pumba's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Container disruptions
- It can kill, stop, pause, remove, and restart containers.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Deployment
- The project documents Docker, Kubernetes DaemonSets, and OpenShift deployment options.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Distribution
- Pumba is available as released binaries and a GitHub Container Registry image; its README marks the Docker Hub image as deprecated.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Network testing
- It can inject network delay, packet loss, duplication, corruption, and rate limits using netem or iptables.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Purpose
- Pumba is a chaos testing and network emulation tool for Docker, containerd, and Podman containers.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Runtimes
- Pumba supports Docker, containerd, and Podman, with containerd and Podman-specific socket and privilege requirements.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Security requirements
- Pumba interacts directly with container runtimes and requires privileged access; its security guidance recommends controlled environments and restricting socket access.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Security support
- Security fixes apply only to the latest released minor version, and vulnerabilities should be reported privately through GitHub or to the maintainer.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Security tooling
- The repository says it uses CodeQL, golangci-lint with gosec, and GitHub Actions with least-privilege permissions.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Stress testing
- Its stress command tests CPU, memory, and I/O using stress-ng.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Support
- The README points users to GitHub Issues and a project blog for community support.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Targeting and scheduling
- Targets can be selected by names, regular expressions, labels, or randomly, and chaos can recur at fixed intervals.checked 8 Oct 2001
Where it runs
- Supported platforms
- Linux is the primary target, while macOS binaries are for driving a remote Linux container VM; Windows is not supported or planned.checked 8 Oct 2001
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